The San Francisco call., 1905-08-27

Il my lallns ana Wnen meet william
Barclay Parsons, the man who built
the New York subway, the man who
VIII build the San Francisco subway il
ever she has one, I find my faith con-
hrmed once again.
BY their works shall ye know them.
says an earlier authority than the Sun
day supplement, and. IL this be true,
surely there can be no two opinions
about the man who built the subway.
He IS indeed big man. for there is
no bigger achievement In the line of
modern achievements than the New
York subway-and it takes big men TO
do big things
There IS nothing just like that New
York subway.
The man who built It cautions me
that there are other subways+a little
one IN Budapest and one of a mile and
a half In Boston, and that they are sue
cssses; that Chicago in time will have
one; but he admits on my insistence
and without mock modesty that they
are not comparable with the New York
subway, because" he explains with
scruPulous carefuIuess, each work of
this kind must be done under its own
conditions. each city presents differ
ent problem. each city is a law unto it
self"
This, have found. is another char
acteristic Of big men; they don't be-
little their own achievements in an af-
fectadon OF nodesty. After giving their
best of life and brain and hearts desire
and the work Of their hands they have
the courage and dignity to claim the
honor due. and that still finer courage
10 take only so much as is their due.
Simplicity. traightforwardness, sin
cerity, justice and scrupulous honesty
seem 10 go with the capacity TO do big
things, and it is rare indeed that the
nan who can win iaurels for himself
viii stoop TO flch so much as one little
leaf out Of the crown of another. It is
the aspiring weakling who capers In
borrowed wreaths.
However, TO get back TO the New
York subway. which is interesting here
because II is perhaps the forerunner
and pattern Of San Francisco's subway:
Il stands quite alone-not only in
character and extent and complete
ness. but in the manner OF its achieve
nent. in its history and successfulness.
The New York subway. as 1 hear its
story from the man who built it, even
IN the unadoTned matter-of-fact, detailed.
almost technical and studiously i'm
personal way IN which he tells it, seems
TO me something more than merely the
latest convenience for rapid transit.
There is a splendor of Imagination
in these creations Of our modern engi-
neers and architects and builders-in
the bridges and tunnels and towering
buildings conceived TO meet the re-
quirements Of our complex civilization
and teeming millions-that appeals as
inspiringIy as ever the glow OF imagia-
alton in the niads or the odysseys.
The subway itself. looking at it as a
mere utility. is after all only a rectan-
guIar hole in the ground. fifty feet wide,
thirteen feet high and twenty-six miles
long, through which from end to end OF
its bright, electric-lighted length hun
ore6s Of thousands Of people are shot in
its swiftly rushing trains, like pills IN a
bottle. 1t IS, from the purely practical
point OF view. merely g convenience, af-
fcroing the greatest speed and safety to
the largest number at the lowest cost.
Il IS not beautiful. OF course. and il is
not yet faultlexs. but II is impressive as
an expression Of bigness and power and
daring entirely IN keeping with the need
ana time that produced IL
It is representative Of cur development
more completely than any other one
thinS-it is SO essentially modern and
American.
And It represents most fully the man
who made IL.
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