The San Francisco call., 1909-07-29


vc'onnenf These were the prophetic words
III a. r. Huntington 20 years ago, but inen
mess smiled sadly st the apparently wander
ing raEaries of the once mighty captain
wIasc sun even then. burned red upon lhe
western horizon. -,
rtcred bv the greatest engineering genius OF
flr times. carved out by the braSn OF amer
81 capital the seemingly impossible r. belng
st-omrlished. The great transcontlnental
railroad Is burrowing through the Sierras IN
stead ~ climbing over them.
And what Is bringing about this trPmeDuONs
transforms zion There is hut one Motu
which answers fully-"1he system men
porr om the visls OF their wrath upon IT,
ls factions struggle 10 the death. IN 1Atanic
lsrries II their billions Political parties
~uk t0 oblivion amid demsEogie mounting ol
deugnrist ions Labor organizations beat OUT
their sttenuated brains against It's lmpehe-
trshle barriers. as bewildered sea bros oash
fo obstruction aGsinst the cleaning glass OF
lle storm wresthed beacon lantern. Nh
crest or small do their little work, 1--we ihelr
l.trIa daV and psss 70 OBLIVION Ana SIM
The system moves imperturhably on
The world does not seem 10 grasp thhI
STRIVING against The system Is Iu1iIo' ,lt alohl
gno Verv f8ct that IL does noi Teail1e What
p ffulV constitutes this wonderful organization
n Is called tho demonstrated power ci capi-
ra5 Ii Is termed the domination OF rsps-
.fciaas strength Ii is STYLED the control OF
.1idf -fcw over the many-the classes over the
2: asses. II is dubbed. forsooth. All OF mos
-r-
=, .su his dry goods box on the street corner
+ Tho system is none OF these. II is the
stcomiustion Of tho concentrated brain power
81 tho greatest business minds in all lines
-t.f '.lr5rzressive achievement II is the highest
Representation Of active civilization IN ms
'5isial sfsirs. Il is the evolutionary power
.-Hich must rule the world or we sink BACK
- .saFaeeTy.
+ .Ibe idea thar capital in 50 constitutes
'..T6e system Is 2 faliacy- Money capitsl
-. !, .aufr means 10 an end with the organ
- learion. as such capital is necessity 10
accomplish The systems purposes. belne
rae tangible representation OF acculnulatea
Ifr hut its efficacy consists merely il rs
.urupr 10 command the services OF more laoor.
Money without brains is futile Brains VIII
always command money -
Many fail 10 grasp the advantages OF Inc
system over those ~ individual enueaNor:
IL is wholly iu fhaf lueEoraDle law OF
strength i'm unity None can say that the
whole is NOT stronger than each ot us sep
arate component parts. he system Iahes
tiic best powers in each iuan- Weldlns lheln
into q Homogeneous whole II Is not one
mu nor ten men nor million men power
it is p world embracing organization uhiteu
b. invisible and intangible bonds Wneh are As
fndesf bic and immutsble as are tne
forces which control the planets
The system is the power which Goes
shings-that is. things m a grand scale II
interests itself only IN the smaller details
uf world afairS N 50 far rs these olrectE
affect the greater ones. II controls the money
market To he sure. hut us Suiulhs silLiIs
in this deparfment. the hnanclers. own OF
themselves only a modicum of wealth. II
Is fhe people al large who are the real own
trs of capital.
When the fnsnciers arbitrarily control
panic perhaps even compelling the govern,
lneut To come o. the aid Of the nnanclaI
world --Thp Svstem'' takes ell Of the praise
.,- l5srne hut everr person from the richest
ro the poorest rraps the benefits which accrue
from thr prevention Of chaotic conditions N
cident 20 the loss II definite leadership IA
amy disaster. The cararysm OF the bursting
uf ihe Mississippi bubble would now be moth
iug but q circumstancc of hnsnce-a moderate
paeir oven SHOULD Tho system, permit the
expansion of such a bubble, which II never
would I'm this era.
