Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-08-04
How the President Of Old R. G. W.
Divided 100000 Among
Faithful Employees.
S. H. BaBC0CK'S $4,000.
The, stood by NE Old Man aud
When liC void out lie Re
me,nbered Them


ing OH a big STRIFE on that system
some wears ago win be news TO resi-.
dents OF this city However when
President Palmer sold the road to the
could interests Mr. Babcock Was
among those TO whom Gen. Palmer
ser, fat check IN recognition OF past
services
Here is The wax NE Chicago Record
Herald tell, the stoty.
81 one ~ thoIrregllar MONDAY gath
eiigss recently, several OF the railroad
presidents ~ chicago were discussing
ihr results Of tbe Interstate commerce
commissions inSesUgstion OF methods
obtaining ON the Pennsylvania One OF
their number declared thar II all the
railway owners ana all railway presI-
dents were as philanlhropical as VII
liam j. Palmer the rank and fle would
not have 20 think ~ hard regarding
then future white doing their best 10
forward the interests Of their COM
pmdes
This Ted 90 reminiscent tank regarding
~" most muniiicent GIT TO railway en-
pl1yes that was ever made. a gift of
5. onl.0o0 in cash made by william ].
Palmer when he ceased "a be president
OF The Rio Grabde Western railroad.
This event occurred but rev years
ago but Il has been forgotten by near
~ all ave the beuc1claries. who idolze
Mt Palmer and whose descendants viii
always revere hiS luenlory.
Al the time that tho distribution Of
this KIT was mage he western papers
were full Of Il. but none ever knew
that the sum given away by Mr. Pal
mer was a. much As Se000oo nor
we're the pspsts aware Of al the cir
cumstsnces which led up 80 the act
Al the noordaA Gathering referred
TO- one Of the western presidents. who
L. a warm persona frtend Of Mr.. Pal
mer who is sin living. related the IN
side history of the $4,000 gift to the
employees ~ the HIQ Gtande Western.
ln the early nos Sir Palmer became
president Of that road. and IN fact
owned a control ~ a. In acquiring I.
The RIO Grandc Western he nearly |
bankmpted hlmsclt and IL was pretty |
tight shedding for him 10 make both |
ends meet and keep ont ~ the hands |
OF receiver When patters were az |
their worst notice cahie 10 the presi- |
dents once one morning that strike |
WAS Imminent in the entire operatin !
department ~ the To8d. AZ that time /
strike meant ruiz ana bankruptcy /
and @ had 10 he aYeried NJ all hazrds. /
M plner was one % the old school I
OF railroad presidents VINO gloried in /
the fact that he knew every employe /
Of tho road from Use section hands TO
the general manage ana vice presl-
dents.
MINED WITH The BOYS.
lie delighted IN mUlahe Inspection I
trips and ia calling all OF the men by /
their nrst names. letting them know /
that he was interested Ia them person. I
ally. Owing 10 this ttait the loyalty /.
among the employees Of the Rio Grande F.
Western who knew the president was |
one OF the guaranteed never. wears out I
brand. Il was, furthefmOre. q bank |
able asset Of the PRESIDENTS. aud he /
prepared 70 cash II ~, Hastily sum. |
monins the general manager. Nj Pal. /
mer had a special nlsde pp and started |
out from Denver over the line. He I
saw every superintendent, every man
on the road who was N a position TO
WELD any influence and hundreds Of
trainmeu and engine men. and had a
heart-to,heart talk VIM them. # ran
something Ike this:
Bill I'm broke. I've put ny last
dollar IN this railroad venture and
things are not coming ss easy a. they
might You men want more pay.
There Isn't a. q matter u fact. enough
money to pay your preseBt salaries.
bu, there win be provided nothing
happer- to stop things u you strike
I'm busted forever ADD this company
viii 20 into the hands OF receiver. IN
such event there VIII b. no salaries for
you before loug and certainly no in.
crease iu pay ] can't DO anything for
you now. hut the man who stand by
me IN this pinch viii De 10y friends as
long a. live and ri not forget them"
Three DAYS Of this kind Of heart TO.
heart nersTnal work oh the part OF the
president won the day, and the Union
decided 70 stick" "a the OLD man n
vas not long before the Rio Grsnje
Western had passed tina financial
shoals and was enjoying pf9spsritv.
LlkeVis. the personal fortune OF Pres
ident Palmer was saved Abou, the
first thing The president ga was 10
Increase the wages q the operating
men and Of an other departments
where the pay had bean little below
standard
ONE or THE LINKS.
The age o. railway consolidation soon
came on. and The Rio Grsnde Western
became essential 70 the Could system.
Mr. Could needed Il for ore OF the link.
IN the line which he had planned 70 ev.
tend from the Pacific 10 the Atlantic
coast Negotiations for ths purchase
OF the road we're successful and Mr..
Palmer sold out There YES paid 10
him iu the transaction 5000 900. which
represented The sum saved 10 him by
the loyalty % his men, At least that
is the say Mr. Palmer looked al the
matter. He remembered only few
years back The scenes lutng those
three days 0het DO PLEADED with his
men not 10 desert him and when he
promised 10 remember them always II
they stood by him.
The night following me c3usumma.
ton OF the sale Mr.. Palmer went 10 ms
home. and hs aud Mrs. Palmer talked
long into the might. The former rail-.
road president told his vile thar The
boys had saved Eooo0 OOH ,dr him. ana
mat he and che rerc rwcjltJlly alone
iu the world
W. he sum nl money moi QeT. TO
he said 10 his wife. "and h'k a bean
more than you and ! viii need the re-
inaindsr 81 our lives. We couldn't
spend u 81. n we tried. The boys stood
by ne. aud I'm g0ing 20 show them
that ] meant what said. Il seems 10
me that y ooo'o IL al hot two human
beings ought 10 possess. and 40. II you
consent, tn go.ug 20 give TIE other S..
10000 10 me boys"
Tie Proposition met WITH ue hearty
support Of Mrs Palmer. sJd Il was not
org before ne lawyers lad q complete
u,i OF RIO Gtaudf Western employees
VINO we've !n NE service 10 me time OF
lne threatened strike AMI % some who
were not The t-pe.e09 res appor-
TONED among them according 10 thu
responsibilities OF thelr nns,ior.
some ofIafafq s-s b.. .....t - -. -