New-York tribune., 1906-11-30
MIR. SPENCER'S CAREER.
Rose from Ranks to Presidency OF
Great Railroad System.

Samuel spencer president Of the Southern italI-
way System, of the great railway sS ~
the country was one OF those railroad men W."
have worked their way up from the RANKS " o,;Id
horn at Columbus Ga March . 1SaI the Only N
OF Lambert and Vernona (MitchelD spencer a "
descendant of James Spencer, VINO elilt'' 60 - -
England to Talbot County. Md, In lo'o' TIC
educated In the public schools OF Columbus fci
lo,vtrg tho exannIe of many Southern boys Of the
time he enlisted in the Confederate army joining
in 1853 as a private the Nelson hangers an i'iD
pendent company OF cavalry operating at 'iie ~
on scout and outpost duty before Nlcksou .. i
subsequently served under General N b bot'
and was with General Hood in Atlanta anu ouii's
the disastrous campaign against Nashville
After the war he entered the University oi
Georgia in the Junior class, and was sraduhIeo III
1867 with first honors He then STUDIED IN the
engineering department of the University OF Nlr-
gtnta from which he graduated IN 1859 win
the degree of c. f., again at the head or his
class Becoming employed by the savannah q
Memphis Raisoad Company, he served suoces-
sively as rodman, leyeller, transitman, resident
engineer and principal assistant engineer until july
1872. when he became clerk to the superintendent
of the New Jersey Southern Railroad at Long
Branch. -Four months earlier he had married
Louisa Vivian, daughter OF H. L. Benning judge
OF the Supreme Court OF Georgia. short time
after taking the position at Long Branch he be-
came connected with the Baltimore & Ohio Rail-
raid. and was employed Its metropolitan branch.
It is said that he owed his rapid rise from this
time TO his discovery by John W. Garrett, then
president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. On
the metropolitan branch he assistant to the
roadmaster at salary of $50 a month. according
a story which IS told of this period Of his life
His wife Of year and their infant child lived in
the second story OF ramshackle station at little
twelve and fourteen hours a day His ability came
TO the notice of Mr., Garrett. He put in charge
came superintendent of the Virginia Midland Rail
way, and later the Long Island Railroad. In 1879
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad From the latter posi-
ton he advanced through places OF responsibility
until 1887, when he became the president. This
ONCE he held for one year conducting the affairs
constituted one of the most trying and difficult
In March, 1889 he became connected with the
banking house OF Drexel Morgan & Co. rail-
road interests In 1898 ne appointed receiver OF
the Richmond & Danville Railroad Company and
Company. In 1S94 he became president of the
Southern Hallway Company. upon the formation Of
mond Terminal and East Tennessee. Virginia &
system extended until operates S592 miles
of track and gives employment 10 more than thirty
Re was at The time of his death president or d.
rector Of fve Southern rairoads besides the South
oluding the Erie the Susquehanna and the New
National Bank, the Old Domnion Steamship COM
pany. the Southern Cotton Oil Company, the Stand
lea, the Virginia Chemical Company and
the Western Union Telegraph Company
public last winter through his leadership of the
railroad forces against the Railroad Rats bill 1t
was said that in his efforts to defeat the plans of
President Roosevelt for the passage of rate bill
he conducted year ago a system of press bu-
throughout the country for the dissemination
of educational matter regarding the railroads.
It was asserted that the railroads spending
S1.50o,0o0 year In support Of this campaign OF
education"
He was a member of the New York Chamber of
Commerce, the American Academy of Political and
Social Science. the American Forestry Association,
the Metropolitan Museum of Art the Municipal Art
Society, the American Museum Of Natural History,
the New York Botanical Garden, the New York
Geological Society, the Association for the PrOtec-
ton Of the Adirondacks the American Society of
Civil Engineers and several social organizations.
He was also Of the directors OF the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition Company.
Three children have been born TO him-Henry
Benning, TernOna Mitchell and Vivian