The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-18

| company. travelling in the extreme
| western parts of the United States
and gaining knowledge that fitted him
| for the position of agency director, to
| which he was appointed in 1888. A
| year later he was appointed inspector
| of agencies in the Rocky mountain
district. which included six or eight
states. His salary had increased
steadily and had grown to the sub
stantial sum of $4,000 a year when
| in 1892 the Office of third vice presi-
dent was created by the New York
Life and Mr.. Perkins was elected to
it and placed in charge of the COM
pany's agencies throughout the world.
This carried with it a salary OF 500
600 a year. Within a short time Mr..
Perkins was elected a member of the
board of trustees of the company and
in 1898, on the death of the then
second vice president. he was elected
to that position. and a few weeks
later was elected to the finance COM
mittee. In 1900 he was made chair
man of the finance committee and in
1903 was promoted to the position of
vice president of the company. From
New York Life has been $4,000 a
year and this salary continued until
he resigned the vice presidency of
the company in 1905.
From the time that Mr.. Perkins
started to do agency work he became
a necessity to the development of the
New York Life Insurance company.
He put into practice plans fer the
increase that within very short time
the company was doing a larger bust
ness by a vast amount than any other
insurance company in the world. 1t
was the work of Mr. Perkins and all
those concerned in the conduct of the
affairs of the company realized that it
was his work. He had free hand
and unhindered was allowed to give |
full play to his Imagination and his |
energy.
Attracted Morgan.
His work stood out so prominently |
that it attracted the attention of j. !
Pierpont Morgan and Mr.. Morgan sent |
for him and made him a f1attering Of |
fer Mr. Perkins considered the matter |
we'll and, although it meant big I'M
provement in his financial condition, he
was so wrapped up in the work of the
New York Life that he sacrificed the
work that he had laid out. !
Mr. Morgan, who has probably been
more successful in gathering about him
men of financial genius than any other
living man, was not so easily put off.
He came forward in a short time with
another offer which allowed Mr.. Per
kins to continue in the employ of the
New York Life. So in 1901 Mr. Perkins
became a partner in the firm of ]. Pier
pont Morgan & Co. New York; Drexel,
gan, Harkes & CO., Paris.
In this new position Mr.. Perkins had
an even greater opportunity. to exercise
his wonderful gift of independent ac
ton in stupendous undertakings. He
has become one of the very first figures
in the financial world and is today a
worker who counts not the hours that
are required of him to do the work
that he feels must be accomplished
within the "a hours of each day.
Besides his connection with the Nor
gan firm, Mr.. Perkins is a director In
he following concerns: Astor Trus.
company. Bankers Trust company,
Hamilton & Dayton Rail-
road company. Dayton & Union Rail
-Oad company, German-American In
'urance company, International Mercan
lie Marine company, Marquette & Bes-
semer Dock and Navigation company,
National City bank of New York city,
Northern Pacific Railway company,
Northern Securities company and the
United States Steel corporation.
Mr.. Perkins is president and director
Of the Toledo Railway and Terminal
company. chairman of the board of di-
-ectors of the Pere Marquette Railroad
company, chairman of the executive
committee and director of the Chicago,
& Quincy Railroad COM
oany. vice president and director of the
Great Central Dock company, chairman
IF the finance committee and director OF
he National Harvester company, trus-