The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-03
Directors of Southern Put
 Record on Minutes
LOSS ID THE WHOLE NATION
Inspiration of His Lofty Standards and Shining Example Will Al- ways Animate His Future
 Successors.

 At a joint meeting of the voting trus- tees and the board of directors of the Southern Railway company, held at It's office in Washington on Sunday, De- cember 2, 1906, immediately after the funeral service of Samuel Spencer, late president of the company there were present Alexander B. Andrews first vice president, presiding; J. Pierpont Morgan and George F. Baker. voting trustees, and the following directors: Joseph II. Bryan, Samuel M. Inman, Adrain Iselen, Jr, Edmund D. Randolph, James T. Wood- ward, William w. Finley and Charles Steele.
 The following minute was adopted and was ordered to be entered on the records and published at length in the press upon the lines of the Southern railway
 Tribute to MT. Spencer.
 Samuel Spencer, born in Columbus Ga, March 2 1SI7, died November %, 1906, near Lawyers station, Virginia, upon the railroad of the Southern Railway company, of which lle was the first and only president. The personal qualities of MT Spencer, his integrity in heart and mind, his affectionate and genial dsposi- tion, his loyal and courageous spirit, his untiring devotion to duty, his persistent achievement ef worthy ends, and his comradship on the fields of battle of af- fairs and of manly sport, combined to es- tablish him in the loving regard Of hosts of friends in every section of his coun- try, and nowhere more securely than in the affection of his fellow workers in the service of the Southern Railway com pany.
 "'rhe importance of his service to this company is matter of common knowl- edge throughout the railroad world, but the character, the extent and the conse- ,mence of that service are and can be appreciated at their full worth only oy his associates now gathered here to att test their regard for him and to record their high estimate of his life and work.
 Upon June B. 1894, on the completion of the Richmond Termna, reorganization, conceived by J. Pierpont Morgan and conducted by his partner. Charles H. Coster, the first meeting of the Southern Railway company was called to order at Richmond by Samuel Spencer as pres- dent. In that calendar year the Southern railway system embraced 4391 miles of road, with 62S locomotives and 1864 cars, which carried S,427,S5s passengers and G. 675,750 tons of freight and earned sl6- Gi3,29S In the last fiscal year the South ern railway system embraced 75l5 miles Of road with 1429 locomotives and 42,11O cars, which carried 11,653,5 $50 passengers and 27s99,S37 tons of freight and earned s53, ,6f1, ,43S. The number of employees had increased from 16,71s June 90, 1895, to S7,ooS June 50, 1906, and the wages paid from S6,712, 796 to $2l ,020.
 Made Remarkable Record.
 ''The full details and the impressive character of this remarkable advance, too extended for present recital are exhi5- ited in the masterly communication which upon February 1, 1906, MT. Spencer ad- dressed to Messrs. J. F. Morgan x Co. as the basis of the development and gen eral progress. In this progress every step had been initiated and conducted by MT. Spencer with the cordial concurrence of the voting trustees and the board Of d. rectors. and it is significant of the con servative and cautious position of MT. Spencer and his supporters that this phenomenal enlargement of the system and it's business was not made the basis of any increase of stock, or even of any increase of dividends beyond the amount contemplated and stated In the plan of 1S93 with reference to the properties orig inally reOrganzed.
 '.Isvery dollar that could be borrowed under President Spencer's management was put into thc property in the effort to enable it to meet the ever-increasing demands of the vigorous and wonderful growth of the south and it's industries The mighty fabric which for twelve years he has been moulding must continue un- der others to develop, and to improve in the service that it shall render to the hut fn he the impress, or to reveal the continuing impulse of the master hand of its first president. In the height of his useful ness and his powers, he has been called away, but the inspiration his shining ex- ample and his lofty standards must ever animate his successor. To many other corporations conducting the commerce of the country, as well as the Southern railway, did MT. Spencer render inval- uable service and all of them will share in our sense of loss and personal grief.
 Spokesman of Many Interests.
 "As their chosen spokesman in the ue- mendous agitation eliminating in the congressional action of 1906, hls mastery of his subject his dignity of bearing and his integrity of character commanded the confidence and approval of the vast inter ests whose constitutional rights it be- came his duty to assert and to protect To the great public not less than to the commercial interests dld ne recognize HIS obligations. How well he conceived, how admirably he performed the duty was in- dicated in the last of. his public addresses, his last message to his friends in the south, delivered at Montgomery on De- tober 9, 1906. an address which deserves wide circulation and close consideration not only in his own south that he loved so well. but throughout the whol. coun- try which he had learned to know far better than most of it's citizens wherever born.
 His chosen career has closed, but the wisdom and the virtues that character career will abide as long as
 been a regard for duty bravely for high service gallantly rem
 his family we extend our deep
 respectful sympathy, and our
 that for them well as for
 .tes. 'honor and happiness will from thei- relation to Samuel
 nat just and upright man and