The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-07-11
WILLIAM 6. McADl0.
The Mau Who Handles Uacle Sans
Purse. Director General Of The
Railroads.

! UnlCed StSteS IS not only enRag-
ed in a world war, but is also
practically financing the cause of
The Allies, the position of Secre-
tary of the Treasury is second in
Importance only to that Of the
President. This may best be ap-
praciated when it is realized that
in addition to the billions of dol
lars raised by the fotation of
Liberty Loans, billions more must
be raised by taxes, treasury notes
/ or other means.
And in addition to handling
this tremendous task, President
Wilson has appointed the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury to the po-
sition of Director General of. Rail-
roads, and given him the difficult
task of solving the transportation
/ problem which had been con-
fronting the nation and interfer-
ing with the proper handling of
troops and supplies.
William G. McAdoo is the man
who occupies this important po-
sition in the nations affairs, and
although he has climbed high the
| ladder of success, it has not been
without q hard struggle, for in
his early days he was compelled
to suffer hardships and bear the
direst poverty.
Born October 81, 1863, near
Marietta, Ca, in the foothills of
the Appalachian Mountains, Will
liam Gibbs McAdoo spent his
early youth there in that dark
period following the Civil War.
The family was desperately poor
and the lad had to work at any
thing he could to earn a dollar.
At fourteen he moved to Ten
nessee where the elder McAdoo
had secured a position in the Uni
versity of Tennessee to enable
him to give his boys and educa-
tion without great expense.
At seventeen young McAdoo
had to give up school because of
q shortage in the family excheq-
uer. He succeeded in getting an
appointment as deputy clerk in
the District Court, and from that
moment determined to become a
lawyer. Nightly he pored over
Blackstone and Kent and added
by Judge Dewitt finally complet-
ed his law studies.
At twenty-one he was admit
ted to the bar and in spite of his
youth soon became state counsel
for an important railway COM
pany, now part of the Southern
Railway system. Ia that posi-
Uion he gained his first knowl-
edge of the railway business.
AT twenty-five McAdoo decided
to go into the railroad business
himself. The street railway of
Knoxville was in bad shape
through inefficient management,
and McAdoo believed that by
electrify ing the line and supply
ing up-to.date methods he could
make it pay. He invested his
meagre savings in the undertake
ing, tried hard to put it over and
lost all his money.
AT twenty-eight William Nc
Adoo, broke and disheartened,
went to New York to start life
anew by continuing the practice
of law and looking after the in
terests of southern enterprises
that required capital. He formed
a partnership with another Will
liam McAdoo, who, by the way,
was no relative of his, and al
though the firm started in a small
way the business gradually grew,
the chief asset being a growing
acquaintance with Wall Street
men as customers and with each
succeeding transaction, Mr.. Nc
Adoo's reputation as an enter
prising and trustworthy man in
creased. Much of his work was
along railroad and engineering
lines, and before long he was re-
garded as an expert.
4.
At thirty-eight Mr.. McAdoo,
who lived in New Jersey and
worked in New York, revived the
idea of constructing a tunnel to
be dug under the river to con-
nnnt the twn States He frnred |