New-York tribune., 1909-05-16
ILLINOIS NEW YORkERS.
Empire State O70es Many Notable
Men to Prairie State.

When somewhat over one hundred guests
gathered for the last annual dinner of the ILL
nois Society it was remarked that the affair was
notable for the number Of men at the speakers
table whose names we'll known in New
York's financial circles. Later in the evening
Melville T. Stone, the toastmaster, said that he
had chosen the speakers with the idea Of show
ing what New York owed 10 Illinois
The contribution Of Illinois to New York has
indeed been a remarkable one. Mr. Stones list
Of speakers was a roster OF names familiar
throughout the United States and not unknown
in other lands. Ebert H. Gary, chairman of the
board Of directors OF the United States Steel
Corporation, the guest OF honor. The
speakers. besides Judge" Gary. included Will
lam c. Brown. president of the New York Cen
tr;L lines: Robert G. Clowry. president Of the
Western Union Telegraph Conn any; Theodore
Z Shouts president Of the Interborough- Metro
polltan company. and formerly at the head of
the work on the Panama Canal. l. +. Lorec.
president OF the Delaware & Hudson company;
Robert Nlthcr. chairman OF the boIrd of direc-
tors OF the Westinghouse Electric and Manu-
featuring Company. and George W. Perkins, OF
j +. Morgan & Co To this list might have
been added the names of number Of other
leading New York nnancicrs who look upon
themselves IllinoisanA Frank y. Nandcrlip.
president Of the National city Bank, +. T. JEFF
Railroad William II. Moore. the organizer OF
the four great steel corporations known as the
Moore group" and Norman Z. Eeam. CAPT
taIist could well have been included in the COM
pany Of speakers as representative OF the char
acter of the contribution of Illinois to New
iYorks financial life.
Half Of those mentioned were born in the
Prairie state" or Sucker state" and nearly
all of them lived in Chicago while they accom-
plishcd the things which put them into the New
York class OF men Of achievement. Ih"L'
regulations for ability were made before ti''>
brought their capacity and the fruits Of th"i,
experience to New York. The genuine suck
ers'' in this group as those born in tie Sucker
State" would be styled in the Middle West. arg
Mr. Gary, Mr. Clowry. Mr.. Lorec. Mr., Perkins.
Mr. VanderIip and Mr.. Stone. The others Wcr''
born in New York, Pennsylvania, Utah ana
England, but comparatively early in life fo'Iad
themselves dwellcrs in the Windy city, and
"toiIing upward III the night to the places w.icl
they now occupy.
None Of these men started with silver sroor
in his mouth Mr. Gary had a college education
and then took up law. 1t was his practice of law
which brought him In contact with the great
transportation and manufacturing corporations
Of the country, and ultimately made him the
head of the greatest corporation in the world.
Mr CIowry began his career as Il bread W;"fer
as a telegraph messenger boy at Joliet, H. re
was then thirteen years old. Mr.. Lorce served
his novitiato as a member Of an engineering
party on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Nj. Per
kins started his business life ut the "2 Of fifteen
as an office boy in the Chicago office of the NV
York Life Insurance Company. His salary w;L5
$25 a month. Mr.. Varderp is an Illustration
of the fact that newspaper reporting frequently
Continued on eighth PaSe.