Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-18

Copyright New Herald Co. All rights rserved)
NEW YORK Saturday.
ROM college in 1896 to the presidency of a
transcontinental railroad in 1910, from young
lawyers income to a salary of $4,000 year
that is remarkable advancement, extraordinary
even in these days of sudden, swift promotion
of young from comparative obscurity into the
Hmelighted tops of big corporations.
On January II of this year, a directors meeting
in Chicago Robert Walker, lawyer, only thirty-fve
years old and recently connected with the Offices of
Paul D. Cravath was elected president, general
sci and chairman of the Executive and Finance COM
mittees of the Rock Island Company, the holding
concern of the extensive Chicago Rock Island and
Pacific system, with its 1856 miles of track and an
annual earning capacity exceeding sixty millions of
dollars.
The high Office, the young man, the unprecedented
move, all combined caused great deal of interest in
newspaper circles the country over. The Chicago
papers in particular felt that there must be something
back of the election. big railroad coup
pected and a corps of expert interviewers swiftly
descended upon the youthful president with urgent
invitations to tell all about it."
Mr. Walker did not refuse the interview neither did
he decline to talk On the contrary, he conversed
quite gracousy, is his CUSTOM he said nothing
Whereupon the interviewers, still believing that
they be right and mindful of the presidents
youth, met in conclave and issued dictum.
This young man must be disciplined" they agreed
and in consequence the morning papers appeared with
lengthy accounts of the meeting which accounts were
purposely bare of any news about Robert Walker
other than the mere mention of his name and office
Evidently 1t was believed that the result would
prove a sad blow to the young man, but apparently
it proved otherwise The youthful Mr. Walker being
clever lawyer, we'll trained in the art of talking in
definitely, and being Mr. Walker and being tremen-
dousy busy, continued to smile and say nothing
Up to date, therefore, he has remained something
of enigma. The man in the street is still asking
insisenty some questions highly pertinent not alone
in the of the successful Mr. Walker but also to
all other young men, and, indeed to the whole great
army of ambitious men who knocking elbows to-
day, in and out Of New York. in the savage stupen-
dous rush of modern business lfe-the questions Of
"How did he get his start and Why did they select
him for the office"
The answer-as l gathered it indirectly from an
interview with Mr.. Walker-throws some new and
interesting lights upon modern conditions in this bp
building fast moving age, and upon the men who are
being developed up to the point of handling them
The Rock Island
The offices of the Rock Island company cover an
entire floor in the United States Realty Building Like
other big corporation Offices they soft carpeted
mahogany furnished, electric lighted high ceilnged
power decorum. Except for the "click, click" of n
telegraph instrument in inner distant room there
is nothing whatever to remind one that they are
really the executive Offices Of great railroad and not
those, say, of a big law firm.
Psychologcay, offices interesting; they reflect
for one thing the manner of men who preside over
them and the kind of work they do. In this case the
situation significant.
The Rock Island Railroad has its nearest terminus
trunks and branches out till its gstenng rails wind
in and of nearly onehird of all the States in the
Union as far west as New Mexico, north into the
Dakotas and south to Louisiana. 1t is a wonderful
systemso is every great trunk lineof thousands of
miles of roadbed as basis, and superimposed upon
this foundation maryellousy intricate interlockng
fabric of men and metal, of Steel steam, brains and
finger tips, all ramifyng into thousand and daily
details each of which is governed hard and fast by
unbreakable rule.
stupendous amount of work--work for trained
minds-s given out daily by this ponderous machine.
All that which pertains to operation goes no further
east than Chicago and is settled there, The rest
comes on to New York, to those solemn, dignifed Of
terminal and track.
It is a big balance that comes to New York and
weighty one 1t embraces executive financial, legal
and the higher administrative problems, bulky but
rarefied products of the wheels of the big Western
railroad machine.
out in the spacious anteroom, where 1 cooled my
heels for time. saw office boys trotting in and
out of doors with neat piles of correspondence,
some as thick as a mans body. Men of administrative
stamp came in and out carrying leather portfolios
stuffed TO bursting and were coseted in quick success
sion with the president.
Evidently there's a mass of highly important work
to be done here in the brief business day. Some one
man at the top must do 1t direct it, rapidly and
However great business becomes, there
must always be that one the right Iiud of man,
at top In this instance the directors of the Rock
Island selected a lawyer thirty-hve years of age.
why?
Mr. Walker arose from busy desk when at last
/ entered the presidents room, and loOmed well up
behind it, He is several inches over six feet in
Weight and sturdiy built He has youthful buoy