The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-11-14
Lauds the Executive and Ad-
ministrative Ability of the
Retired Pennsylvania Rail-
road President.
HAD A KEEN SENSE
OF GENIAL HUMOR
Miller Believes that McCrea
Was Good for at Least Six
Years More Of Active
Service.

Yes, l know James McCrea very
WE'LL" said Colonel John F. Miller to
Palladium representative this morn
ing, referring to the resignation of Nc
Crea from the presidency OF the Penn
sylvania railroad.
Il was associated with McCrea for
many years" continued Colonel Mil
Ter. land entertain high regard for
him personally as we'll as for his ad-
ministrative and executive ability.
McCrea was one of the best presidents
the Pennsylvania ever had. Not pos
sessed of that imaginative quality
which gave his predecessor. Cassett
his far seeing sagacity, McCrea yet
had the invaluable asset of absolute
practicality.
'He was, in fact, an intensely practi-
cal man. He was hard-working man,
too. He would invariably stay in his
office long after everybody else had
gone, working at details which might
have been turned over to those un-
der his management l used to tell
him that he worked too hard and that
he should leave some of the minor de-
tails to his interiors in office. But he
never agreed to this.
Had Sense of Humor.
He was a very accurate man and
absolutely honest. l remember when
he was up before the Interstate Com
merce Commission at the time they
| were summoning high railway officials
before them to inquire sto their hold
ings OF stocks.
DO you hold any coal stock?' was
asked of McCrea.
YES said McCrea.
"'What did you pay for it?'
Nothing said McCrea impassive-
1y.
! We'll, how is this?' inquired his in
terrogator, and the commission smiled
happily thinking it had at last run
something to cover. How do you hap
pen to own coal stock without paying
| for it?'
my father left it to me in his will,
replied McCrea, who is not without a
sense Of humor.
| "McCrea would not countenance
fraud of any character. And he did re-
duce the dividends to six per cent be.
cause he thought that was the fairest
| basis and wanted to make the stock as
good as bond. He was rigid finan.
! IF fC
six per cent as well.
| Often In Richmond.
| "McCrea came out hereby that
mean, Columbus-about 1882. He was
later made general manager of all the
lines west of Pittsburg, as. OF course
everybody knows. 1t makes me sad
this retirement of McCrea, for he's
only sixty-five and good for a halt
dozen years yet. But I'm glad. too
for he's been a hard worker all his
life and deserves a rest.
| "McCrea is a genial man All pleas
ant to meet socially, but he cares moth
ing for society. He is great home
man and has a fine family-one of his
| sons is the manager of the Rhode Is
land railway. He has country place
near Philadelphia and he's a great
golfer and likes number of things
and can no doubt put in the time very
pleasantly.
He was always popular with the
employees Of the system, and friend
of labor. He always did the best he
could for the humblest employe of the
road and was repaid by their regarc
and respect.
"Rhea is good man. / know him
but was never associated with him par
ticularly. He is an expert mathema
tician and was the head of the man
agement of the construction of the
Pennsylvania tunnel in New York. Hs
is regarded as one Of the ablest mel
connected with the system and was
long directly associated with Cassett.
] Text of Resignation.
This interview was incident to dis
patches from Philadelphia, which
stated that the resignation of Presi
dent McCrea had caused much sur
prise. His letter of resignation stat
] ed:
i This action is prompted by the con
SlderaUOn Inal Will very Snofti,
reach the age of SIS years-4s of then
have been practically devoted to thu
service of lines either directly in o.
subsequently embraced in the Pennsyl
vania system-it is almost unneces
sary to say that such service hal
meant unremitting effort and now
feel that / have earned a rest and Il
be free to dispose of my time in sucl
a manner as may be most agreeable Z,
me and most conducive to my health
Il 1T is not inappropriate to state tha
but two of my predecessors passed p
present age, and that none OF
was actively engaged in the seryi<
1.-The company for 30 long period