Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-18
DIRECTORS RAT|FY
MOVE BY MELLEN
Resignation to Become Effec.
tive Upon Naming of His
Successor.

the New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad was accepted by
the directors this afternoon.
The resignation is to be effective
upon the appointment of his success
sor whose election was placed in the
hands of a special committee.
The name of Daniel Willard, presi-
dent of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. was linked with Mr.. Eliott's
this morning as a possible successor
to Mr. Mellen. Howard Elliot, of the
Northern Pacific, is also mentioned
in this connection.
While some of the New Ravens di-
rectors. 1t is said, share the belief
that Mr.. Mellens retirement Is best,
in view of the widespread criticism
of his administration, others are said
to regret his action at this time. A.
E. Clark, secretary of the New
Haven. said:
"Mr. Mellen has been ma1igned and
misunderstood. Five years from now
the public will wonder how his poll
cies could have been condemned, and
who was responsible for such con-
domination"
Many expressed the belief today
that Mr.. Mellen's retirement fore
shadows the early voluntary dissolu-
ton of the New Haven-Boston and
Maine merger to. avert government
action, and that there is to be a gem
| izs ffp1. - ha o.
ment. eliminating some of the higher
offices that pay big salaries and in
fusing new blood where it is known
to be needed.
Announcement Was Brief
The announcement of Mr.. Mellen's
resignation was brief and came at the
close of a long session of the board,
at which he presided yesterday after
noon. 1t was:
Mr.. Mellen at a meeting of his
| directors this afternoon rendered his
resignation of the presidency of the
New Haven road and all of its sub
sidiary companies, to take effect at
| the pleasure of the board, but in any
event not later than October /, 1913"
OF the "shirt Sleeves" School.
AS a railroad man, in the broader
sense of the world, Mellen belonged
to the shirt sleeves" school. He was
born in Lowell, Mass, August 16,
1851, He was graduated at the head
of his class in the high school there
in 1869. and in September of that year
became a clerk in the office of the
cashier of the Northern New Hamp-
shire railroad, at Concord. From
that time on he knew no other work
than railroading.
In 1872 Mellen became a clerk in
the office of the chief engineer of the
Central Vermont. but a year later
returned to the Northern New
Hampshire, becoming successfully
clerk to the superintendent, cashier
and assistant treasurer. In 1880 he
was auditor of the Boston and Lowell
Ca stepping stone to his later dis
tinction In financial matters), and in
1884 was general superintendent of
| the line
six Roads Consolidated.
Four years later Mellen went to
the Union Pacific, but An the mean
time he had been an active factor In
one of the mergers, in which. years
afterward. he was to be so con-
spicuous.
| This merger consolidated the
Northern New Hampshire, the Bos-
ton. Concord and Montreal, the Mas
sachusetts Central, the Concord and
Claremont. the Peterboro railroad and
the Passumpsic railroad.
| For the Union Pacific-with which
he remained four years-Mellen was
| In turn purchasing agent, assistant
general manager and general traffic
manager. He left the last Office to
become general manager Of the New
York and New England, but in the
course of few months became
second vice-president of the New
Haven.
In charge of operation, Mellen con-
tinued with the New Haven until
August /, 1897, when Morgan needed
him on the Northern Pacific, into
whose control he had just come and
over whose outright ownership he
was bitterly at war with James j.
| Hill.
| Extraordinary changes were
brought on the Northern Pacific by
Mellen, to whom every new demand
upoh his energies seemed to be a joy.
When, in 1903. the conservative adj
ministration of the New Haven's af-
fairs under President John M. Hall
came to an end, no surprise was oc-
casioned in any quarter by the choice
of .Mellen for his office.
He Was to Morgan's Liking.
Wall Street knew how thoroughly
to the liking of Morgan the affairs
| of the Northern Pacific had been
handled by Mellen; it was an open
secret that the Morgan interests had
| in view for New England in general,
and for the New Haven in particu-
| lar, Just what had been done in the
| Northwest and on the Northern
Pacific.
No such controversy, perhaps, has
| ever ragged as that which attended
the Mellen administration, almost
| from the day of his election as presi-
dent. State authorities by the score
| have taken exception to it; an un-
broken succession of stockholders
committees have sought to block the
working out of the plans; appeals al
most without number have been
taken to the court, and 1t Is only
within the last month that the Inter
| state Commerce Commission, repre-
| sentative of Federal authority, con-
4 \, ,.,er