The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-01-15

born, have discovered and proved the
existence of an entirely unknown and
iron range.
Gov. Pingree made Chase Osborn state
railroad commissioner. and during the
four years that Osborn served the state
in this capacity, every railroad Of the
state was perfectly cognizant Of the
fact that Michigan maintained a rail-
road supervision department and that
Chase s. Osborn was the head Of that
department. The laws of the state Of
Michigan at the time, covering railroad
operation, were much less perfect and
extensive than they are today. In but
one department. was any real control
attempted and that was direct toward
reducing the element of risk in railroad
travel and preventing as many accidents
as possible to railroad men. During
the Osborn regime in the railroad COM
missioner's Office, every requirement
for the safety of travel provided in the
laws was vigorously and impartially
enforced. AS one superintendent of a
big system put it:--"Osborn knew his
business. He was fully informed as
to what the law required and he was
quick to detect any attempt to evade.
When he inspected your line it seemed
that nothing which was not as it ought
to be, escaped his eye, and under such
circumstances apology didn't go. The
thing that was wrong had to be cor
rected, and if penalty was attached,
a penalty was exacted. But Osborn
played no favorites. We knew that the
demand made upon US of careful observ-
ailce Of the law were similarly made
upon every railroad in the state. The
result was that railroad men generally
respected and admired the man even
while Osborn was compelling them to
strictly obey the law"
The experience Mr.. Osborn obtained
as railroad commissioner opened his eyes
to the now recognized fact that the
control of transportation, and the Sc
curing from the railroad that public
service which their character demanded,
would soon supply one of the most diff
cult and interesting problems of govern
ment, both state and national. This
was, it will be recalled, before the
phrase railroad regulation was written
and before such body as the Inter-
state Commerce Commission existed.
Long before Teddy Roosevelt scaled
the heights of San Juan, to return and
achieve a political: career unmatched in
American History, Osborn was delving
deeply into the subject of railroad con-
troll and supervision. In fact sugges-
ton of Chase Osborn to a now promin-
ent member of congress led to the in
PRODUCTION of one of the first measures
in congress designed to control railroad
rates. Just as he was ten years ago,
almost decade ahead of popular thought
upon this complex problem of transport
alton, so he is today, and as his theories
of decade ago are today accomplished
facts, so few years hence will be his
present day thories upon this same sub
ject. Tendencies already exist which
go to prove this statement.
Elihu Root, one of the greatest Sec
retaries of American history, discovered
in Latin America. the greatest field for
future exploitation of America-made-
goods in the world. To direct the COM
merce of South America away from
European ports to New Orleans, San
Francisco and New York, he declared
to be one of the most economically wise
and desirable aims Of commercial Amer
lea. Prompted partly by love of trav-
el and partly by students desire to
know at first hand the conditions sur
rounding this vast field which awaited
American development, Chase Osborn
embarked upon cruise which circled
the continent of South America. The
result of this trip which covered a per-
iod of eight or nine months, was two
volume book on South America called
the "Andean Land" The reviewers
declare it to be the most readable, the
most informing and the most intelligent
description Of South America and dis
cussion Of South American problems
which has yet appeared.
For the past two years Chase Osborn
has been q member of the Board af Re.