The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-09

II contained only about one hundred
thousand inhabitants at the time OF thu
arrival Of his father, in 1918, yet it hat
risen to be the first of American cities ir
point Of population, Philadelphia ha wing
previously held that place. Gas was moi
introduced into the city till 1925. Slavery
was not fully abolished in the state till
1927. Not until 1912 was the Croton
water introduced into the city. Ocean
steamship navigation was in it's earliest
infancy, and II was not till 1851 that the
first trains were run over the full length
Of the Hudson River Railroad Of which
company Mr.. SAMUEL SLOAN became q
director three years after, and In 1855
the president.
At that time the stock OF that railroad
was selling at 81 share. When Mr..
SLOAN retired from the presidency and
active management Of the company, in
1895. its market value was l40. In 1884,
when its first dividend was declared, the
directors celebrated the suspicious event
by presenting service Of plate to Mr..
SLOAN. In that same year he was elected
director Of the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Railroad and three years
afterward its president. The rapid
growth Of that company under his man
agement is one Of the most substantial
and brilliant achievements in railroad
history. In 1879 Mr.. SLOAN was made
president Of the Michigan Central Rail-
road and held the place for two years.
From 1879 to 1883 he was president of the
Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg
Railroad, and he has held the same place
at the head OF three other railroads. As
an organizer and manager Of railroads he
has had no superior and very few peers.
He has been in the very forefront of the
men who have made America famous
in that department Of civilized develop
ment. His ability in the management
ofmen has been extraordinary and it has
been due largely to the confidence which
he has always inspired in them.
This wide range Of activity, however,
has been only part of the incessant
round of important abors with which
Mr.. SLoANs career has been marked.
He has been and still is director
in many other large enterprises finan-
cial and industrial Meantime, he has
been active in public affairs, also. In
1852, when he was resident OF Brooklyn.
he was chosen Supervisor of Kings
county and the next year waN one OF the
commissioners to frame charter for
the consolidation of Brooklyn. Williams
burg and Bushwick. In 1857 he was
elected to the State Senate from the Sec
ond district, being the first Democrat
to represent the district His heavy
responsibilities as president of the Hud-
son River Railroad Company during the
civil war did not prevent his rendering
continuous service as very active meR-
Der Of the Union Defence Committee Of
the city of New York. In religious
educational and philanthropic directions
he has also been of unceasing activity.
He seems never to have tired, never to
have had so much to do that he was not
always ready to lend hand in some new
enterprise, public and private. With
many Of the men most renowned in the
nations history Of his period he has been
associated "a an adviser and
q friend deferred to and esteemed.
This is only very rapid review of the
few Of the salient points Of the career of |
Mr.. SLOAN but it is enough to indicate
how remarkable is his character and how
influential he has been in directing and
shaping the progress of American mate
rial development. Even now. when he is
in his eighty-sixth year, he is still active, /
still alert, young in spirit, buoyant; and
the judgment of no other man is more
sought and more highly priced by the
leaders Of great enterprises and in the
gigantic financial undertakings Of this
period. Mr.. SLOAN, who is an elder in
4 Dutch Reformed church in New York
and warden in the Episcopal church
At Garrison s-on-the-Hudson, where he
resides in summer, is man of strict
religious principle, one OF a type which
gives dignity to human nature.
The Friendly Sons OF st. Patrick had
good reason to. render distinguished
honor to the career OF this very re-
American, for American he is
n every fibre. though his birthplace
CHANGED to be in Ireland, and his career
has been wholly as an American citizen