Arizona republican., 1904-06-25
Secretary Horton.

secretary IlOrtOn.
 Mir. Paul Morton, appointed yester- day to succeed MT. William H. Moody as secretary of the navy, should make a superb chief of the navy department. and doubtless he will. His record proves him to be one of the best ex- ecutive men in the United States; one of the most efficient, and one of the most energetic. Although he is the son of distinguished father, MT. Morton's great success in life has been achieved by his own exertions and because of solid merit
 Born at Detroit i'll 1851, he began making his own way in life in 1872. when only 15 years of age, as a clerk in the land department. of the Burling- ton railroad. He was promoted from time to time, and when very young man became assistant general freight and passenger agent, and finally, gen. eral freight agent of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad. It was in that position that he gained a na>
 
 under his administration the freight department of the Burlington was con- cred one of the best managed in the railway world. In 1896, shortly after the reorganization of the Santa Fe system, when its owners were looking for the best talent to be had, Mir. Nor ton was induced to accept the third ice-presidency, his duties having spe- cial reference to the freight traffic. He served in that position until 1s9S when he was made second vice-president, in which position he has been the chief of President Ripley's strong staff of executive officials-Mr. Kenna, the first vice-president, having charge of the legal department. When the Santa Fe was reorganized it was after a long period of disastrous management, and not a few railroad men predicted that the immense system, covering so much unproductive territory in the west, could not be placed on paying basis. But everybody knows now that the Santa Fe is one of the greatest and most prosperous railroad properties iD the world. In roadbed, equipment and service in every particular, in volume of traffic and in earnings, it has been placed on an equality with the most lauded standard lines of the east This vast western, up-to date railway sys- tenn has been built up while following carefully a policy of fostering the in- terests and cultivating the friendship of the inhabitants of the territory which it serves. In other words, the Santa Fe has been directed by business talent, common sense and diplomacy of the highest order. It is but just to Mir. Morton to say that in making this splelendfd record he has had a large part.
 It was a Knowledge of these facts, undoubtedly, which induced President Roosevelt to tender the navy portfolio to Mir Morton. And, of course. the strong frinedship formed between them jed the president in the trip over the Santa Fe and to the Grand Canyon, has something to do with the selection. And it cannot be doubted that it was solely his warm admiration for Mir. Roosevelt which finally led MT. Nor ton to leave the Santa Fe and accept place in the cabiret.
 MT. Morton's many personal friends in Arizona will now watch with inter est the management of the navy de- partment by a thorough business man for he is a business man in the most modern sense, and anything but poli- fician