Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-23

cago Record Herald
MEXICO CITY. March 81. 1906.
Mr. Arthur E. Stiilweli. president of the
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient railroad. Is
here with party of capitalists from Pitts
burg, Buffalo, Cleveland. Sandusly. Phila-
delphia, Detroit, Chicago. Indianapolis, De-
catur and other points. This IS the ninth
party he has brought to Mexico by special
train and entertained In royal manner.
This is one of Mr.. StillwelPs methods of Sc
curing money to carry out his railway
plans He takes his people to the spot and
shows them what he has done, what he is
doing, and what he intends to do. He
brings them into direct contact with the
proposition as it were, and as the scheme
in which he is now engaged is located par
tally in Mexico, he desires to have his
financial hackers learn by observation and
conversation what His relations are with
the government and TIE confidence he en-
joys with all the officials from P1es lent
Diaz down.
Mr.. StlllweH is perhaps the most remarka-
BILE railway promoter in the world and his
methods are unique. His principles, his re-
iigion, he says, lis q straight deal He Is
a Christian Scientist and is often accused
of using in financial matters the remedies
which the members of that sect apply to
physical, mental and spiritual difficulties.
have often heard it said that when MIR.
Stiliwell runs out of money in railway
building he prays for more, and always
get it. have heard men who have had
dealings with him say that he often told
them that he had no funds at that par
ticular moment and did not know where he
was going to get them. but he was posi-
tive that he would have all the money he
needed by the end of the week, and sure
enough his faith was always justified.
These stories amuse Mr.. Stillwell but
sometimes they annoy him, and he is al
ways indignant when accused of using hyp-
notiSm upon his clients and financial back
ers. He admits that he is a sincere believer
in Christian Science He says that some
years ago when the doctors pronounced
him doomed with an incurable disease
Christian Science cured him in four days,
and lie has never since had an ache or
pain. He also admits that he takes his re-
ligion into his business and he believes that
other people ought to do the same, for re-
lgion and business both founded on
faith and without faith in your fellow men
life is empty and useless He says that his
success has not been due to Christian
Science, and attributes it to the fact that
he plays a straight game, has nothing to
conceal, nothing to eyade and keeps away
from Wall street.
MI. Stillwell's Remarkable Career.
Mr.. Stillwell has had a remarkable career.
tie was born in Rochester. n. Y. His
grandfather. Hamblin StilIwell, built a sec
ton OF the Erie canal. and was also en-
gagged in the construction of the New York
Central railroad. From him Mr.. Stillwell
gets his ambition and practical business
ideas While child he was greatly i'm
pressed with his grandfathers stories
about the building OF the Erie canal and
the New York Central railway and the
great part both had In building up the state
OF New York. and from that time he had
determination that sometime he would do
such things himself.
lie learned the printers trade while a
mere lad; became Il commercial traveller
for a stationery house In Rochester at the
age of fifteen, and at nineteen he was max
ing an income of $3.50 year, and was
married. At twenty he went to Kansas
City and started printing office and sta
tionery store, and after few years gave
them up TO become general agent for Hi
nois of the Travellers insurance Company
of Hartford. While ne was In that position
ne invented what is known as the Coupon
Annuity Policy. which he patented and then
sold out for $4,000.
When he was twenty-seven years old he
thought the time had come to realize his
destiny and to do something for the benefit
of his felow-men and for the upbuildlng of
the west He resigned an $4,000 position
with the insurance company and made u
careful journey over the west, studying the
situation.
What most impressed him, he says. was
the fact that grain for export was being
shipped half way across the continent to
New York and other Atlantic ports, speak
ing generally, a distance OF 1,4eo or 1880
miles when the wheat fields of Kansas
were only 800 miles from the tidewater of
the gulf He therefore decided that the
greatest philanthropic measure he could un-
dertake 20 build an AIRLINE railroad
from Kansas City to Port Arthur tthe town
was named for him), distance of 16O
miles. AS soon as the road was completed
he says that grain rates to the seaboard
dropped from % cents to IA cents per hum
dred. and that made a difference of ~ cents
acre for every crop for every farmer
IN Kansas.
The New Line to Topolobampo.
Rival railways, however. got the road
away from him through the usual machina-
lions of Wall street but he believes that
that was a part OF his destiny, also, and
the next day after he lost control of the
nroDerty he started another and more i'm