The San Francisco call., 1905-08-27

maQe on Olue paper ana submitted 10
the rapid transit commission, an over
sight In the arrangement OF con-
veniences. say. only IN the matter OF
passage from one platform to an
other, and untold Inconvenience and
danger might have resulted.
On the whole. 1 like my word stu
pendous In summing UP the work.
And the responsibility seems stu
pendous. too.
ask him how much the building OF
the subway took out OF him.
He answers with an easy laugh: 1T
took some of the hair of the top OF
my head"
His face is particularly strong in re-
pose. with a severe serenity. There are
none Of the fine little wrinkles etched
by little worries or little worryinss.
The pale gray eyes are calm and cold
ly intelligent. not easily diverted-the
eyes Of power. and the power of con-
centration also.
On the whole I conclude I have
asked the wrong question
This man has been master OF his
task. 1t has never mastered him.
So 1 ask what he got out of the
building of the subway.
Some useful lessons. suggestions for
better ways and easier ways of doing
things"
The really big man. you see. Is never
too wise TO learn.
How many lives were lost In the
building of itT' ask
Il am sorry to say that thirty men
were killed during the time of con-
struction"
The matter-of-fact tone gives way to
a note OF real feeling, real regret that
makes it clear that the lives OF the
hundreds Of thousands who are paying
back the s5O.OO0oOo with their nicksls
are In safe hands.
Curiosity Is not always polite.
want to know how old he was when
he undertook such responsibility.
II was only IS when I made the
plans for the subway. Perhaps IL I'd
been older-as old as I am now-I
wouldn't have dared TO do It."
He says 1t with laugh on the sur
face. but a convincing earnestness in
the depths.
AS a man grows older he takes on
caution and loses his courage-or Is II
his rashness?"
Weren't you afraid OF failurs7' 7 ask.
for the tremendous responsibility OF the
100000 and the millions OF lives Is upon
my mind.
mo. was not AFRAID OF failure"
You thought you couldn't failT'
''oh, no; not that. A man must see the
possibility of failure. particularly in an
untried thing, venture such as this
was; but he must not be afraid. II he
goes into an undertaking with the fear
OF failure IN his heart he can scarcely
hope to succeed The fear OF failure Is
one thing. To recognize the possibility OF
failure and pit yourself and all your re-
sources against 1t is quite another thing.
If had 10 face IL now. don't think
I'd co II, but having done II once. T
know. Of course. that it can be done
again"
I want to know how 1t can be done
in San Francisco.
Until 1 make my report cannot tell
that to any one. Until I have time to
think II over do not know myself. not
in any except general way. Each city
presents its own problem Each city Is
law unto itself. The problem presented
here is different to the one in New York
There Is perhaps no city that could offer
the difficulties met with IN New York.
unless IL is London
Here you have the hills to consider.
OF course. and they would make il rscss-
sary to have a subway OF different con-
struction. You have the sand. but we
had sand in New York; and you have In
the lower part Of Market street the
water. New York Is long and narrow
San Francisco Is wide-spreading- The re-
quirements here are different"
do you." / ask rather rashly. "bs-
lieve.in subways-in this shooting Of the
population through underground passage
ways. and in drawing them together into
csties?"
mo" he says. quite frankly and warm
ly. 81 don't-not at all. But the cities ex-
ist and increase and the subway meets
their need
The man who built the subway is not
in any sense a lop-sided mana man
whose bigness is an excrescence.
He is an aIl-round man. developed So
eially, humanity. Intellectually
He took his B. A. at Columbia Univsr-
slty. as well as his degree Of civil en-
cheering.
He has his wife and children. and his
home-life IN two beautiful homes. one in
New York and the other on the Jersey
coast
He has his clubs and his boon COM
panions.
You might credit him with being
smart" in dress II dress were not an
unimportant detail with him-a thing tLlt
he comedies one must have. just as ons
must have good manners.
ask him about his diversions.