Evening journal., 1914-06-12
New News Of Yesterday
Why He Remembers a
Great Civil War Financier
BY Holland.

81 wish every American young man
would take the time to read the biog-
raphy of Jay Cooke, \the great inaneier
SO far as the marketing of national
bonds was concerned-of civil war
days. said William j. Wilgus to me at
time when he was speaking of some
OF the wonderful achievements OF
American men of science.
Mr. Wilgus has gained recognition
with men OF science on both sides OF the
Atlantic. He is was who conceived and
worked out the original plan by which
the railway tunnel which connects De
troit with Windsor, Canada, was built.
Mr.. Wilgus was also the engineer who
planned long original lines the eleetrih-
cation OF the railroad approaches to the
Grand Central Station in New York
City.
81 have the most tender feeling my
self for Jay Cooke Mr.. Wilgus said.
He was not only great iinancier, but
he was also gifted with the ability
quickly TO understand how science could
be made to serve American industry OF
all kinds. The story of his life should
De a great stimulus for American ambi-
tion to make the most of their abilities
81 have in my possession a letter from
Jay Cooke written TO me when l was u
young man which prize very highly for
two reasons When / was Just about
beginning my professional career / had
occasion TO 90 to the far west. While
there i had opportunity to visit Duluth
and a considerable portion Of the west
em shore of Lake Superior.
Il was greatly impressed by what
thought to be the vast possibilities that
were in the water power and in the in
dustral development which would follow
the utilization of this water power. Al
though | was not professionally or pc
cuniarily interested in a proposition OF
this kind yet as a man of science 1 was
greatly concerned.
1T occurred to me TO write to Jay
Cooke and tell him all about this op-
portunity I had never met the finan-
cier and he, of course, did not know
me in any way. Yet II seemed to me
that Il might be worth while to call
his attention to this opportunity
81 wrote the letter, and after sent
It l made up my mind that Mr.. Cooke,
If he read IL at all, would throw It in
the waste basket, since he had much
weightier matters for consideration
and especially because the letter was
written by young man who was a
stranger to him. But to my delight
received, a few days later, letter
from Mr.. Cooke in which he spoke
in the kindliest maner of what I had
said in my letter to him, and in which
he also intimated that there was un-
doubtedly a very valuable suggestion
in my communication. He was al
that time not in a position to take thf
matter up. but these kindly words
were of the highest encouragement
to me- ! have always treasured thai
! letter
There came later an additional
sense of pleasure because, although
! I myself had nothing to do with 4
professionally or I'm any other way
yet the very plan which | had laiC
before Mr.. Cooke was afterwarC
taken up and perfected and exactly
what I had predicted would be The
result was I'm this way accomplished
I think that when he read my letter
Mr.. Cooke was persuaded that som'
day what I had suggested to him al
possible would be satisfactoril,
worked out"
Copyright, 1914, by E. J. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tel
"How II All Depended on What Uncl
John Said"