The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-20
PAUL MORTON DIES
IN GOTHAM HOTEL
Well Known Man, Former
Cabinet Officer, Was a
Victim Of Apoplexy.

New York, Jan. 2O.--Paul Morton,
president OF the Equitable Life Assur.
ancc society. died suddenly at 6:46
o'clock last night at the Hotel Sey.
mour.'4 West Forty-fifth tsreet where
he had gone, presumably. TO keep q
bushes engagement.
Apoplexy caused death. After an
investigation by Coroner Feinberg It
developed that Mr.. Morton had been
III for some time. and that his own
physician. DIR. Joseph Adler. had told
him he could not be cured.
The Dsesdsnt's Career.
Paul Morton was the son OF ]. Ster-
ling Morton. the secretary of agricult.
ure In Mr.. Cleveland's last cabinet,
and most gratefully remembered 40
the founder of Arbor Day. His moth.
cr--before her marriage. Miss Caro-
line Joy--came OF a prominent family
In Detroit. II WAS In Detroit that Mr..
Paul Morton was born. May %. 1857.
When months old he was taken to
Nebraska City where he remained on
his fathers homestead until he was
Is years old.
In those good old days Of the Call.
fornia trail. long trains. drawn by
mules and oxen went slowly by the
farm. bound for Pixies Peak and Salt
Lake. Then young Morton decided
that he would give his work to trans
p0rtati0n. To be q wagon boss" or
"a stage driver was his FIRST ambition.
In 1872 Mr.. Morton went to work
for the Burlington railroad for SIC
month. When he was II he had be-
come the assistant general freight
agent OF that line. Afterward he be.
came its general passenger agent.
and later Its general freight agent. He
remained in that post until 1890 when
he engaged In the coal and iron bust.
ness. In 1896 he became third vice
president Of the Santa Fe railway sys.
tenn: he was afterward promoted to
second vice president. He held this
position when he was called by Presi.
dent Roosevelt to a cabinet position.
Starting with no capital except
brain and Drawn. Mr.. Morton became
man Of fortune. He began az q rail
road clerk, and he finally met imam
ciers. statesmen and railroad mag.
mates" on their own grounds.
When Mr.. Morton went to the Santa
Fe railroad system its earnings were
$34.000.000 annually; when he left II
the yearly earnings had reached $685.
OOO.0OO--an increase OF 100 per cent
In seven years.
Had Many Friends.
10 haN t~A~untxmAn~ -.aNN
energy, a shrewd knowledge OF hum.
-A,~"r ne faculty Of absorbing de-
tails d.risling quickly. Q good
memory All he capacity for making
steadfast friends. His intimates in
cluded not only tho captains Of indus
try. but journalists. authors and men
Of many kinds Of culture. The pri-
vate latchstring was always out for
newspaper men. who rarely left with
out a good story II there was any
news worth imparting. He was q
cOmpani0nable mana just one, too.
lie was fair TO railway patrons and
fair 10 railroad employees. Conduct
ora and engineers knew him a. their
friend.
"A secretary Of the navy his salary
was less than one-third Of his former
railway salary. The new position in
volvcd IA financial sacrifice.
When Morton became secretary Of
the navy In 1904, he lived In Chicago.
lie remained In that post. however.
only about year when he resigned
to become president Of the Equitable
Assurance Society.