Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-01

Shown few years ago when he was
coming in from his country seat at
HaverfOrd to Philadelphia. He was
seated in a rear car and was not
known to the brakeman or conductor
The train came to n standstill owing
to some trifiing accident and at the
expiration of ten minutes Mr.. Cassatt
asked the brakeman if it was not GUS
tomary to send a man back with
red flag to warn trains behind. The
brakeman admitted it, Then why
| don't you do it," asked Mr.. Cassatt
III you will mind your own bust
| ness" was the reply. 1.-The railroad men
i'll charge of this train will attend to
| theirs. We know what to do and want
no interference from you
When Mr.. Cassatt arrived in the
| Broad street station. Philadelphia he
| hunted up the station master and re-
| lated the circumstance The station
| master started to have the brakeman
discharged, but Mr.. Cassatt restrained
| him
Don't do that" he said. "JuSt call
him into your office and tell him he
| cussed the president and that here
after he should be more polite to pas
| sengerS."
Carnegie Ran Against Him.
Before Andrew Carnegie retired from
the steel business and before the Wa
| bash got into Pittsburg Mr.. Carnegie
| found that \. J. Cassatt was absolute
| ~ unbendable ut times. With all the
| prestige of his tremendous business
| and his riches behind him and a smile
| of confidence on his face Mr.. Carnegie
| walked into Mr.. Cassatt's Cffice to ask
why his company's secret freight rates
had been discontinued.
| He was sure it was mistake Mr.
| CasSatt was quite as sure that it was
| not. Mr.. Carnegie's smile disappeared
| and he began to glover. II that was
the case. lie would insist that the rates
be re-eStablshed, else he (Carnegiel
would construct a line from the west
through Pittsburg to the Atlantic sea
board that would destroy the primacy
of the Pennsylvania system.
His answer from the tall man who
was directing the affairs of the Penn
sylvania Railroad company was cold
stare and an invitation to build as
many roads rs he liked.
Here is an anecdote about Mr.. Cas-
satt hitherto unpublished: HewaS walk
ing out to his home in RittenhouSe
square with one of the directors.
That's a very fine place you have
there. Mr. CasSatt," said the director,
surveying the mansion.
Yes" replied Mr.. Cassatt, with
doubtful appreciation, but l would
rather live in the country"
Then, why don't you?'
Mr.. Cassatt looked at his friend very
soberly and asked:
Aren't you married?"
Memory was a great factor in the
success Of \. J. Cassatt. He kept
, track of things" us he called it, and,
like General Grant, was able to carry
2 remarkable amount of detail In his
: mind.
While he was still minor official of
: the road Thomas Scott, the early gen
JUS of the Pennsylvania Railroad com.
. pany. came into his Office and said:
: MIR. CasSatt, | wish you would have
one of the bookkeepers find out for NE
how many cars of freight We're shipped
} over the New Jersey division last
month";
Il can tell You that myself, Mr.
Scott" replied Mr.. Cassatt. And h'
gave the figures offhand.
How in the world did you know
that" asked the president, opening hi!
eyes in amaZement
"Oh," said Cassatt. II look over th'
books every few days and try to keel
& track of things
. Mr. CasSatt dealt in millions as othe
= men deal in pennies. This was illus
t trated some time ago when the west
- ern manager of the Pennsylvania syS
a tenn submitted to the president
A scheme for improving the lines in tn
west by an expenditure of S24,O00,0OC
. The S100O00.00O tunnel operation wa
already under way. and the western
manager was afraid that his schem
- stood poor chance. The president eS
amined the plans carefully.
o "Are you sure that S24.000,000 wi
Q be enough" he asked quietly.
"Quite sure"
Confident that you haven't overloob
ed anything?"
Absolutely"
"Then go ahead"
No matter what big financial scheme
. he might have in hand. Mr.. Cassat
never lost sight of the details of raj
road management. Not long ago $500
freight cars got tangled up in Pitt:
D burg-tangled so tightly that all I'll
d yard managers and officers on tn
!. scene were hopelessly confused.
II The snarl was such as to imperil ii
traffic Of the whole system. Mr.. Ca
4. satt took special train for Pittsbur
called all the officers around him an
7 got the maps and reports that ha
| been prepared. Orders began to f
J like electric sparks. and within tive
ty-four hours the president had 40,O(