Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-31
A Son Of Maine in Ohio.

A recent issue of the Cincinnati
Commercial Tribune. the leading paper
of southern Ohio. devotes six columns
of reading matter and a score of pic
lures to q report of a complimentary
banquet given by his business as
sociates and fellow citizens to Mel
vile E. ingalls,, whom the paper char
acterizes as the most prominent and
best loved citizen of Cincinnati. There
were 275 men at the banquet, the lead
ers in the professional and industrial
life of Cincinnati, and many from more
distant points. Among them were
men controlling the destinies Of $4,000
miles of railway; men at the head of
the greatest financial institutions of
the middle West, and leaders in poll
tics, religion and science. These were
gathered to pay their tribute of praise
to distinguished son of Maine, a poor
formers boy fronrthe town of Harri-
son, who has become one of the trans
portation kings of the country, being
at the present time the head of the
big Four system.
The banquet was not so much in
recognition of Mr.. Ingalls, remarkable
work of consolidation and development
of the great railroad systems, of which
he has been the head in recent years,
as it was in appreciation Of his ex-
tended and varied public services to
the city of which he has been a resi-
dent since 1870. He has not been SO
closely tied up by his many business
affairs as not to be most puDilc-
spirited citizen and to have a proni-
nent part in everything pertaining to
Cincinnatis welfare. To his In
domitable energy are due the Art
Museum, the Central Music hall. the
Country Club and the finest hotel of
the city, not to mention the Central
Union station. of which the city is as
proud as it is of it's public buildings.
The tributes paid Mr.. ingalls, by the
speakers at this notable banquet are
such as to cause a thrill in the veins of
every Maine man, and their tone leaves
no doubt Of the sincerity of the spirit
of appreciation and affection in which
they presented him with a massive
silver loving cup.
Mr.. ingalls, was born in Harrison, in
1912, and was educated at BowdOin and
at Harvard Law school. He first
practiced law in Gray, Maine, but soon
moved to Boston where he became
member of II E Massachusetts legisla-
ture in 1867. In 1870, he went to Gin
cinnau and engaged in the railroad
business, which has brought him mil
lions of money and recognition as one
Of the greatest railroad men of our
times. In politics Mr.. ingalls, is
Democrat, and was not little talked
of as a possible candidate for the
Presidency, a year ago. In his speech
at the banquet in Cincinnati, last
week, he reviewed in modest fashion
his career and paid warm tribute to
his early training in Maine, and ac-
knowledged in eloquent terms his i'll
debtedness to his early life on the
farm and to his college days at Bow
doin. 1t is understood that Mr.. ingalls,
intends to retire in the near flu
ture from active leadership in the
great railroad business he has built
UP, and enjoy a well-earned leisure for
his remaining years. Mr.. Ingalls, is a
son of whom Maine has many reasons
to be proud, and his career is che to
inspire and encourage all ambitious
young men who start out 20 carve out
their fame and fortune.