The sun., 1916-12-03
OF THE SOCIETY WORLD

started with such handicaps as did
Howard Elliott, now the president Of
the New York. New Haven and Hart
ford Railroad?
Before he could have speech with
his fellow workers he had to get rid
Of a golden spoon with which he was
born. He came of wealthy parents
and started life with q harvard ac-
cent and a New England conscience.
Although their names are not
spelled alike. Howard Elliott Is Of the
line OF John Eliot. who preached to
the Indians n got along with them
very well. The success Of Howard Ell
lott was largely due to the fact that
he treated all men - though they
were friendly Indians. kipling has
lifting lines to the effect that East Is
East and West is West and never the
twain shall meet As no railroad
man ever quoted poetry SO literally as
does Howard Elliott. 1t is no harm to
dip into verse concerning him. East
and West blend wonderfully in his
virile personality. Eastern in his cul-
tuTt, NcStcTu III liz ChCISy, ht III
bodies the aggressive spirit Of his an
Cestors.
Mr.. Elliott was born in New York
city on December s. 1860. His father
was Charles Wyllys Elliott of New
York. Boston and various other places,
a writer Of books n a contributor
to magazines. Howard Elliott learned
TO read from the Atlantic Monthly.
All his early associations were with
the literary set. for when he was
born the Golden Age OF American let
ters had not yet waned.
AS a boy he remembers the grave
ace and the fringed whiskers Of
prace Greeley. Not the white over
IT. nor yet the green lined umbrel-
.. but one expression Of the great ed
tor which often came to him i'm
= pressed the youthful imagination of
Howard Elliott. 1t was g West,
young man go West"
True. he had met at his fathers
house in New York such celebrities
as George William Curtis. the learned
editor OF Hdrpcr's Weekly. Later, in
Cambridge, he had come i'm contact
with James Russell Lowell and Will
lam Dean Howells. In his early days
he heard the "reminiscences of Brook
Farm Of Charles a. Dana and others
OF that community of idealists. His
tender years were spent sitting at the
feet OF men OF high ideals and lofty
~foreheads. lie felt the influence OF the
Concord cages and the talk around
the Elliot fireside was about Thoreau,
Emerson and Hawthorne.
NJ. LIltas, A,a~ol th. ital ,Ab.nt
AT Cambridge, gained. the second year
IN the Lawrence Scientific School and
in 1851 received his degree as a civil
engineer. In his student days he felt
within him a yearning for the open
spaces-God's country. as they OF the
West say. In the summer OF 1850 he
became level rodman in northwestern
Missouri on surveys being made by
! the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
: Railroad.
The dominating trait OF Howard Ell
lott is his thoroughness. He takes
, in all the surroundings OF every prof
! ect. AS a rodman carrying a striped
pole over the rough places in Missouri
ne seemed TO sense the unofficial motto
| Of that commonwealth. "Demonstrars
/, mih.," which by Interpretation is
= SHOW me"
e Mr., Elliott. after his graduation Al
Harvard. went to Maryland. where hs
spent three months in prospecting fo'
: clay for the Mount Savage Fire Brick
= Company. He soon followed the Gree
ley maxim. how ever. for in the autumn
=, OF 1881 We find him in Burlington. la.
T as a clerk with tho Chicago. Burling.
ton and Quincy Railroad Company.
|, For many a year the interests OF
Howard Elliott were with the West
New England became his far country
There was within him the spirit which
= had sent so many men OF the SAM
: strain from the Eastern country tc
q become part and parcel Of the adven'
! turous West. He discovered Iowa anc
found 1t good.
Mr.. Elliott did not content himsel
n with the humdrum duties OF a clerk
= skip. He reached out into the envi
ronments which were part OF the tru,
g art OF railroadinG, for he deems hi
calling an art. When a rodman n.
had spent many a leisure hour talk
ing with the farmers. learning thcil
v points Of view and gaining insigh
into the ways Of his fellow men. Nov
$ that he had inside work he %approache,
& every Office detail with the same thor
II Oughness.
i He was transferred to Keokuk. tn,
II headquarters Of two roads subsidiar,
to the G.. Il. & c.. where he serve,
: az cashier and clerk. He was theI
made assistant auditor and assistan
treasurer OF the two corporations. II,
held these positions with hcadquarter,
y still in KeOkuk until 1890, when h,
II moved to 81. Louis.
lie had not been there more than
week before it was recognized tina
i Howard Elliott was one OF the promi
d nent citizens OF that place. 1t SCENE,
as though he had always been there
Inside OF n month he knew all tn,
: traditions OF the community. He he
. came a leader in its social life and il
its sports. as well as in its CONNER
cial activities. He was one OF tn,
p live wires who had come from low;
and it was not until his new friends
; and nelghbors grew to know him wei
that they recognized the Cambridg,
3 s%hibboleth.
Mr.. Elliott was In 1896 appointe,
I general manager Of the two railroa,
i properties. the st. Louis. Keokuk an,
d Northwestern and the Chicago, Bur
%lington and Kansas City, becoming tn,