Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-25
Aco.aer Maine MAJ in The Senate

,Jh. action of the R>puDiiSaH H'ei"-
,-.. <.g m. Nov. Jersey legislature i'll
dominating John r. Dryden for tnc
,.,c,ncy in the United States Senate
,ausca by the death Of Senator Scv2l
viii shortly be ratified by an election.
Tn. contest in the caucus was u lively
,.,e Mr. Dryden's principal opponents
being ex-Attnrn"y General irissS 't'-d
state Senator Stokes, but on th' i'th
halo, ne received the majority and
The nomination was promptly me-"
unanimous. This high honor which
folls 70 Mr.. Dryden means that ano'h-
~ Maine-horn man will take his sea,
in III. United States S"nai", and there
s,re his election il Of special interest
:, .his section. He will max. tn
nth Ma;nn ran in the present Sell
ar rs ec~ators Hale and Fry" q;
Maine. Perkins Ct Caiiforri. and Glib
son CT Montana :r" all natives Of Ibis
state. No state has u larger number
O: it's sons in that high body.
John r. DRYDEN is & NATIVE u Farm
,ne,or whnr., H.. was born. August !.
1889. His parents were John and
Elizabeth DRYDEN. both OF tn" b+'st OLD
New England stock. Mr. Dryden IS
known Throughout the country as the
president Of the Prudential Insurance
Company Of America. and as a leading
capitalist in banking. trolley and other
large corporate Enterprises. His home
Il in Newark. in person he much re-
s.mb|es Rear Admiral Sampson. al
though Of stronger physique. In men
tn ability he is equalled by few men
who ave attained, like him, great sue
cess IN life. and fcw men are equal to
the great burdens and responsibilities
that Mr.. Dryden has borne for years.
and that he seems to bear lightly.
His boyhood was passed in Farm
irgtor H uttered Yale but did not
graduate and then studied law. The
subject o. insurance carly engaged Mr..
pry,!cIs attention, and he devoted his
tim. to a study OF its principles, mas
t.rlng the theory OF finance, the con-
structioa of tables. averages, per-
certages, compounds. futurities and
scientific monetary economy. About
1867 he read report on the sub
ject Of Industrial insurance to
the Massachusetts legislature by
Professor Eleazer Wright, the
state insurance commissioner. 1t
criticised the methods of the Pru-
Dental Insurance Company OF London.
England. Mr.. Dryden procured al!
the reports OF the company and
analysed them. and decided that the
insurance commissioner was wrong.
This gave him the idea of formulating
an Industrial insurance system for the
United States. He submitted plans to
some New England capitalists, but
they were not received with favor. In
Interested such men as Noah F.
Blanchard. William II. Murphy, faith
er If Governor-elect Murphy; Horace
Alline, Leslie b., Ward and others. A
bill was passed by the legislature, and
in 1875 the Prudential Insurance Com
rapy of America was founded. From
it's inception Mr.. Dryden was the soul
and spirit Of the enterprise. For sew
eral years he was secretary, and when
Noah +. Blanchard. the president. re-
tired. Mr.. Dryden succeeded him.
The steady faith. the unconquerab bic
will and indomitablc energy of Mr.
Dryden carried the company through
several crises and overcame the many
formidable difficulties, until the COM
pany became firmly planted and be-
gan its great growth. From the base
mrnt of the State Bank the institution
moved into the Kremlin Building. and
thence to the 100000 stone structure
at Broad and Bank streets, Newark
built by the company. which as re-
Gently been added to by other great
and ornate buildings. making the fin
cst single group Of Office buildings ir
tn. world.
Mr.. Dryden was one of the founders
Of the Fidelity Trust Company. start.
cd 'iftccn years ago. which is about
to increase it's capital to 5000 900 and
To organize two or more banks into one
large bank under its control. He j,
largely interested in the North Jerse,
Street Railroad Company. and is on.
Of three owners Of the Newark ano
South Orange line. a subsidiary com
rany Of TIL. North Jersey system
These and other interests are, how
ever, commonplace to him compare
With Eis love for the Prudential, tn.
great child of his creation. and his in,
trrest in its workings. He is in Close
touch with the multitude Of details o,
the vast system. In the construc.io,
Of the Office building nc gave daily au.
d!crcss to the architect and worked