Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-12-06
PERSONALITY OF THOMAS RYAN.
Big Man OF Simple Tastes, Hard to
Study, Talks Little, but Listens

Harrison Lewis, in Thom-
as Fortune Ryan (you will observe
the significance of his middle name)
is a business man of the ultramodern
type.
He is engaged in playing a game
that is quite popular these days. The
name of the game is high finance, and
Thomas Fortune Ryan is almost, if
not quite, the most expert player in
the lot.
You have seen Thomas F. Ryan's
portrait many times, in the press, and
YOU recognize the man at once. His
physical appearance is that of great
many others. He is big, standing
over six feet, and solid, but not stout.
His broad shoulders are wei thrown
back, and he looks in the prime OF
life, despite the fact that he is past
| fifty-four years of age. His hair is
barely sprinkled with gray his cheeks
are smooth and rudy, and he wears
! a close cropped mustache. The chin
| is unusually short. which means moth
| ing al all Win this man.
The strength in his face is confined
to the eyes. They are gray, and very
steady and cool. You look a little
else when you are talking with him.
/ If you are studying the man you find
| here your clue to his character.
There is little to be gained from his
voice, which is quiet, modulated and
! 1fgraucf1na 10 cot ~ I'm, hn4
| he is much better listener than
talker This attribute seems to be a
common property of those who play
''the game" AS in whist, there is
more to be gained by thinking and
acting than by talking about it.
During his office hours Mr.. Ryan
is 9 Sly approached by those who
haS business with him, but there
must be no time wasted. His Off
cial day begins at ten o'clock, when
he reaches the building He works
after well-ordered system. Before
his appearance, his secretary makes
up the appointments for the day in
calendar form and places the list up
on the tesk, There is a brief atten-
ton to the correspondence that Sits
past the various secretaries desks,
and then, within a very short time
after the financiers arrival the inn
/ Dortant consultations begin.
AS rule the other players in the
game come to see Mr. Ryan: he sell
dom goes to see them. His daily task
is more that of cautain in q con-
ming tower who directs operations
through subordinates and thorough
system of wires. Mr.. Ryan's system
of wires is the finest in the country,
and he is an expert manipulation.
A representative of the Consolidate
| ed Tobacco company comes to him at
haif-past ten, enjoys twenty-five min
utes of time. and is succeeded by a
gas magnate Then a financial deal
| connected with several trust compan-
les lasts until half.past eleven, to be
! followed by a brief conference on the
Cuba company's latest venture in
Cuban development. During the hour
before luncheon executive attention
will be given to questions concerning
| the New York Carbide and Acetylene
company, the Pine Products com pany.
and probably the Washington life In
surance company, of which Mr., Ryan
is director 4 certain amount of
Mr. Ryan's time must be devoted to
the consideration of new enterprises
or suggestions which result in moth
| ing, but the waste is small. Probably
| three-quarters of the financier's days
works are taken up with important
conferences. He spends little time
alone in his office