The Washington herald., 1912-11-03

sively. to the positions Of yardmaster.
trainmaster. right-of-way agent, and,
when war was declared against Spain.
Lieut.. Hine, then thirty years old, was
chief clerk of the Big Four" general
offices 1t Cleveland. To fulfill his prom
fse to the army. he gave up his post to
90 to war. 1t was to his home town of
Washington that he returned for orders
and from II he went to Cuba as major
OF the volunteer regiment OF the District
Of Columbia.
When the war was over and Hine had
again donned civilian clothes. the rail-
road world had begun to sit up and
take notice. that in Mai Hine 1t had an
exceptional organizer. He had many Of
fers. and worked Successfully for the fol-
lowing railroads: Chicago and Alton;
Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific: ST
Louis and San Francisco: Chicago and
Eastern Illinois: Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy: Erie: Delaware and Hudson: In
tercolonial: Prince Edward Island, and
National Railways of Mexico.
During all this time he was working
out basic scheme for the reorganiza-
tion of big corporations generally This
was squaraly put into practice as a con-
crete plan with a name-the unit" sys-
tem-when he was made receiver and
manager Of an electric railway running
from Washington into Virginia. When
he handed this road over to its new
owners he was ready to offer his unit
system to the Hartman lines. Julius
kruttschnitt. director OF maintenance
and operation OF the Hartman system.
took only a short quarter of a day to
realize that the system was worthy
trial. Next day he made Maj Hine an
oner. and on the third the young rail-
road organizer was on his way to Cali
fornia under six months contract to
install his unit" system on the Southern
Pacific Railroad.
: Promoted Last Year.
That 1t has BEEN a success has been
evidenced by the fact that the Hartman
corporation has never parted with Mai.
Hine. His system has been installed in
hundreds of thousands of dollars each
year. and last January he was promoted
to his present position.
Maj. Hine succinctly defines his unit
system as "a simplification of ways and
means" 1t does away with archaic
methods. annihilates worthless red tape
and rundabout ways. unnecessary rec
ords and correspondence. 1t condenses
work and workers and cuts out dry
rot" generally with the ruthless hand Of
an iconoclast of business traditions
Here is a late picture of Vice President
Hine in his workshop in the general
of the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company of Mexico: Just a
door to pass into the Office of General
Charles Hine-really the work.
ing head Of the system. I have seen Mr..
Hine writing a thousand-word telegram
to a diplomat at Washington: seen him
take charge Of a muddle of trains and
bring them out on good schedule: seen
him in the yards giving signals and
causing a great equipment movement in
ten hours that would ordinarily take FIVE
days; seen him fastening over the line
In a motor car and stopping at a peon's
ranch to really enjoy a meal Of menudo.
tortillas. frijoles. and thick black coffee: |
seen him in charge of q special train
carrying munitions OF war to a point of |
need-and he is always all there. His |
ofice. though. might seem to one who |
1oes not know a place where a social |
'mcial played at business-no stenog- |
-apher, no table Uttered with papers, re- |
ports. kilograms. paraphernalia: for the
major Is the embodiment Of system. and |
he is past master in its actual exposi- !
ion."
Personally. Maj. Hine Is a modest and |
man. Of genial manner and !
milling mien. He never appears to be
n a hurry, but generally Is working at I
op speed. When he comes to Washing
on he never fails to call up at his alma
mater. old Central, and the boys and
'irls generally make rally in assembly
,all and he gives them a talk Of old
lines and new. always full Of advice.
tut spiced with much wit and merriment. |
\ bachelor. with many friends. he has a
lift of ,humor which makes him a boon
ompanion and charming society man.
de believes in human nature and in
living It. chance on every occasion.
zL.~ ~x1
( men and methods, but human nature.
duman nature does not change except L
or the better" I
SUSAN HUNTE8 WALKER. :,