New-York tribune., 1911-01-20
MORTON A BUSINESS MAN
Caring Little for Study. Early
Was Eager to Go to Work.
TRAINED IN RAILROAD FIELD
One of Four Sons of j. Sterling
Morton, Once Secretary OF
Agriculture.

ton or a great insurance company, COM
bined 10 a remarkable degree fl his make
up the dreamer and plalmer OF great en-
terprises and the hard-teaded, practical
executive.
His was the genius for oVEanization that
could grasp all the details Of the manage
ment of great railroad system. Yet he
could plan wide policies for the develop
ment Of the region through which it passed
rs well as see 10 It that not one cent OF
the company's resources went 10 waste
And with the broad PRINCIPLES Of indus
trial management ground into his brain, the
performance OF his later tasks was ss sec
end nature 70 him, though he had never d.
rected the movements OF a hattleship or
written an insurance policy.
A Business Machine
One meeting the big, blond. aggressive
man would realize at once that he was a
business machine. Yet there was some
thing in the keen little eyes, set deep and
wide apart, as they were, that bespoke
the seer. He was man of rugged sim
plicity. and such sentiment as he pos
sessed seldom found expression
From his father, J. Sterling Morton, he
inherited some of the qualities OF states
manship as well as OF sentiment The elder
Morton was Secretary OF Agriculture III
President Clevelands second term. He
was known as the author OF "Arbor Day.
an observance first adopted in 1877 at his
suggestion by the Nebraska State BOARD
Of Agriculture. Millions OF new trees are
fiourishing in the country to-day Us the
result OF the far-sightedness Of Paul Nor
tons father
His mother was Miss Caroline Joy, OF
Detroit, Mich. His remarkable memory
for details and his genius for railroadinE
as we'll he inherits from his grandfather,
julius Sterling --orton. at one time general
manager Of the New York Central.
Paul Morton's parents, soon after their
marriage, settled IN Nebraska City. where
they lived ths rest OF their lives Paul and
his elder brother, JOY, also prosperous
business man. wer both born in Detroit
while their mother was visiting her child
hood home Paul was born in 1857. There
were two other brothers, Mark and Carl,
younger than Paul.
In sight Of the Morton homestead was
signed the treaty of peace and cessation
concluded by General James ". Denver
with the Pawnes indians Here It was
that Paul Morton began his education in
q little district school Then he was sent
to Tabor Hall a private school near Ne
braska City, but Paul cared very little for
study. once more he was tried in p.i-
vate school in Detroit. lie stuck 70 that
for two years and succeeded altogether in
getting fair high school education.
But the young rebel against scholasticism
insisted that he wanted to Quit end learn
the railroad business. Finally the Iatner
compromised with six months more IN a
business school. and then, at the age Of
sixteen. Paul went to Plattsmouth and he
gan licking stamps and addressing en-
velopes in the Burlington Office.
A Dress Suit" Aneodote,
Ths kind OF boy ne was then and the
kind Of stuff that developed and made for
success in later life are illustrated by an
anecdote Of those days He was invited 10
an evening party. and. supposing II the
usual informal aftalr, he invited girl 70
20 with him, and she accepted. Then he
learned that - was dress suit occa-
sion
Now. Young Morton had 10 evening
clothes. he could not afford either TO buy
or rent them. Therefore he went directly
10 his partner Of the evening, told her
frankly how matters stood and asked her
TO excuse him. she did.
The Burlington system Of railroads was
at that time in ITS Infancy. Its managers
were trying to extend its branches 10 the
rapidly growing towns scattered over the
plains. New problems faced them at every
step Every move was an experiment.
In such environments and With such in
centiyes 70 develop his individuality, the
young railroad man MADE the most OF
himself He had 10 work necessarily, to
commit al sorts Of details TO his marvel
iIous memory without any well developed
system OF records on which 20 fan back
/ His father used 10 say that when Paul
was assistant general freight agent Of The
/ YurIington he would go out on an inspac-
ton "Trip and he so familiar with ell tho
data that on approaching station be
would know the name, place. occupauon
salary and characteristics Of every en-
plove there. with all details OF the station;
| business,
The young mans rise was rapid HI:
orst real Job was that Of clerk IN the land
ofjce Of the e g. NJ. al Burlington. ~
became succesively assistant genera
| freight agent, general passenger agent an(
general freight agent Of the Chicago, Bur
| Iington & Quincy Railroad Company l.
1Sqn he dropped this connection TO becom
vice ce-president os the Colorado Fuel ant
Iron Company, with which he remained yi1
years, meanwhile Interesting himself il
coal properties throuShout the West II,
returned 70 rsilroading IN 1895 on becoming
vice-president OF the Atchison. Topeka 6
! Santa TIE.
/ Here his carser IS railroad MAJ
reached its climax. Thirty years after h.
! entered the Offices Of the p. &; NJ. az
salary Of SIS a month he sold for the Sants
Fe s6s 10000 worth of transportation anc
received yearly salary nearly as large
as that Of tho President OF the UnitoC
States.
II was primarily Mr.. MQrtous construc
| tive work with the Colorado Fuel and Iror
| Company that won him his place with IN,
Santa Fe. When he entered the manage
ment Of the Colorado company that con
Germ was making hard fight for exist
ence. Air Morton while out hunting new
business found that big contract for stee
was TO be had by undertaking the gisn
| concerns OF the East. He got into con
! sultatlon by wire with the other officials o
the company IN Denver. and obtained thei
consent for the bid. He won the contract
His company at the time had neither
plant nor money with which 10 DO III,
| work on the strength OF this contract
however, they got material The situation
was explained 20 the employees Their Co
| operation was obtained in the form OF Do
lsyed payrolls.
This stroke of Paul Morton, daring and
| :.