The Washington herald., 1907-04-14

his age-he is really seventy-walking
briskly along the right of way.
you don't know who that man is?''
Queried the porter, note Of pride in his
voice showing that he knew very well,
well. sir. that's Marvin Hughitt. the
president OF this here railroad, and he S
making one Of his regular trips over the
line"
The porter spoke the truth. Marvin
Hughitt, all-ar0und railroad man. is q
day as closely observant Of all depa
ments Of the Chicago and Northwest
Railroad, of which he was made pro
dent twenty years ago, as he was
the early years of his incumbency.\ "
railroadlng was much simpler than
lie IS an "old-fashioned railroad pr
dent" in many respects, despite the
that you'd need to go far to find a .
up-to-date chap Of his or any other
in dress. manners, amusements, and
methods he adopts on his railroad.
Mr. Hughitt's trips over the line
periodical feature of his work, ar
bright, clear eyes are quick 10 see
thing whatever that IS amiss. He
the trips in his private car. of course
road vehicles of its class. 1t is
up for business and It's cook has
an early riser. O'Clock being the ~
that he can allow himself 10 sleep.
Mr.. Hughitt wants his coffee regIIss
At o'clock. and the cook has 10
an hour before thon If he would
appoint the old man." who really
termed the grand old man OF
railroading in this country to-day
In spite of his devotion 10 the
operation, Mr., Hughitt Is as atheti
he had been a college football plays
his youth, which he wasn't But he wal
a good big stretch daily. whether in Il e
city or the country, and he plays go
with great enthusiasm and some skill
You can see from his clear ska and n
alertness that he never has neglected ply
steal exercise.
lie began active life when little more
than a mere boy as a telegraph operaSoE
at Utica. \. Y. Telegraph lines as wek
as railroads have changed since then, and
the young mans first duty. every morn
ing, was 20 wire 10 the main office a
statement showing how much money had
been taken in for commercial kilograms
the day before.
When he first went West he got job
with the Illinois and Mississippi Tele-
graph Company. long before the Western
Unio2 had secured its sway Then he
took charge of the old Chicago and St
Louis Railroads telegraph system. and
his duties included that of trainmaster.
The road is now the Chicago and Alton.
with which Hartman and his friends had
lot Of fun some time ago. From the
G.. & A.. Hughitt went to the Illinois Cen
trial Located ut Cairo while the civil
war was on he once had to look after
the transportation Of an entire army
corps over the line It took thirty-slx
hours, during which time he slept not
a wink.
Then the military plans were changed,
and the same corps had to be moved in
another direction. That took another thir-
ty-six hours. and when the task was ac-
complished Hughitt had been awake and
constantly at work for seventy-two hours
There were no accidents, however. Hugh
lit went TO the Chicago and Northwestern
thirty-one years ago.
Presidents and Presidents.
There are not many railroad presidents
Of exactly the Hughitt sort to-day. They
form a distinct class. and there are sew
eral classes. Those making up one Well
known class have grown up in Wall
Street and now delegate the actual oper-
alton of their roads 10 general managers
and other officials, themselves looking ar
ter the financial and stock exchange. ends
mainly
Some, but not many now, have built a
whole or part of their own lines. as }. J.
Hill built the Great Northern. HIN, how
ever, is a whole class by himself, as also
is Hartman who got control OF his roads
By consolidation" Hin says that there
viii be fewer men OF the Hughitt type in
the future than there were IN the past,
for reason which he gave TO the writer
some years ago.
There is another class Of railroad pres
idenis-the class 10 which the late Corne-
iUs Vanderbilt. the cOmmodore's grand
son. bcionged-Which now has only one
conspicuous representative. He Is George
Gould, who inherited the presidency Of
the Missouri Pacific from his father along
with his millions. as Cornelius and VIII
fam K. inherited the New York Central
and the Lake Shore presidencies along
with their millions. Edwin Gould, brother
OF George, has been president of the ST.
Louis and Southwestern Railroad for
some years. but the two Goulds are the
only sens Of the great railroad presl-
dents of the past now serving as rail-
road presidents themselves.
The Cornelius Vanderbilt of to-day
would ike TO be ia command Of one OF
more of the family roads, no doubt. but
he isn't allowed 10 be. Willie X, ir..
won't work at TailrOading. the family
business, but works like a hired man at
motor racing, both on land and water
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt never worries
IS 10 whether the trains on the family
railroads make their time OF not. but he
fTets himself almost into a fever when
driving a fOur-n-band coach lest he
should be a minute ahead or behind
schedule. He recently has extended his
fame as a whip and general horse fan
cier IN England by sending nearly a ship
load of horses. coaches. hunkies, and
grOOms across f7 7ateT and exhibiting
X, ST.. may still be
y York and Harlem
he taken hold of by
is the biggest sin
the entire system.
)ugh railroad man,
Dig lines are under
Of other men than
iins son. undoubt-
ers place as pres
ID the operation of
yer his father de-
ITS as Hill. Harri-