The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-04

great COST
OF a train of this kind
While efforts are made to embarrass
no one who fails to subscribe for the
PONDS OF the road, every facility is Of
| 1ered TO see that the guest. mas ample
opportunity of judging what is best for
| MIN TO do. The great majority seem to
decide that the investment is a good
one and act accordingly. They natul-
| ally tell their friends and thus the work
goes on.
1t requires about $4,000 a day to
build the road. Mr.. Stilwell says the
money seems to come in in a steady
stream sufflcisnt for the construction
Mr.. Stilwelrs Personality.
] And now a word about Mr.. Stilwell
| himself. He has the faculty of bring
| ing about him able men, efficient lieu
| tenants. One of the best of these is
| probably Edward Dickinson. the vice
president and general manager and I'M
til he came to the Orient road, six
years ago, general manager for many
years for the Union Pacific. Mr.. Dick
| inson, and many others actively inter-
ested in constructing the road, have
| contributed largely of their own means
| But Mr.. Stilwell and Mr.. Stilwell's
spirit form the soul of the enterprise.
| He has infused his enthusiasm and
ability and energy into the enterprise
| in such a manner that no one, who has
| been with him for two weeks and who
| has been over the completed portion of
the road, caE doubt that it will be built
| completion.
Mr.. Stilwell himself is a remarkable
personality. He is an optimist of the
most pronounced type. He seems to
know no such word as fall and has
record of unbroken successes in wide
line of industry, in more recent years
in railway circles.
He has met many obstacles. but
seems to always overcome them. IN
arranging terminal facilities at Port
Arthur on the Kansas City Southern he
was obliged to build canal on a new
plan. This canal was seven miles long
and although a ship canal was con-
structed on land but a few feet from
the ship waterway. Instead of dredging
the harbor in the ordinary way, he built
this canal away from but near to the
coast line of the harbor. The govern
ment engineers fought him necessarily
and qidiculed his plan. Last year 4OO
vessels passed through this canal and
the government is now extending 1t 40
miles further inland on Mr.. StilwelIs
plan of construction.
When the engineer asked Mr.. Still
well how wide and how deep he should
make the canal Mr.. Stilwell said, MAKE
it as wide and as deep as the Suez
CANAL and the engineer took these
specifications from the encyclopedia.
He could take the highest degree in
the Don't Worry Club without further
preparation.
Among his recreations are writing
hymns, lullabies and comic operas. The
Prince of Galilee,' is one of his sacred
solos; 1.-THE Babe of Bethlehem" an
other 1.-The Persian Potentate OF the
Plumber Prince is a comic opera he
wrote and which is to be brought out
at Drury Lane in London this fall.
book of childrens poems, similar TO
those of Eugene -'ield, will be published
for the holidays. A charming lullaby,
''Dream1aad,'' was written and the
music arranged on this trip.
The incident on the train which makes
the most profound impression on the
guest is the evening religious service IN
the private car, A powerful reed organ
is built into the car and until in use
looks like a roll top desk. The private
secretary l. K. Brown, plays the lnstru-
ment with the same facility he manlpu-
lates the typewriter.
Practically every night on the car, un-
less it be standing at station, services
are held and as many as can crowd
in to the room, about thirty, gather
without invitation or request, but are
made welcome. Mr.. Stilwell has been a
Christian Scientist for twenty-one years, |
founded the first church in Kansas City
and delivered forty addresses on the re-
ligion in London.
He carries his religion into his bust
ness but without cant or ostentation. |
He plans to give no offense to those of |
other denominations, but is ready to ex- |
plain his faith which he declares gives |
him serenity, peace and confidence.
He says, Think sunshine, nVe sun
shine;'' Think good and grand thoughts |
and you will live good and grand lives
The services are informal: A half |
dozen hymns in which all join, a scrip |
tural reading and a talk from Mr.. Still |
we'll on his experiences and his inter- |
probation of Christ and the model life |
he gave to the world. Mr.. Stilwell says |
of these meetings: 81 would not for the |
world offend my guests, nor obtrude
nv religion upon them, but the car is
my home for the time, the service is my |
ioy and rest. L delight in it and some
times think the services are spreading
more good and more sunlight in the |
world in manner to perhaps exceed /
the Importance of the great prime mis-
sion before me-to build the Orient rail- |
road"
At many stations in old Mexico were
seen square bundles which looked like