Rock Island Argus., 1907-01-18

IL "A III
Those three words seem to explain
Mr.. McCrea's rise to power. There
was opportunity for big thinking i'll
the railroad business at Pittsburg and
westward a dozen years ago. as there
was in the eastern section. That Mr..
Cassatt thought big also is proved by
the vast terminal system now being
completed in and around New York
city, which the other big thinker from
the western end will be privileged to
operate.
A Genius In Managing Big Things.
Railroad men called Cassatt n great
constructor, and they call McCrea
great operator. The genius of McCrea
lies largely in administering and man
aging big things. Mr.. Cassatt has left
him n legacy of the biggest things now
on earth in certain spheres of railroad
ing. and 1t is the general expectation
that Mr.. McCrea will measure mp to
the requirements of their administra-
ton. Substantial and large as his
former work has been, he now has i'll
prospect the biggest work of his life.
President McCrea is now engaged in
getting acquainted with those of his
subordinates in the eastern section
whom he does not know already. 1t is
told of him that he knows personally
every man i'll the service west OF I1tts-
burg. from train dispatcher to general
superntendent. Mr.. McCrea is credit
ed with having an "underStudy" sys
tenn throughout all the divisions that
have been under his management. This
is something uniquely interesting. For
instance, suppose the train dispatcher
at Popup Junction should resign, Gle or
get discharged. Mr.. McCrea already,
in that big thinking brain of his, has
the Popup dispatcher's successor Sc
lected Though the man does not know
it himself. he has been serving as un-
derstudy to the regular dispatcher.
McCrea has had him there for that
purpose. So in the case of Il general
manager or other high official. The
McCrea understudy, ''unbeknOwnst" to
himself or the principal, is ready to
take the chief role at Il moments no.
tice and carry on the work. Thus
bitches are avoided, things run smooth
ly and trains do not run off the track
because of a miXuD in management.
Mr.. McCrea is an enemy of sine
cures. He does not see any reason for
man holding a job unless there is
reason for it. In the latter part OF
1873 he was sent to Jersey City TO
take charge of the New York division
as superintendent He stayed four
years. When he first reached the Of
fees he saw a group of men and asked
them what they were doing. Were
dispatchers," they replied. In another
room was another group. who gave the
same reply to the same question. y
third group replied similarly.
We'll if the lightning doesn't reduce
the number of dispatchers around this
place before l get to work III do it,
remarked McCrea. He did it too.
Among railroaders McCrea is called
a man of energy. That means much
in raiIroading. Opportunities are great,
but competition is keen. President
McCrea has become so accustomed TO
hard work and pushing methods that
he considers work a recreation. He
has been known to spend nearly al
night at work over the affairs of his
western division while riding home
ward in his private car from days
work in the directors offices at Phila-
delphia. He has no use for men who
do not see work to be done without be-
ing led up to the work with halter
and hitched to it with chain. Under
him, it is said man who works is
sure to be rewarded.
Mr.. McCrea is known as the patron
of young men. Watch the young
men" is his favorite motto. The old
timers tell of an occasion when he Wis