The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-12
ALWAYS REFUSED TO WORRY
ONE CHARACTERISTIC THAT ADDED
TO fus DISTINCT SUCCESS.
sRiIey. NcF<een's Career IA n County
ONCE Clerk. banker. Railroad
President and Citizen.

fourth birthday. but while the years make
him one OF the Oldest native residents OF
the county. Terre Hagte's most popular
citizen Is not commonly regarded as an old
man IN the sense that would associate him
with pioneers" or oldest residents and
consign him TO reunion occasions as the
only time when he could expect to attract
public attention II is not alone because he
IS more IN mind as distinctively and truly
Terre Haute's leading citizen that he is
not regarded as an old man. AS a matter
OF fact, he is as young as ne was twenty
FIVE years ago in physical and mental ac-
Jivity.
Mr. McKeen had prepared for a long life
By one acquired habit many years ago. He
seldom worries. lie has said that when
ne was elected president OF the Nandalia
road he soon discovered that he must train
his habits OF thought against worry and
Irritation. and he succeeded in marked de-
gree. Men who met him in a business way.
and Vandalia officials and employees who
had close view OF his methods marveled
at the ease with which he carried the re-
responsibilities OF his position. He said that
he learned that often a bad situation would
solve itself better by a little patience than
by strenuous effort. which increased the
excItability OF ali concerned rather than
accomplished the purpose.
STORY OF THE vANDALIA.
That doctrine perhaps does not find ac-
eeptance In present-day management of big
Industrial enterprises. but the story Of the
Vandalia under Mr.. McKeen's direction is
SUFFICIENT Justification of his policy. 1t is:
Newer missed dividend and never killed
passenger" No fact is more gen
In
snent than that after all appliances
are put in order dependence is on the hu-
man mind The minds OF the men who
worked for Riley" McKeen seldom .for-
got" There was that intangible influence
going out from his personality to every
.sVan'' man whose effect cannot be stated
other than in the record of never having
killed a passenger. There were no labor
troubles on the Van. Eugene DebS. who
has travelled from ocean To ocean many
times on missions which brought him i'm
personal contact with railroad men says
that everywhere he has been asked about
the Van and its president. Railroad men
spoke OF employment on the road under
Riley Mckeen as the ideal occupation for
men of their calling. This influence on the
men has been fruitful of many incidents of
personal attachment for the president. Mr..
McKeen. as every one knows, has always
been an enthusiastic Republican. but the
employees OF his railroad never hesitated to
avow their preference for the Democratic
party TO work for II, or be candidates on
lis ticket for Office. Some years ago a
Vcrre Haute Democratic leader sought to
create prejudice by asserting that under
Mr. McKeen's management Nandalia en-
moves We're induced ~ inundated into
Voting the Republican ticket. Jack" Van
Cleave. the veteran engineer who was
killed u few days ago by his engine in the
youndhouse. was a Bourbon Democrat but
this public accusation against Mr.. Mckeen
brought from him a card To local news
paper IN which he utterly repudiated the
charge and said some caustic things about
appealing to prejudice. What Van Cleave
said would be- indOrsed by every Democrat
on tho road
REFUSED TO BE WORRIED
So 1t has been that Mr.. McKeen has
grown old in years but not in temporal
ment or physical activity by refusing to be
worried At the time he was having a
Very serious, contest in the courts over the
possession of the road growing out of the
deal with the Cincinnati Hamilton & Day
Ton. which Henry :. Ives. the Napoleon
% Finance" tried To carry through. there
WAS an Illustration OF Mir McKeen's self
control. The lawyers were on nettles ex-
pecting coup GctatS. The Hon w H. II.
Miller. one Of Ny McKeen's counsel. was
here with John 6. Williams, then genera,
counsel Of the vandaIa After waiting
late one night for developments. Mr.. Mil
Ter went with Mr.. \, iilamS To the latters
le>lueltCe. To- Sit nj the latter part the
issht and Mr.. Mckeen went home The
next morning they met al the Nandalia
Offices. The TWO lawyers had learned from
each other that neither had slept each be-
ing intensely interested in the situation on
which hinged hundreds of thousands OF
dollars VI nen they nleC Mir. McKeen they
asked how he hau Jared. Innocent of their
bad night. h. said he had never slept
better.
he SAYS he has rarely lost sleep. lie
goes 10 be0 comparatively early-except
publican ticket is 20 he known nc will re-
laain uD later than when his own affairs
ARE depending on decision. For half a
century no election. .0cai. State national,
has passed in which he did not take a
lively ana active interest. No one knows.
E1d no doubt Mr. Mcf<een could make but
d sorry guess. the amount OF money he
has given 10 campaign committees. 1t
made difference - him whether or not
hs had personal interest in the candi-
dates. SO liberal have been his cOntribu-
tons that II ~ subject Tor jocular re-
mark in Terre HaUte that he has been a
Nicum. that Is 20 SAY ie has given more
thar the necessities of campaigns have
called FOR from him o. from all local Re
NuDlicans together. The Journal GORE
spondeHt il in possession IT informa ton
from credible authority which warrants the
assertion also that he has given more TO
the state committees during all these years
than any other man i'm Indiana IL has not
been one year. but every campaign year
iaat his contribution was made in large
nsnres ne never sought Office but once.
Many times he stopped his friends who
wanted 10 nominate him several times for
Governor. At the time Of the deadlock
IN the Legislature over the reelection of
senator Harrison in the winter OF 1867 il
looked as IL SIR McKeen could get the
votes OF the third party contingent which
held the balance of power. and IL is under
stood that Senator Harrison suggested that
ne take the Office. but he declined In 1895
he consented 10 be candidate for senator
and was defeated IN the caucus by Senator
Fairbanks. With that result he nut awav
all thought OF ever again asking his partv
for ar Office. but he did not cease i'm his
support OF the party.
RILEY McKEEN AS A CITIZEN.
1t is as citizen. however, that Mr.. Nc
Keen Is best liked by all classes Terre
Haute's welfare has always been close 10
hts heart. 1t is easily within the truth thct
he has given more money 10 charitable mr.
Poses and more time for everything that
needed help. from the advancement OF indus
trial prosperity To the assistance of an fne3t-
vidual. than any half dozen other citizens
For more than quarter OF a century n
has been taken rs matter of course that
Riley Mckeen would head subscription
papers. His gifts. often i'm thousands of
dollars at time. and usually OF amounts
s<ell up tn the hundreds when Others gave
- or 10, In the total would be- starting
even 20 Terre Haute people no knew now,
unreseryedly he has given money away n
Il to hts credit that to-day there j. nothing