The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-08-11

it,tcr.fH OF seventeen years he Won ..r
recognition as 4 breeder of race horse
and an ardent promoter OF the sport ei
kings" greatly improved the halkneg
Inc in this country, helped 10 orsanl-1
the Philadelphia Horse Show. and be
-arne frequent prize winner at horse
rh1ws throushou: the country; as road
sup rvisor Of his own township gave t.
the country its model roads; gloried Il:
the life OF gentleman farmer; con
cciyed and built the New York Phtla-
deIphia & Norfolk and, barring few
months Immediately following his retire.
nlect. was one OF the leading spirits N
the Pennsylvania board Of directors
He had retired that he might have time
10 res, and play This somewhat inc7-r1-
ple.e lis, Of the things he did All. doubt
less cad the reader 10 draw the CON
clusion that MS play pefiod must, indeed.
have been OF the very strenuous sort
Mr. Cassatt ~as averse - becoming
Presiden. Of the Pennsylvanja In ta-:,
" hen the honor was 1rst offered 10 him,
he unhesi,atingly declined it, But later,
- hen Mrs, Cassatt begged HIM to accept,
he weakened, and when, for the second
tine. the directors called on him to hea!
the Pennsylvania army, he asked tor
= few hours in which to make up hi
mind for aool and all. the general feel
ing was that he would surrender to the
wishes 1f his wifi.
Mr Cassatt IS 4 millionaire, OF course,
tlt it is doubtful whether he has a sufh
Gent number OF mil1ions 10 give HIM
standing among the "multIs Never
,heless. he possesses what many
multi does not-a splendid education
and real knowledge OF the higher
lungs, such as hne paintings and ta:u-
ny, for which many 'multi' spends
b. dollars lavishly because its consid-
ercd to be the proper thing.
Mr. Cassatt's liberal education-he IS
n mean linguist-was obtained abroad.
his father moving there while he vas
still a youth After going through the
University OF Dar,nstadt he returned to
America and received his technical train
ing at the Van Rensselaer, Polytechnic,
where he graduated in 1889 lnmedl-
ately thereafter he went to Georgia TO
help locate and construct railroad line
y hen war looked certain he came north,
and just before it broke out he went with
the Pennsylvania as rodTnaA Little did
he dream then that thirty-eight years
later he would be called, Cincinnatus
fashion. from his stock farm to the presi
dency Of the corporation.
Since he has been President OF the
Pennsylvania Mr. Cassatt has had very
littlf time in which to breed horses or
bafld township roads. His chief method
of escaping railroad cares for the time
being is to SIT at the boards Of the two
dining clubs to which he belongs
One of these clubs is made up of ma
tionally known hnanciers and captains OF
industry-such men as Clement A. Gris-
com, Henry c. Frick, P A. B. Widener
and J, P. Morgan The club meets from
time to time at the country homes Of
its members The one thing never talked
about is business IN any shape, manner
or FORM and SO the club gives one and
all a splendid opportunity to enjoy that
relaxation 50 necessary 10 a.! OF US, and
most peculiarly so TO those Of US who
carry the heavy burdens
The second club likewise taboos busi
ness as topic Of conversation. Its mem-
bers are recruited largely from the pro-
fessons; DR.. S Weir Mitchell is shin
ing light, and besides lawyers. there are
artists and writer's. The meetings are
held at the homes Of members in the
winter time Each member must invite
a guest, and members and guests alter
nate at table. The club of nlilionaires
meets in the summer time, and is not
SO generous with invitations as the
other.
Golf is Mr.. Cassatts present-day IA
yori;e outdoor recreation, and he is a
golfer Of no mean ability.
Summing up, Mr.. Cassatt's career, in
active life and in retirement, has been
characterized by boldness, originality
and thoroushness. He entered upon the
task of building public roads for his
township with as much zest as he dis
played when aiding in the development
of the Pennsylvania He has been an
enthusiastic doer Of deeds as well as
p!4nner of them, and as such has won
out in work and III play.
\ Mr.. Cassatt has still little more than
three years left in which to serve as