Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-01
AoLoGM HUMAN DYNAMO.
Man Who Will 'Deee Rallseada creditsd
With intellectual vlser.

With intellectual Niger.
IAN intellectual dynamo" 10 per-
haps tabloid characterization Of
Halo Holden. who was appointed by
Director General McAdoo yesterda,
TO be head Of all Americas railroads,
which. by all odds, is the biggest rail-
road Job in the world today. Like
Woodrow Wilson and Lloyd George. me
climbed q ladder OF books--law books
In his case--and IL type of the ''brainy
man" in big affairs. Mr.. Holden for
three years has been president OF the
Chicago. Burlington and Quincy, Amer
ica's youngest railroad president. He
10 4S years old. He reversed old school
railroad tradition and rose to his place
from the musty old law tones instead
Of from the roundhouse or the tele-
graph instrument.
Ten years ago Holden, then a young
Kansas CITY lawyer, was one Of the
attorneys retained by the railroads
to fight the Minnesota rate case which
lasted for three years and a half. His
brief upon the evidence won recogni-
ton as one of the ablest documents in
railroad litigation ever presented in an
American court. While the railroads
did not win the case, the brief won the
attention Of the late James J. Hill, en-
pire builder and strongest factor in
western railroads.
He's Good, Said Hill.
After listening to Mr.. Holden pre-
sent the case Of the roads Mr.. Hill
turned to railroad officials of roads
in which he had hand and said:
Don't let that man get away. Hang
on to him. He will prove useful and
valuable to American railroads, He
will advance far"
soon afterward Mr.. Holden became
general counsel OF the Burlington lines.
on the suggestion of Mr.. Hill, who
prided himself upon his ability to pick
young men Of promise, and in 1910
he was advanced to the post of assist
ant to the president, and later was
made vice president.
August, 1914. Darius Miller,
president OF the Burlington, died.
AFTER attending the funeral, the d.
rectors assembled in the general Of
nee to select a new president. Louis
Hill related that Mr.. Miller had made
deathbed request that Mr.. Holden
be made his successor. The election
was unanimous and Mr.. Holden be-
came head Of one Of the finest rail-
road properties in the world. Mr..
Hills prophecy Of seven years be-
fore had been fulfilled.
Mr. Holden Is large both physically
and mentally. He is thoroughly demo-
cratic. Wrestling with involved legal
cases In his lawyer days has riven
him q mind that cuts like a scalpel
and a brain that works with the pre-
cision Of q Swiss watch. His vision
is broad. he has a reputation for
grasping all aspects Of problem and
as being master in giving all phases
their proper proposition. He has per.
specttve and he talks simply and al
ways to the point. las railroad chief
recently said: Holden Is such a clear
thinker you can almost see his mind
work
A year or so ago Mr.. Holden was
chosen as spokesman for all the rail-
road presidents Of the United States
IN their conferences stwith President
wilson at Washington, which was
about as high a tribute as could he
paid to his ability.
He has been on the railroad war
BOARD. and evidently in the conferences
with President Wilson made a deep i'm
preston upon the head Of the admir-.
stration, as witness his appointment,
Mr. Holden is a native Of Kansas
city, where he was born Aug. III, 1869.
He was graduated from Williams Col.
leseI.h 1890. and after course at the
Harvard Law SCHOOL, hes took I'D the
practice Of law at Kansas CITY and he
specialized, in interstate law, develop
ins"tnto such an expert that the Great
Northern Railway retained him in the
Minnesota case that led to his dis
covery" by Mr.. Hill. He lives at Win
netka.