Railroads are the most wonderful accomplish
iueuf and st the same time the greatest asseI
~ The system. one wage Garner IN every
twenty in the United States is directly N
.fheir employ. Their exploitation mas been
esfra result ~ brains These brains nave
.sfudI6d tlle future needs Of the country with
ifSt seeing eyes have plotted and surveyed the
Tlises have raised the working capital have
directed she construction evolved plans Tor
;eA5la 7ision and improvement and iast- anh
:. lf5tlags- as CREST task any. have oper-
-. 5.l in such = manner as To return dlFlden1s
.'--ne7 TO The system alone but 10 the stock
!. lr,lders and bond holders, ''even unto The
pidow and the orphan
.''-.-The system may be said 10 have an or
ganizstion well nigh perfect. IL is Ike a
'rrPaf.-Ermr with its corps diyislons ana Ieel-
igpnts. and back Of IL al, the priTates-fhe
. workmen The rank and fle are the vital
.constrlctive force and. as in every army,
lsielts. backed by practically ineKnaustible
in -.lbe system men are not promoted by
seniority Of birth OF Wealth-merit IS tie sole
criterion which advancement obtains To
l,e sure. there may be some who by the ac-
cumulated wealth OF their fathers become or
nsmental aides de camp. but they are little
more The son of Rockefeller is not destined
1- fage mis- fathers place he may have
l-Ientv of ability. but ii is not along the line
Necessary for leadership in The System He
makes an admirable director Of many corpora
1pIis but the actual control lies in the hands
~ men VINO 10y their own eNertous have risen
from the comparative penury Of their birth.
ANY man possessing innate ability may as
cend 80 amy height Of power in The System, -
sul this Is true today as IL has been in the
past glance at the careers Of the men ia
positions II trust aud power, whether exalted
study the RockIin and Colfax cutoff. with
She various business ramihcatioDs connected
with IL. snd no one can fail TO be convinced
Briefly stated. this cutoff is designed 10 reduce
rhe length Of the line between san Francisco
and Ogden. 70 cut the maximum grade from 3
per cent 10 = per cent 10 Reduce the curya ture
- q minimum ana and get down TO such a
Level that The snow sheds VIII no longer be
necessary. All of these things mean short
eninc Of time and lesSening Of operating ex-
lrlse- Tie cost of the work now under way
Nil BE- Sa.000.oG0. and total OF that work
contemplated S60.00N.OG0-
ln sueh an undertaking fhe various steps are
5hc consideration Of necessity and feasibility.
tbc surveying and Plating Of the route. the
providing Of the capital, the actual construc-
in conjunction with the controlling minds.
Barrinan stands first and foremost His
career from messenger At 81 a week TO his
present place actual over prac-
lfcally c-nalf OF the railroads OF the United
Ntafcs. d 100 VOL known To repeat. II is his
master nfiad which stands back of aud directs
fhc entire works. hut most OF the actual labor
De-. ~ necessity. Delegates 10 his subordinates.
ills. ability 10 emphT thc brains Of other men
Is perhaps The strongest attribute Of his sue
-cees This cutoff is one Of his plans, and il is
hg Such improvements as these that he has
iscd his system from practical bankruptcy
iVa y per cont dividend basis.
IN The nercc competition Of today it has be
come. necessary 10 reduce expenses and Improve
schedules al every possible point. The terrific
grades Of the Sierras have always been the
lctc .noire II the transcOntinental lines. They
verc the point 10 be attacked. The question
became one ~ feasibility. and there Was one
man 10 solve the prohlem-the matter was
placed before tho chief engineer of the Har
riman system. william Hood
Raiirosdmen of the world swear by William
Hood bBf there Was time when they swore
81 biin-swOre he WAS crazy Starting in rail
Ta ispd himself by his energy and engineer
ing skin To the position Of chief engineer of
tho Southern Pacific system. He never failed
perhaps that was the greatest secret Of his
rlsc.
Years ago. in the course of events. it became
absolutely necessary to abandon the old line
across Prem0htoTy point in Utah. through
Corinne. The grades were too high for eco
nOmic operation. lie prepared plans for the
l.lcin cutoff across Great salt Lake The fore.
most engineers who were consulted declared
the task Impossible. Hood went ahead II
.c0st more millions than be estimated. but Il
Was success, and il enshrined his name in
1iip engineering world beside De Lessons OF
fie Suez canal and Sir Benjamin Baker OF the
aSSouau dam. Since then his word has been
final on all engineering matters the Harri-