The times., 1901-06-10
W. II. NEWMAN's PROGRESS.
The Railroad President Started as n
Hotel Clerk.

I titEAs
| LOUISVILLE. June 9.-From the post of
| clerk in the United States Hotel here
| thirty-one years ago at so week to the
presidency Of the New York Central Rail
road with salary Of $4,000 a year-that,
| in brief, is the career OF W. II. Newman.
/ II he had had visiting cards when he was
/ a tow-headed youth in knickerbockers,
| they probably would have read. Bill
Newman Chicken BristIe. Metcalfe Coun-
| ty. Ky
Mr.. Newman Came@sO Louisville in the
year he became of age. which was 1863.
| and secured employment as clerk in the
United States Hotel through Theodore
Harris, who was tavern keeper in those
days but who is now President of the
Louisville National Banking Company.
John 5. Long and Col. r. B. Hall were
4 associated with him in the management
Of the hotel. The three took a fancy TO
Newman Immediately and they liked him
the more when they observed that the
guests of the hotel liked him, too. New
man possessed manly independence, a
careless, but attractive freedom Of man
Rer. generous frankness. and a warm hos
Titaiity, united with polit-ness to men
and Difference to women.
In his capacity as clerk it is not recorded
tldL ne wore tne tTdQiJlOuAl diamonds.
but it is remembered that he displayed
Il cCmmendable tendency to save his
money. He was liberal without being
eXtraya CANT and was a good fellow with
out running into debt
If luck had anything to do with Mr.
Newnan's success it came in evidence
only in connection with his departure
from the United States Hotel to become
freight agent of the Southern Pacific at
Shreveport. La The road had been pur-
chased several years before by Col r 3.
Han. John s Long, Thomas Coleman.
and several other Louisville CapitaIists
Hall was elected president of the road.
He was proud of the honor, but diSliked
to leave his friends in Louisville and take
up his home in Shreveport among stran-
gers.
Come on down with me-" he said to
Mr.. Long before he LEFT for his new home.
Il must have some one from Kentucky
with me or IN die from lonesomeness.
What in the world could DO down
there replied Mr. 'LOng. Why don't
you take young Newman with YOU
That's a good idea" remarked Colonel
Hall, and that reminds me that he told
me last night he would Ike TO so. He's
bright fellow, and / believe III take
him
in the railroad business
only few years previous to Mr.. New
mans arrival in Shreveport the war had
been concluded, and business was con-
Quoted in an iudOlent manner. Goods
consigned to merchants passing through
Mr.. Newmans hands as freight agent
were taken away in WheelbarrOws, hand
carts and OK teams and in every other
primitive way possible. The transfer
system of the city had its inception in a
mule and wagon which Newman put
into commission as a public dray. In
staut popularity attended the enterprise.
and pretty soon Mr.. Newman bought an
other mule and drdy. Progressive stages
of business brought three more mules
and three more drays. ana soon MI New
man was more than doubling his SO
month salary.
lie made his next important step by
securing the place Of general freight
agent of the Southern Pacific when it was
extended to LOngview. named after the
president of the road. When the line was
lS72 Mr.. Newman retained his place under
which was Thomas y. Scott as President.
Edgar Thomson. once President of the
PENNSYLVANIA Road. John McManus. w.
r Waters and other men prominent in
the early schemes of the Pennsylvania
Road combined with Messrs Hall, Scott.
and Long. and other Louisville stock
holders of the old Southern Pacific TO
build the road from Fort Worth to Dallas,
but the panic of 1873 retarded the work.
When the road began TO grow again. Mr..
Newman was there and grew with it. In
the quarter of century since then Mr.
Newman has held various places of trust
with the Missouri Pacific. the Chicago
and Northwestern, the Lake Shore, and
other roads.