Evening journal., 1912-10-10
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Employer Who Was Like
a Brother to His WOrkmen
By Holland.

If there were more men like
Thomas Rutter in this world | am
satisfied that there would be little
occasion for the formation Of labor
organizations and. that there would be
little occasion for the formation OF
labor organizations aud that there
would be almost perfect cooperation
between the men who employ labor
and the men who sell labor" So said
to me the late James D. Laying. who
was for many years in high executive
authority with that part of the Ponn-
syivania Railroad system which runs
from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati. and
who was afterwards vice president
Of the West Shore Railroad IN New
York a position that he helC at the
time Of his death In 1902.
IL was generally supposed that
President J. Edgar Thompson Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad gave to Thom-
as Rutter, about the year 1853, the
contract for he construction Of the
Panhandle tunnel at Pittsburgh be-
cause Of the skill and energy which
Mr. Rutter had shown in the con
struction Of the great tunnel for the
Pennsylvania at Gallitzin, near the
summit of the Allegheny Mountains,
IN 1850. AT that time Mr.. Rutter was
very young man, l think about
thirty years Of age The construc-
ton OF the Gallitzin tunnel entailed
the working out OF some very dlfticult
engineering problems and further
mere, the sxillful handling of a large
body of laborers. sumo OF whom were
skilled, and some just day laborers.
But the tunnel WIS constructed with
in the time called for by the con-
tract and the workmanship was ad-
mirable.
President Thompson was amazed
at the completion OF the tunnel with
in the time fixed in the contract.
For, IN addition TO his engineering
problems. Mr. Thompson knew that
Mr. Rutter might have a great many
anxieties and a good deal of trouble
with the wo-kmen. for they we're a
rather touchy set as a whole and
likely to leave in a body If anything
went wrong, to make trouble in
various ways
"In conversation with Mr.. Rutter
few weeks before tfe completion
of the tunnel, Mr. Thompson asked
Rutter how it happened that he was
as successful in handling the men as
he was in overcoming the engineer
+ ing difficulties.
There never will be any difficult
ty in handling intelligent working
men, Air Rutter replied, If you will
remember Just one thing, and that is
that they are men with hearts sensi-
tive feelings and pride, Just exactly
as you and ] are. There isn't any Sc
cret about it II you remember that
the men who you employ TO do your
work are, after all, men, you won't
have any difficulty with them
This set Mr. Thompson to thinking
and he made some inquiries, based
on what Mr.. Rutter had said 10 him.
among the workmen employed on
the tunnel. All spoke in terms of at
fection Of their employer One OF
the men voiced the universal senti-
ment when he said Ny faith in
men comes back 10 me whenever
am close by Thomas Rutter. He isn't
like an employer; he is like a broth
When President Thompson heard
this statement he decided that Thom-
as Rutter was the man with whom
10 enter into contract for the con-
struction Of the tunnel at Pittsburgh
that his road had decided TO build
Later, Mr. Rutter built the tun-
mel Tor the Northern Central Rail
road under Baltimore, and also some
difficult and very expensive work for
the railroads. All his life long, un-
l I'll his death In 1895. he was large
employer of labor, yet he never had
the slightest trouble with his EN-
ployes He treated them like men,
and there was no condescension or
patronage in this treatment l sup
pose that there is not another case
on record OF a contractor engaged
In work which required the employ
ment OF skilled and unskilled labor
who so completely gained not only
the respect, but the affection of his
employees as Mr.. Rutter did
"I have sometimes thought" con
cluded Mr, kayng, that if a book
could be written descriptive OF the re-
lations OF Thomas Rutter with the
thousands OF happy and affectionatt
employees, II might serve as a lessor
teaching the manner In which labor
capital and ability can best co-oper.
ate 70 common advantage"
Copyright, 1912. by r. J. Edwards
All Rights Reserved0