The Washington herald., 1914-05-27
HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Clear-Headed Southern Railroad
Promoter.

"a Clear-Eieaded Southern Railroad
Promoter.
written Expressly for The Herald)
BY DIR. y. ,. EDWARDS.
In the early spring Of 1ssx John H.
Reagan spent week at Old Point Com
fort. Va. He was worn out with his
long continued labcrs In Congrfss and
with the work which he had undertaken
for perfecting the legislation which ut
last was embodied In the interstate COM
merce act. So thoroughly was Mr.. Rea-
gan Identified with the work that for q
long time the law was known AZ the
Reagan interstate commerce law. Mr..
Reagan. two or three years later. was
elected Senator from Texas. but It was
never my privilege to meet him after he
entered the United States Senate. In
fact, he did not serve out his term, bur
resigned some three years after he took
his seat for the purpose OF accepting the
chairmanship Of the Texas State railroad
commission.
Reagan was a man who possessed an
extraordinary gift OF attracting Gery
one with whom he came In contact by
his personality. his intelligence and a
certain indescribable charm OF speech
f1IS liuC phg stNeS MAJ go.
been in part the cause of the favorable
impression which he made upon all with
whom he was brought In touch.
1t seemed to me that Mr.. Reagan was
not especially fond OF speaking In rem
inlscent way of his experience while
serving as a member Of Jefferson Davis
cabinet during the entire life Of the Con-
federacy. This reticence. however. was
due exclusively to the fact that Mr..
Reagan looked to the future and was
profoundly concerned with AFFAIRS OF the
present. The past for him was closed
book
One day / asked him IL he had not
served for a time as secretary Of the
treasury in the cabinet Of Jefferson Da-
Wis. 1t was my impression that l had
heard from a distinguished member OF
Congress from Arkansas, Clifford Breck-
enridge, who was the son of John c.
Breckenridge, that Mr.. Reagan had
served in that capacity.
IN the last four or five months OF the
existence of the Confederate government
at Richmond" replied Mr.. Reagan. 1
was called upon by Mr.. Davis to serve
as acting secretary of the treasury 1t
was necessary for him to take some ac-
ton of that kind beause Robert r. Bridg-
ers, Of North Carolina, whom Mr.. Da-
Wis had nominated for secretary OF the
treasury. had declined the honor."s
That was all Mr.. Reagan would say In
reply to the question / put to him. The
mention of Mr.. Bridger's name seemed
TO awaken another train Of thought with
him for he continued:
You know Mr.. Bridgers? He Is. in my
opinion, as able a man as is 10 be found
in the South. Why. he took the old Wei
don Railroad. a vital link between Rich
mond and the South and very strate-
gic line during the civil war. and actu-
ally saved IL from complete BANKRUPTCY.
"Bridgers had recommended that the
Weldon Railroad Company at the time OF
the war invest all its surplus earnings in
cotton. SO that II would have abundant
means with which to repair the newt
able damages occasloned by the war
after the war was ended. That sugges-
ton was a very wise one. and 1t led 10
the unanimous election of Mr.. Bridgers
as the president of this line Immediately
after the war closed. He had the fore
sight to see that the line would be a
vital link in a railroad system operated
under one control and running from
Richmond, or possibly ashington, TO
Wilmington and Charleston and the far
South. He was well worthy of example,
since he began as soon as the war was
over the work of material reconstruction.
To him the South owes much of the bene-
fciaI influence which made Its material
reconstruction possible. He is a veiy
able man
ICopyrisht 1914, By DR.. Z. J. Edwards AL rights
reseredb
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell How
Tilden Made Good Political Obligation.