Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-28

to do it." Then, gradually step by step,
he advanced until finally he became super
intendent of the line. He was still young
when this happened, but he had not been in
his new position twelve months before the
road was placed on a paying basis, some
thing that former superintendent had
strived in vain to do for years.
Mr.. Werner had made the road a good In
vestment simply because he had learned the
business from A to u, and 1t was not long
before this fact was recognized. Then,
when the era Of the trolley car came men
Of capital interested themselves in Mr.. YER
ner, and pretty soon were found to be
backing him in his purchases and electrif-
cation of rundown street railways through
out the central states.
In every case Mr.. Werner gave the lines
personal attention with the result that they
were transformed into profitable properties
with almost lightning-like rapidly.
Boarding the Gear in His Capital.
After he had amassed a fortune of 50 Co.,
600 from this sort Of work Mr., Werner con-
cluded that he would see what could be
done toward giving European cities better
transportation facilities. With this object
in view he went abroad After looking over
Paris, Berlin and several other continental
cities he travelled to st. Petersburg to visit
a friend, who took him home in one Of the
rattle-trap tram cars that have been fix
lures Of the cars capital for generations.
Mr.. Werner was so disguised with that mode
Of getting around that he said, jokingly, to
his companion:
'I've half a notion to come to this town
and give it electric railways"
The friend took the remark seriously
'Tf you can get the proper concessions
from the authorities, he said, you IL make
mint of money.
That remark made Mr.. Werner prick up
his ears. and. whereas he had planned to
remain in st. Petersburg scarcely a week,
I, cd frrya M inyv
lions and talking to officials. When he de-
parted he carried back to Pittsburg an
agreement bet cen himself and the cars
representatives for modern transportation
lines in the Russian seat of government.
The men who had backed him before were
only too willing to back him again, and SO,
today. former Yankee horse car driver is
the street railway king Of Russia.
Study Made This Man.
Another Pittsburg man who has recently
become widely known as a street railway
power Is Judge J. H. Reed. His promi-
nence and his fortune Of 5000 600 have
come to him only within the last few years,
but both are the direct result Of years Of
study Of corporation law during spare mo-
ments.
When a young man Judge Reed went
from a neighboring town to Pittsburg,
Where he read law In the Office in which he
earned MS DreaQ ana Dutter by transcript
ton. He stayed there until he was admit
ted to the bar and then he rented dingy
little room and hung out his shingle.
AS he had precious few clients to repre-
| sent for the first few years Of his legal
experience. he took the opportunity to verse
| himself thoroughly in corporation law Of
which he had been extremely fond as stu
| dent. Some years later. while he was pros
ecuting case in court against q railroad
| that property's officials became aware of
| the fact that he was more than match
| for their attorneys. and some time after the
| case had been disposed of they made Mr.
Reed their. legal representative in Pittsburg
Along in the nineties the railroad got into
a suit In which. a million or two was at
stake. and William X. Vanderbilt. who by
| that time. owned a majority of the stock
summoned all the roads attorneys to New
York for consultation as to the best
method of defending the case. A score of
lawyers were present and nineteen gave
| lengthy and involved reasons why the suit
should be defended this way or that. When