The news & observer., 1905-11-22
A REFRESHING EXCEPTION.


The selection yesterday of Mr.. T.
NJ. Emerson, of Wilmington, as Pres
ident of the Atlantic Coast Line will
give pleasure to his many friends
throughout the South. to North Car
olinians and to all who rejoice in the
success of man who wins high place
i'm life by persistent effort and un-
swerving attention to duty.
Years ago as a boy Mr.. Emerson
entered the service of what is now
the Atlantic Coast Line system as a
freight clerk at small salary He
has remained since that time with
the road going upward through re-
peated and logical promotions to the
presidency. The honor and confidence
implied in this last and highest gift
of the road whose interests he has
served so long come to him not
by chance but as a recognition of
merit. 1t is an inspiring lesson in
these days of young Hydes and 9TH
er favored officials of great enterpris-
es that a post of great responsibility
should come to man who had earn
ed the right to fill it by long devo-
tion and recognized fitness. That it
is a lesson which of late years has
become more and more rare. makes
it the morelnotable. the while it points
a serious commentary on an age too
single-eyed towards an oligarchy bas-
ed alone on money.
1t is the man who started as a clerk,
the clerk who in becoming president
great businesses that the people. for
whom in a sense all great corporate
systems are the trustees, desire to
see at the head of immense aggre-
cations of capital. Not only will the
interests of the corporations fare bet
administered in such case by man
who has had the power and the eX-
perience to let him know and see the
relation of those interests to the COM
pick and innumerabfe points at which
they touch the pubic good.
When Mr.. Emerson went with the
road of which he is now the head,
it was the Wilmington and Weldon
Railroad. a small corporation COM
paratively with other railroad sys-
TENS. Since then it has grown and
stretched away. North, West and
South. 1t taps Washington. owns the
Louisville and Nashville system. con-
trolls the great Florida Plant system.
1t is constantly growing and becom-
ing greater and more powerful. until
it is now one of the greatest systems
of railroads in a country of gigantic
combinations. Yet this can be said
for the Atlantic Coast Line. as can
not be said possibly for any other
great railroad system, that in the
same way that it has shown appre-
citation of long service and devoted
energy in the selection of a Presi-
dent, just so i'm its career of growth
and expansion has it looked after
the small stockholders whose money
first made possible it's ultimate de-
velOpment. The road has not gotten
rich at the expense of the innumerable
little fellows whose dollars are usu-
ally scooped up and disappear into
the hopper when a great system is in
the making. The Atlantic Coast Line
has gotten rich. It's controlling fac
tors have made fortunes. but, while
the millions rolled their way. the
thousands and the hundreds came in
likewise to the modest investors in
small blocks of stock. who, eagerly
OH he hos N ~ in, a
majority of instances, been ruthlessly
showed aside with empty hands when
greed saw wealth in sight.
The A. c. l.. is to be congratulated
on its wise selection and on the spirit
of fair play that prompted it and
which has distinguished its dealings
with its stockholders and employees
of every grade and condition.
If Mr.. Roosevelt had studied the life
of Andrew Jackson with profit, he
would never have been guilty of his
ruthlessneSs towards Mr.. Whitney.
"Old Hickory" was often assailed and
misrepresented and wished to resent
the attacks. but his great estimate of
the high office he held caused him to
be silent. When President de-
nounces IL citizen he lessons popular
confidence in the good Judgment of
the chief executive
Seven hotels i'm North Carolina en-
ploy women as walters and they give
satisfaction. Naturally they know
more about serving :, good dinner i'm