New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-27
HEAD OF ROCK ISLAND.
l.. f. LOREE ELECTED.
LeaUes Presidency of Baltimore and
Ohio-Succeeds W. b. Leeds.

L. F. Loree, president OF the Baltimore and OHIO
Railroad. It announced yesterday, has been
elected president the Rock Island company. sue
ceeding William B. Leeds. and will enter on the
discharge of his duties on January l. 1t Is
known that the Office offered to Mr.. Loree sew
eral months ago. but 1t was then denied that he
would leave the Baltimore and Ohio.
Mr.. Leeds succeeded W. G. Purdy as president of
the Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific Railway Com
pany December u. 1861. a few months after the
so-called moore party" with whom for several
years he has been identified, took control Of
that property. Less than ten years ago he
division superintendent OF the Pennsylvania Rail-
road leaving that service about 1895 to engage with
Daniel G. Reid in the manufacture of tinplate. in
which he rapidly laid the foundation or his large
fortune. His retirement from the presidency Of the
Rock Island company, which was formed in the
summer OF 1902 and owns the entire capital stock
of the Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Company, al operating company formed at the
same time TO take the old Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific Railway Company, is understood
to be primarily due to the fact that his interests
have become extensive and diverse to
make it difficult, if impossible for him to
tinue 10 give as much attention to the direction
of the Rock Island system is necessary. He
will, however, still take active interest in the
management a member of the executive com
mittee
Mr.. Loree has been president of the Baltimore
and Ohio since May g. 1901 when he succeeded
John X Cowen. Under his management the road.
which is now controlled by the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company, has made conspicuous progress
As executive head OF the Rock Island Company
however he will have a much wider field of serv-
ice, that system has in the last two years been
rapidly expanded, acquiring control OF the Choc-
taw, Oklahoma and Gulf, the st. Louis and San
Francisco and other lines, and also constructing
a great deal of new mileage, that now its tota!
length exceeds sixteen thousand miles.
Leonard Fresnel Loree was born at Fulton City,
H., April %. 1858. His rise a railroad Of
fetal has been remarkably rapid. although he made
his reputation engineer when in two three
days after the great Johnstown food he built a
temporary bridge the Conemaugh and re-
opened the Pennsylvania Railroad TO traffic. Upon
his graduation from Rutgers College at the age
OF nineteen, he entered the employ Of a Western
railroad, in the engineering department. and a
year later became attached to the engineering
corps Of the United States army. From 1879 to 1881
he was occupied with the work of laying out line
for the National Railroad of Mexico He entered
the service Of the Pennsylvania toward the close
of 1888 as assistant angineer of the Panhandle
road, and next year became engineer of mainte-
nance of way. He was superintendent of the CIeve-
land and Pittsburg division of the PENNSYLVANIA
when, on January To- 1896 railroad officials all over
the country were surprised to learn that ne had
been jumped by his superiors over the heads OF
nearly a dozen officials higher in the line of pro
motion and made general manager of the entire
Pennsylvania system west of Pittsburg. In De-
cember. 1900. the directors of the company created
the office Of fourth vce-president and elected MI
Loree to the place which he retained until he be-
came president of the Baltimore and Ohio at a SAL
airy Of $4,000 a year
Mr.. Loree has been president Lof the American
Railway Association. and mas written many papers
on technical subjects relating TO railways.