The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-10
FORTUNES IN TRIPLES.
- GORGE A CUSTER and Thomas
- L. Rosser were chunls and class

~
L. Fsosser were chun,s and class
~ mates at West Point military
academy. They left that institution IN
1851, the one to enter the Union ana the
other the Confederate army. Both
proved their skill and valor on score
of battlefields. The end of the war,
however, found Rosser penniless, with
a wife and children dependent upon him
for support. There were no openings IN
the south, but employment must pc
had. He made his way to the northwest
and secured work on the Northern Pa
cit1c railway, then in course of con-
struction. One day General Custer.
riding along the line OF the road, mo-
tced section boss whose face seemed
strangely familiar.
Amt your name Rosser?" he finally
asked
WHY. Custer, how are you?" said
Rosser, looking up from his work. Il
Thus they met for the first time since
leaving West Point. Custer called; the
next day, on the chief engineer OF the
road. IL
There is a man named Rosser,' said
he. under you as CONSTRUCTION
boss
Yes. and one of the best I ever had
Anything wrong about him.:
No" replied Custer. but he was at
West Point with me. and afterwards
became major general of cavalry I'M
der the Confederacy. Can't you give
him something better than the work he
is dOing:"
why. l have been looking for just
such a man." said the engineer
And so Rosser. through Clusters kind
" offices, became second in command
OF the engineer corps. \ few months
later he was promoted to be chief en-
sineer He made good use of the OPP
portunities his position afforded for
profitable investment and today is ac-
counted one of the wealthy men of his
native Virginia.
Thirty years ago a young man named
Samuel NJ. Bryan, = clerk IN the post
office department at Washington re-
ceiyed notice that his services were no
longer needed. Incompetency was Inc
reason given for his dismissal. W men
he looked over his stock in trade ne
found that it consisted OF something
less than 800 in cash and-a great loea'
A week later he was on his way TO san
Fr,rcsco one good natured postal
clerk after another allowing him to rae
in his car On reaching San francesca
steamship bound for Japan and in due
time found himself in Toxic. Once IN
Japon's chief city he proceeded WITH
ont DELAY to put his great idea into exc
cuuon What he proposed 10 per'e'.
and nut in ope. alton in Japan posta
system modelled after that OF tae mi
I'd States. Bryan found willing list
eners among the high JapaneS on't:''S
and in due time was requested 10 pre-
mare a prospectus OF his system to De
Submitted to the mikado. Its Value was
at once recognized and its adoption Or
dered. Bryan was placed al the heau
of the new department. VITA eaia.s
| of 81, 900 year. and entrusted WI"
| the negotiation of postal treaty
| tween Japan and the United states. -
| So ,,o,ths later he was back IN
! washington as the envoy of the Japan
| $50 government treating On equal ter!'i'
| ,,,;th tho man who had dismissed MN
for ;ncompetcncy. The treaty winch lie
! naeot.ated with skill and olploihaes
nroved satisfactory to all cohceineu'
Rrvan remained some fifteen years III
tho service Of the Japanese government
He then returned to the unlted ota'.s
a rich man 1t is interesting 10 col'eo.
tura what his career might nave oeei
had he not lost his place in the post
| office department.
|
Incidents of a trifling character ia
Influenced the career or more tnan o ,,
other successful inventor r. .. MAJ 'i =.
was a hard working machlhlst' Twins -
Waterbury,, Conn, when, one uas'l nv
h,,ora -. woman complaining because ,sh'
had pierced her finger with pm. ~,
t,,at would not prick fingers, he thought
lxc Ia
he had worked out the safety pin. am
.'.i+,,ir five wears his invention had mad
him rich. Carlos French, another con
nocticut mechanic in the course OF
railway tourney, noticed the Earring an
io,+i,c If the car, and fell to thinking
how they could be overcome. The prop
| lem kent him awake nights for some wv
j., years hit in the end he solved 1t SO sue
, cessfully that his car spring is now use
or all the railroads of the land. Geors
WESTINGHOUSE was led, in someWhs
7 similar manner, to invent the air oraN
He was the SON of a manufacturer, an
rossessed a marked mechanical Den
once he was in a railroad COLLISION u
4 rasult of a brakes failure to Go It's worl
TO Immediately started to devise praH
!. / that would operate more quickly al
!. Win greater certainty than the on'
!, then in use and. like Carlos French
was completely successful III MS eAoi.
q His air brake brought him great wear.
a and for thirty years he has constant
a added to his fortune by inventing ne
% devices of his own, and buying those
!, other inventors. The result, In life sa
d ing. has been simply enormous.
lis Some years ago young RUSSIAN 81
h dent. Leo Wiener by name, was col
j. relied To flee from the cars empire
TT order to escape Punishment to Siberl
% He tramped through Germany al
France to Spain. where he took sn
Re FOR Cuba. sailing thence to New Orlear
l. The end of a series of hardships fou
m him q penniless wanderer in the stree
"a Of Kansas City. There, with the aid
1t men of his own race. he supplied hims