The Detroit times., 1915-01-25
New Head of Yankees Bases
Fame and Fortune On That
Task in Cuba
BEST KNOWN AS Man
WHO SECURED HAVANA
Prestige Gained as Army En-
xineer Brought Fortune, and
Now He's Ball Magnate
BY HAROLD v. WILCOX.

d Cuba Is years ago that needed the en-
< ergetIc services of some OF Uncle
Sans skilled army White Wings, q
Z. wealthy retired army officer might not
now be the business head OF the New
y York Yankees. At any rate, Capt. TIL
! linghast L'Hommedieu Huston. or Co.
& C., Second u. s. Volunteer Engineers,
( took a corps OF aides over TO the Gu
ban leper hospital known as San Laz-
arc, In 1899, and cleaned it up Hith-
erto II had been an island tradition
that no one could enter San Lazaro
and return whole. 1t wasn't pleas
Z ant assignment, and rumor has IL that
Capt Huston wasn't the first TO be Of
fered the task. But nevertheless he
cheerfully took the Job. made good
with . vengeance, and won the hearty
approval OF the powers that be.
Our revered Uncle became obsessed
with the idea that he had unearthed
I An engineer OF parts. and when 1t was
learned that the orphans and found
lines at Casa de Benefencia were Nv
1ng under. appalling sanitary condi-
tions, Huston was sent to wipe out
the dirty hooks In that immense In
ntitution. Then somebody discovered
that Havana was no At place to live.
and the young officer was put to work
ON the island capital. The cleaning
Eup OF Havana still stands as one or the
most remarkable achievements In the
\ history OF wholesale sanitation, and
< from the day he completed that JOB.
the world was willing to forgive that
monicker of Tillinghast LHommedieu,
and accord "Cap." Huston q place
among the nations great engineers.
Huston took advantage OF the pres
tige won by his work for the govern
ment by resigning from the army and
going into the contracting game on
his own hook. He found his ventures
Immensely profitable, and after q little
more than decade. he stands among
the country's wealthiest sportsmen.
with time hanging 50 heavily on his
hands that he can ind diversion In
bossing such an institution as the
New York Yankees. or course one
could be vindictive and remark that
the cleaning up Of that leper colony
and getting out unscathed was tiny
task compared with the engineering
necessary to make ball club Of the
Yankees, but that would be hardly
fair to our friend Bill Donovan and
his new employers--and that is Bills
lob, anyway. @
When Huston left the army. he
stuck around Cuba and performed
some notable engineering feats In re-
modelling Santiago harbor and the
bays at Cienfugas and Matanzas. Some
Of his underlings are now digging
IN Havana harbor Huston's name
and that of his father is also connect
ed with many railroad projects In this
country.
Now he is independently wealthy. |
and IL retiring from business as rap |
idly as possible. Col. Rupert has
turned over the business management |
q the Yanks to him. and his Offices |
are now those OF the ball club.
Baseball has always been the pas
sion OF his Idle hours, which hitherto |
have been few, and now that he has |
AL the time to play he wants. base
ball II all that he n willing to worry |
about.
Despite all his wealth. Huston il as |
democratic soul as could be found |
anywhere. and so long as nobody re- |
QognOmen. he In the most genial OF |
looked him up at the temporary Yam |
kes ofices. stili the same good old |
scout who In his youth had to worry |
along on q meager salary until that |
unsanitary leper colony in Cuba gave |
him . chance to exhibit his pluck and |
talents and started him TO fortune and |
fame. assert his friends.
All OF which sounds like the Ameri- |
can league had ripped the cover OF
/ the horsehide pellet when they let
IesMuGgeys McCSraw tell fhepo IN corral
his old friend Gap" Huston. Maybe
AZ he yields to temptation and travels
/, with the team on its frst swing
\ around the circuit next summer. he
/, viii be allowed to pick o boquet OF
the floral horseshoe that has been or
dered for the delectation OF Smiling
B Bill Donovan, whom Detroit holds to
- native son." worth honoring with