Mexico Missouri message., 1904-01-28
TRAINS LONG AND BUSY LIFE
Achieved Lasting Fame as a Man Of
Business Ability.

Business Ability.
Mr.. Train was considered the most
erratic genius ever produced in Amer.
lea, and genius he certainly was, even
If judged solely by his actual achieve
ments as a man of business and as a
master Of transportation. Beneath all
his fond talk about Psyche" and his
wildly odd methods of saying what
he had to say there was contained in
his writings much of the soundest
philosophy ever uttered by man.
In 1902 Train published his autobi-,
ography, which he had dictated at a
rate Of something like $50 words per
minute. and which was an excellent
piece of work from any point of view.
To show how clear was his mind and
with what facility and conciseness he
could talk when he wished to do SO,
the following extract from the auto
biography is reproduced:
Il was born at Fl High street, Bos-
ton, during a snowstorm, on the Gath
day of March. 1929. When was a
baby my father went to New Orleans
and opened a store. Soon after arriv-
ing in that city | was old enough to
observe things and to remember.
can recollect almost everything in my
life from my fourth year. From the
time was three years old up to this
present moment-a long stretch Of
seventy years, the prophets limit Of
human life-I can remember almost
every event in my life with the great
est distinctness."
Some of his performances are more
than noteworthy. From the age Of
four, when he was left an orphan, he
earned his own living. At fourteen he
began his business career as a clerk
in grocery store in Cambridgeport,
| Mass, at a salary of 81 per week.
When he was twenty he was admitted
into partnership in a large Boston
shipping concern, and his share Of the
| profits amounted to more than $4,000
a year. When he was twenty-five his
share of the profits had risen TO $751;
900 yearly. About two years later he
started an Independent business in
Australia, and in short time had In
creased his income to $4,000 year.
Train built the first clipper ship and
organized the service that made Amer
lean ships famous for their speed and
their beauty wherever the sea was
navigated by men; organized the
Union Pacific railroad, built the first
street railway in England, was at the
head Of the French commune in Mar
settles. It was he whom Jules Verne
described in the person OF Phineaa
Fogg, the LOndonsr, who. in spite OF
thousand dificulties, made a tour OF
the world in eighty days.
Associated In business enterprises
with kings and queens, he made for
tunes for them as well as for himself
and at one time he lived at Newport
with the extraVagance of q king, His
last days were spent in one room Al
the poor mans Mills hotel in New
York, with total expenditure OF 81
week. He voluntarily gave M his
fortune TO those who would be his
heirs and, sick Of display and the bur
dens Of too much wealth, lived like a
Socrates, or rather like Diogenes
talking to crowds in the streets and
railing at the institutions.og men
Fifteen times was he put into iai
without once being guilty OF a crime
/ and for years he had been recorded Il
the books OF a court as legal lunatlc
Like Gutenberg, Bacon and otheI
great men. Train was once incarcer
ated for debt.
After his dramatic appearance i
France the Citizen came home 70 ruI
as an independent candidate for Presi
dent His socialistic ideas now ha'
become almost rabid. He threw monel
away By the handful, but only 70 chill
dron. Iadead ne Withdrew bllhsei
from ala contact with mon ana wornei
and devoted himself 70 the cultivation
81 children. lfs defended Vle.eri'