Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-28
his attending physician arrived he found

him dead.
Alexander Johnston Cassatt had been
president of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company since 1890 having been called to
that position of great responsibility after
an absence of fifteen years from any active
place in the organization which he mad IN
his younger days done much to bring up to
its high standard of efficiency.
Born in Pittsburg.
Mr. Cassatt was born in Pittsburg Decem-
Der s. 1899. He was educated at the Uni
versty of Heidelberg and also at Rennse-
laer Polytechnic Institute. Mr.. Cassatt en-
gagged in locating a railroad in the state OF
Georgia before the civil war. He was SO
occupied from from 1859 to 1861. He en-
tered the service of tne Pennsylvania rail-
road in the latter year as a rodman II
has been said of him that no man could
boast of wider acquaintance with all the
details of railroad by having actually
filled various positions and having come in
contact with all the problems that enter
into such an enterprise.
After two years as rodman he became
assistant engineer on the Philadelphia and
Trenton railroad. and a year later, or in
1864 he was resident engineer of the Phlla-
delphia and Erie. In 1867 he was made SUI
perintendent of motive power and machln-
cry of the Pennsylvania railroad. In this
position he received great credit, as 1t was
largely due to his judgment that the Penn
sylvania railroad was improved in some OF
its most vital parts. He became general
superintendent of the Pennsylvania system
in 1870, and from IL to IA was general
manager of the lines east of PittSburg. lie
was made third vice president in 1874 and
continued to fill that position far six years
Then for two years he acted as hrst vice
president
Exercised Great Influence.
All this time Mr.. Cassatt exercised an
enormous influence in directing the pollcy
of the road 1t was of his own motion that
he resigned from the vice presidency IN
1882 in order to be relieved of the respon-
sibilities that were attendant upon active
MANAGEMENT. But in the next year he was
made director.
At this time he surprised many of his
friends who knew that he was in the
prime of life, and that he was given the
widest opportunity for carrying out poll
ces he had proved, by retiring from active
business to his beautiful stock farm az
Chester Brook He had always been
lover of horses and the farm held out to
him a very attractive life. From 1883 until
1899 he devoted his entire time to farm
life Occasionally he made trip abroad,
but at no place was he SO happily located
as on Chester Brook farm. The farm was
an ideal one and was managed with
view to developing it to the highest posi-
BILE degree which, Mr.. Cassatt could do be-
cause of his large wealth.
An Expanding Policy.
II is said that he returned to the Penn
sylvania railroad as its president seven
wears ago with great reluctance, but there
were many men who felt that the problems
that were coming before the company
could best be solved by him, as he was
known to approve any broad and liberal
policy at all times. 1t was this spirit of
Improvement and progress that had much
to with the expanding policy that has
characterized the Pennsylvania railroad
during recent years. Mr.. Cassatt beheved
that the best results in the long run would
be achieved by increasing the facilities of
his road and he entered into all projects
looking to that end.
The extensive terminal improvements IN
this city, which include union station
which will probably be the most monu-
mental structure of the kind In this coun-
try was the result to large extent, OF MS
own policy of making the pennsylvania
railroad come up to the highest possible
standards So it was along the entire sys-
TEN. He favored the large improvements
that had been made.
The death of Mr.. Cassatt removes man
who was regarded as one of the very fore
most in railroad organization and manage
nent. Perhaps no man in the country had
been more closely identified with the i'm
movement of railroad facilities than he.