The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-29
Passing of Railroad Autocrats

Among the editorial articles in the March Munsey Is one entitled, "The | Passing of the Railroad Autocrat." With the death of Edwin Hawley,'' save Munsey, there passes away almost | the last of the overords of our Ameri- can railroads MT. Hawley had risen from messenger to magnate. He was a | tireess worker and wore himself out at the age Of 62. He was one of the Few survivors of that small group of men who personally owned, or controll- ed great transportation systems" The gradual elimination of these autocrats as Munsey says, lis significant of the tendency of the times"
 MT. Hawley is said to have had the Hartman genius of railroad assimila : ton, but he lacked ''the masterful and constructive force of the Wizard of the Pacifics." He had once fought Hartman bitterly. but was rated as his legitimate successor. To quote further from Nun sey .1t is not much what Mir flaw ley did as what he stood for that made his type dangerous. In other days this form of autocracy found it's most com plete eXemplification in the first of the Vanderbilts; later Edward H. Harriman n personlfied and incarnated it.
 To-day it is becoming impossible for one man to regard q vast railroad system as his personal property. Equally out of date is individual proprietorship of a great institution like life insurance company, after the tradition established by Henry R. Hyde with the Equitable. The old time iinancier has marched from the scene step by step with the railroad autocrat, and the world in general is the better for his passing"
 James J. Hill. who a few years ago turned the presidency of the Great North ern over to his son, l.. w. Hill, is we'll advanced in years. While he still takes an active interest in affairs he no longer dominates as in days gone by.
 was personally acquainted with sev- eral of the railroad autocrats who four ished 20 or % years ago. c. P. Hunting ton I knew well. He was a most agree able man socially. His humor was spon- taneous No man could tell joke better and none could listen to one with more pleasure. He was president or managing director of great system of railroads connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific. In the seventies. the Chesapeake and Ohio a comparatively short line. seemed to have been his pet. But toward the close of his career the Southern Pacific was his pride. I l.new the great Cornelius Wander bilt when he at the height of his railroad activity. He was quiet re-
 
 withal.
 In my early days I knew scores of young railroad officials and believe every one of them had a lurking hope that he would become a magnate, just as the average school boy cherishes the Idea that some day he way be President of the United States. The White House is still the young statesman's goal, but as Munsay says, the railroad autocrat has | about passed. The modern railroad pres ident looks closely after operations. He should have large capacity for dealing with large transportation and traffic problems, but he no longer has to bother | with the Wall street end. That task is | left to a small executive committee com- I posed of trained financiers. The railroad l business, like all other branches of hu- | man endeavor is specialized, and the young man of brains and integrity. who | has specialized to good purpose, can hard | ly fail to attain very high position. The | railroad world was never so inviting to young men just from school or college
 as now.