Evening journal., 1913-07-07
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How the Michigan Central
System originated
By Holland

My experience in long life IN as
sociation with railway management
and developemept has taught me
that 1t never fails to he the case that
when some important emergency in
railway construction or operation
appears the right men are instantly
found who are capable Of meeting
this emergency
SO said the late Charles Finney
Cox 10 me a few years ago when
telling me Of some OF his early ex-
perlences in Michigan In connection
with a railroad which II was planned
would run from point near Buffalo.
through Southern Canada 10 Detroit,
and thence westerly by way Of To
ledo TO the Mississippi River
hiy brother Jacob y Cox" Mr.
Cox continued. after his service as
Governor Of Ohio and as secretary
of the interior in the cabinet Of Presi-
dent Grant contemplated devoting
himself to the practice of law IN
Ohio. But he was Unexpectedly called
upon 70 take q Leading executive po-
sition with n railroad company which
had In view line from Toledo
and Detroit across Indiana TO Illinois
to the Mississippi River. My brother
though that by merging a railroad
which was under COZ struction in Cam
ada, near the coast line of Lake Erie.
there could be established new
trunk line connecting the cast with
the Mississippi valley
MY brother took mo from the
. banking house in which I had just
begun my career into the offices Of
this railroad company. There /
heard many antcodoees and traditions
which seemed TO me Of eXtraordi-
nary interest because they told so
dramatically the story of the begin
ming of the great railroad develop
ment throughout the west
81 remember one day hearing The
story Of the origin of the Michigan
Central railroad. at least as a cor
poratlon. was told that the State
Of Michigan first undertook TO build
and operate railroad stretching
from Detroit across the lower penin-
sula OF Michigan to point upon
Lake Michigan. | think that was the
frs, and, in fact. about the only at
tempt in the United States 10 con-
struct and operate a railroad as an
exclusively state institution. The
dred and fifty miles west Of Detroit,
and then tried TO operate 1t, but IL
was practical failude.
There happened along just at that
time two men whose names ! think
should pass into history for the part
they took in establishing what be-
came the great Michigan Central rail-
road.
"One of these men was James r.
JOY. Years later he became widely
known as an enthusiastic supporter
OF James c. Blaine. But at the time
OF which | am speaking think
about the year 1874 he was only a
young lawyer who had been tempted
after his graduation from the Har-
ward law school to hang out his shin
gle i'm Detroit.
AT that time there happened to be
in Michigan a young man, only 25
years of age. Both seemed to have
in railroad construction. When he
was only little past 2l years Of
age he had built and was managing
a railroad in New York State running
from Auburn either to Syracuse or
10 Rochester. ] have forgotten which.
His name was~3ohn w. Brooks.
Brooks and JOY together made a
superb team. Both were under 80
years ge. Bith seemed to have
real statesmanlike vision of what the
development of the West should be
II there were adequate railroad con-
struction.
Brooks and JOY went TO the State
authorities to find out whether the
state would sell the railroad. They
didn't have to wait long for an au-
swerl The Steate would be only too
glad to sell the road That was he
start of these two young men. They
could buy from the State of Michi-
gan a railroad II they could only find
some one to put up the money.
Brooks said to JOY; If you look
after the legal end Of IL I will 80 to
Boston. They have plenty OF money
in Boston and I will see " can't ind
someone who will provide the money
that is necessary
But when Brooks got to Boston he
did not know where 10 turn. BY the
merest chance someone said TO HIM
that man named John NJ Forbes.
who was in the china trade. was IN
tensoly Interested in the development
Of steam power for ocean going YES
sells Perhaps this man might be
willing 10 listen TO a proposition for
the utilization of the steam locomo-
tive unon the prairies Of the West.
Brook thereupon called upon John ~.
Forbes and with in FIVE minutes he
had Mr. Forbes intensely interested
He did find the money. The road
was bought from the state Of Michi-
gan. So the beginning of one Of the
greatest railroad systems of the West
was due 20 this extraordinary comM-
nation of circumstances. John
Brooks who had built little rail
road in New York; young JOY who
was an enthusiast over the develop
meni of tho West. and Boston Capt.
tai combined 10 make what became
The great Michigan Central system" 3"
Copyright. 1913. by q. J. Edwards
All rights rcserved)
Tomorrow Mr Edwards will tell
How The So-Called Railroad Poor
Originated"