Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-13

CX08 or kIc0t 0loCLTlC WOSOku iu Vt2SV of steam locomotives. t requires the building of one of the greatest railroad depots in the world. If one cares to
 venture into the realm of prediction, 1t will revolutionize transportation in New York city.
 Yet this is only one of the improve ments projected by MT. Cassatt An other is the great Pennsylvania sta tion which Is to be erected in Washing- ton. Still another is his gaining con trol of other railways, such as the Chesapeake and Ohio. It was this move, by the way, which precipitated the investigation, with all its grafty unfoldings. Yet an additional improve ment being carried forward by this radical innovator 10 the stralghteninK of the tracks through the mountains. The same attempt at betterment is be- Ing carried on-through thousand and one minor details. Now, if he would but go step farther and eliminate fa- voritlsm and corruption from his rail- way management he would indeed prove himself practical reformer that would deserve well of mankind.
 Alexander Johnston Cassatt is In his sixty-seventh year. He Is one of those young old men who do not lose their initiative. ardor and progressiveness with years; in other words, who do not ossify Into conservatisnk He was born in Allegheny, of which aristocratic city his father was once mayor. Young Cassatt had the best educational ad- yantages. part of his course being talk en in Heidelberg, Germany.
 Did Not BaIk at . MenlaI Place.
 He returned to America, however. determined to go into engineering. That was just at the outbreak of the civil war, when civil engineers were in demand. In 1861 he helped to locate railroad in Georgia. Returning north. he applied for a place on the Pennsyl- vania, and nothing was open but the position of rodman. Now. a rodman bears about the same relation to engi- neering that a hod carrier does to the building trade. But this highly edu- cated son of a rich father did not balk at the menial place. He took 1t and proved such an efficient rodman that he was soon advanced.
 Cassatt showed that he was not afraid to work and that he had indi- vidual initiative. These qualities win among real men anywhere. and they won on the Pennsylvania.
 Colonel Tom Scott. the genius of the road, who had keen appreciation of men. saw the stuff that was in the young engineer and rapidly pushed him to the front. In 1867 Cassatt was made superintendent of motive power and machinery for the entire system. It was at about this time that he ad- vocated and had adopted one of his daring innovations. There was no means of handling rapidly and ade- quately the southern fruit supply. Cas- satt brought forward plan of ex- tending the Pennsylvania to the coast and introducing system of fast fer ries. the longest ferry haul, by the way. in the world. It was expensive, but it paid.
 Another Cassatt coup was In buying q line of road which the Pennsylvania needed in its business. The Baltimore and Ohio also needed that same line. and -oae ef ,tts officials one day gleeful- ly announced to President Roberts of the Pennsylvania that the Baltimore and Ohio had the matter cinched. He had counted without Cassatt however. That young man had seen what was coming and had quietly located block of stock of which the Baltimore and Ohio official was ignorant. It was this block of stock which secured the much sought line for the Pennsylvania and which also secured Cassatt the first vice presidency.
 Tn 1880 the progresslves thought that MT. Cassatt should be elected to the of the road. The conserva- lives won, however, and as result two years later he practically left rnil- roadlng and went on to a fine stock farm near Philadelphia. He still re- mained director of the company and initiated many of it's policies. but to all intents and purposes he remained In for seventeen years. He was a breeder of fast horses and be- came one of the leaders on the turf as he had before been with fast iron horses.
 Upon the death of the former presi- dent the Pennsylvania concluded that it needed Cassatt. The story of the manner of that choice Is interesting. The directors agreed that the man should be chosen who had been re- sponsible for most improvements. As each one of these was checked off 1t was found that Cassatt had proposed all of them. Cassatt there fore was the man.
 The committee to notify him of his election found him on the golf links. At first he refused 10 accept. Then Mrs. Cassaft. who. by the way. Is a niece of President James Buchanan, was induced to use her influence. As a result A. ]. Cassatt laid aside his golf sticks. sold his fast horses and took upon himself the management of the gxsatest railroad system on earth.
 One of the most sensational episodes of the Pennsylvania presidents career was his fight against the Western Un- ion Telegraph company. involving the powerful Gould and Rockefeller inter- ests. He carried this fight to the point of tearing down the poles and wfres. A less courageous man would have