The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-23
REMINISCENT CES OF MR.CLARK
TOLD LAST EVENING BY Il NEW
H1VEN RAILROAD OFFICIAL.

Interesting Thin IS That Have Happened
During the Last Twenty Years of
| MI. Clarlk's Life-Personal Traits of
the Former President of the New
Haven Road.
A gentleman who has been closely as
ISOLATED with the late Charles P. Clark
and has known him for more than
twenty years, last evening gave the
following "reminiscences:
| Mr.. Clark possessed a personality
which always attracted attention.
| Whether it was the first time you met
him on the thousandth time he inter-
ested you. In any situation where a
company of men were gathered to-
gether either socially or for business
and Mr. Clark was one of them you
We're on the qui vive to see what he
would say or what he would do. 1t was
out of the question that he could be ig-
nored You felt that he had to be rech-
oned with. He was naturally and in
evitably the presiding genius of any oc-
casion where he was present. His
bright eyed vivacity his good humor, his
quick decisiveness, his tenacity of an
opinion once formed-these We're some
of the qualities which made his person
ality such a pronounced factor in every
meeting.
One of Mr. Clark's most conspicuous
characteristics was his desire to ac-
complish an end or reach result with
the least possible expenditure of time.
When he wanted a thing done and
commissioned you to do 1t and you
asked him when he wanted it his favor
lite answer was day before yesterday"
The slow methods of an average board
with it's references to committees and
adjournments for further consideration
wearied him. He used to say that if he
did not see instanter whether a thing
ought or ought not to be done he could
never see it by dwelling on the sub
ject. His mind worked to a conclusion
not by a slow reasoning process but in
simultaneously and he was impatient of
the slowness of others. In the slang Of
the day he was hustler. This quail
ity accounts for the many great and
important works that he accomplished
in the brief twelve years Of his presi-
dency of the New Haven road
At the time that the four tracking Of |
the New Haven road was proceeding in |
the upper part of Westminster county, |
Mr.. Clark on one of his many inspec-
ton trips said to one of his engineers
GLOW many men have the contractors |
got employed between Rye and Port |
chester?" The engineer replied II guess
about five hundred" Mr. Clark retort-
ed "Why not five thousand?' This |
shows his disposition. He wanted the /
work done almost as soon as
the idea of it was conceived.
Mr. Clark would never let little OBJ
stacles or petty considerations deter
him from accomplishing a main object.
AS Emerson said of Napoleon Bona
parte, "He knew what to do and he
flew to his mark. He would shorten a
straight line to come at his object" If
parcels of land had to be
bought to afford room for the physical
expansion of the railroad and nine
tenths Of the land could be acquired
for fair prices and the owners of the
other tenth were disposed to be mean
and extortionate Mr.. Clark would never
let little extortioners "hold him up
BETTER far" he would say. "to submit
to those little cheats than to fight them
and beat them and take months and
years to do it." Mr. Clark in his life
time wanted to do things and get them
finished Life was too short to stop
md quarrel with people who wanted to
10 any cheese pairing. To him Incl
tents ought not to govern policy, but
policy Incidents"
Many were the ways in which Mr.
Clark kept his subordinates in good
lumor and loyal to him. When they
we're faithful he recognized it by gen
,rous words Of commentator or In
,ther and more materially substantial
Ways When he returned from abroad !
le generally brought big bundle of
okens of remembrance for distribution
Ltlong his staff-these being priced not
10 much for their intrinsic value as for
he fact that the width Of the ocean q
lid not separate him from his men.
When they were sick he visited them. {
When they were in prison in the Mas \
achusetts Jail he ministered unto them. Q
When they died he did not forget to be /
resent at their funerals. In all the j
bove ways he won the affection of his !
usiness associates, but there was one !
Their method of his which more than II
II inspired his men to do their best ?
nd that was his unqualified acceptance y
f any act Of theirs done in good $
aith in an emergency which required
ction. He generously confirmed such e
cts whether they were previously au- p
horized or not and whether sober re- v
lew adjudged them to be wise or un- c
Use. This is another way Of saying ~
nat che stood by his men" AS against "
,termeddlers and busybodies and tale ,
carers Mr.. Clark invariably assumed ,
is own men to be in the right and che t.
acked them up" If a matter came up
hich seemed to require explanation he o
ave prompt opportunity therefor. q
othing could better secure the hearty
nd loyal service of a body of men than a
le method Mr.. Clark followed in trust "A
lg his men and standing by them lo
nd backing them up"
If any man connected with the rail- II
,ad would devote little time to gath d
ing together from different sources in IN
dents In the railroad life of Charles u
Clark he could write a volume in III
nsely interesting not only to Mr.. w