The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-08
HARRY THAW'S FATHER
A SAFE AND SANE MAN

From the New York Commercial Bulle-
tin.
HOULD the court appoint a COM
~ mission in lunacy so that the
- present responsibility, or lack of
1t, of Harry Thaw may be passed upon,
this commission would be expected to
report not the reason for its judgment,
but the simple fact 1t could say to the
court no more than this: We find Harry
Thaw to be at the present time insane"
But In order to reach a decision it would
probably be essential that the commits
sion trace Thaw's history back even to
the time of his infancy, and there might
possibly be inquiry also into the mental
and normal characteristics Of his parents
or remoter ancestors
Therefore, Ii Is assumed that the COM
mission may make some inquiry that
would give 1t information respecting the
mental, physical and moral health of
Thaw's father and distinguishing char
acteristics of his mother.
Undoubtedly there will come at least
informally or incidentally to the know
ledge of this commission, should It be
organized, some part of the history OF
Mr.. Thaw as a citizen and as one OF the
great merchants of the United States. 1t
is an extremely interesting history. 1t
is closely interviewer with not merely
the Industrial development of the middle
west and particularly of the Ohio valley
but also width some of the amazing de-
velopments of railway activities, and es-
pecially with one or two features that now
distinguish American railway operations.
Mr.. Thaw and his partner. Mr.. Clark.
being of the firm of Clark & Thaw, were
really the first important men OF COM
merce of the middle west. They bore the
same relation to domestic commerce which
the shipowners who traded to the far
east or the West Indies or with South
America did to the international COM
merce. men of whom A A. Dow and
Grinnell, Mintern & Co., were represen-
tatives. Clark & Thaw perfected "a far
reaching organization. Their agents were
established throughout the Ohio valley
and to the east of Pittsburg as we'll. The
colossal Industrial organization in its sys
tenn and machinery of the present time is
after all but an expansion of the princi-
pie worked out by Mr.. Thaw and his
partner Their steamboats, piled the Ohio
river, one a day, making the round trip
between Pittsburg and Cincinnati In
week. The busy agents, inspired by the
splendid enthusiasm of pioneer days or
the era lust following pioneer times in the
middle west, searched the country FAR
and near, brought to the Ohio river the
various products which were consigned
to Mr. Thaw's firm From the east OF
Pittsburg the manufactured products OF
the Atlantic coast were brought to the
Pennsvlyania canal and the Portage rati-
road. that curious and ingenious trans
porta lion scheme by which canal boats
we're carried in sections over the Ale
ghenies to Mr.. Thaw's ware houses at
Pittsburg and to the steamboat landings.
So intense was this activity that there
were usually upon the landing at Pitts
burg as many as 500 draws each day laden
with dry goods and Other eastern products
brought to Mr. Thaw and his partner and
forwarded by them to various river
points. 1t was the early udy OIL WeSleru
commerce, a greater commerce at that
time than any the lake carried.
Today, looking back and reading the his
tory of the tentative, cautious, often
blndly cropping advances of capital and
of railway activity. as, for instance, the
experiments with the steel rail in the vi
cinity of Pittsburg, the air brake and the
coupler. it is easy to learn how by sure
Tut almost unexpected evolution Transport
tation and the commerce of the midwest
were being simplifed. systematized and
managed with constantly increasing econ
omy.
Economy, however. meant for such
service as the Union Star Line at Pitts
burg handsome profits. as well as con-
slant reduction of rates. The Union Star
Line made profits which in that day were
thought fabulous. They were so great
that at last. principally upon the counsel