The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-20
He FORGETS PAY
c. S. Gleed Tells Missourians He
Can't Recall Salary.
NeitherCanHe Remember Names
of His Corporations.
CALL HIM SILENT MAN
Topekan Believes His Salaries
Amount to $4,000.
Listening to Good Stories His
Chief Amusement.
CALL HIM SILENT MAN

81 Louis, Jan. 20.-Charlcs S. Gleed,
president of the $4,000 600 Bell Tele
phone company of Missouri, doesn't
know whether his salary from that Of
ice is $4,000 or $4,000 A year Neither
does he know the total amount Of his
salaries from the u or 10 other cor
porations of which he is president. He
s9ll1kS, however, the amount is near
These facts. developed before the leg
1slation committee of the house OF del
egates, reveal also that Gleed not only
cannot recall oThanG the pay he gets,
put he also cannot even give the names
or the companies nc heads or those of
the Is or 30 other corporations of which
he is a director.
That the enormous activities of this
AanSan have not become generally
known before is explained by the title,
The Silent Man" which some Of his
friends apply to him. The silence re-
natural mudesty. While he is frank
and candid in matters OF business, his
aversion to discussing himself amounts
almost to an obse ssion. The aversion
is 50 great that for 20 years he had not
been photographed for publication IN
til a photographer caught him here.
Has Many Occupations.
When asked his occupation lie viii
say he is a lawyer. He also is a jour
n2hst. banker, virtual head of the Bell
Kansas, to say nothing of numerous
small telephone companies, is powerful
in the councils of several important
railroads. is the author of many legal
political and descriptive pamphlets, Vas
fop Il years trustee of the University
Of Kansas, and is 4 dominant power in
Republican politics in the middle west
His home IS in Topeka but ne says
his headquarters can be found either
in Topeka, Kansas City, st. Louis, Chi
cagO or New York city. He is mem
Der CT TO or u clubs, among them the
University club of st. Louis. He be-
gan business as a newsbOy, became a
printer, turned reporter, reading law
between his assignments, then became
a lawyer and got interested in railroad
and telephones, ultimately acquiring
stock in upwards of so corporations.
Rather under the average in stature,
but stocky, with a strong face, which !
his kindly dark blue eyes rob of any |
suggestion of austerity, he manages |
quietly to give the impression of i'm |
mense dynamic strength. There is no |
suspicion of buster about him and |
when conversation touches upon his /
personality he becomes visibly embar-
raised.
He explained to a reporter how it
was he couldn't tell the house of dele
gates committee the exact amount of
his salary from the Bell Telephone Co. /
o. Missouri.
Doesn't Keep Track of Salary.
I'm not much of a financial man.
he said. Il don't keep track of those
things very closely. When 1 became
president of this company took what
ever salary the office then earned |
without any more inquiry into the
matter. If 1 could remember accu-
rately the amount of one of the pay
checks I could multiply it by the num-
Der l get a year and that would fix
the salary. But [ wouldn't like to
make such an estimate until 1 were
positive of the amount of the last
check I got.
The most important of his directo-
rates are in the Santa F'e. the Santa
Fee Pacific, and the Kansas City and
w estern railroad. the Pioneer Trust
Co. of Kansas City. the Central Nation
al bank of Topeka, the Topeka Rail
way Co. and several other banks and
public service corporations
IF these things must be mention
ed he remarked, please don't forget
my pet. the Kansas City Journal"
The Kansas City Journal is a morn,
ina Republican newspaper of Kansas
city. Gleed is president of the COM
pany and is thought to hold its con-
trolling interest.
How in the world do you find time
for rest2'' he was asked; what are
your amuseme -
well. I like to mix around among
men and chat and get their views and
their best stories. That is about all
the amusement I have any time for