The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-16

.vania line from Manhattan and evan from Long Island to point near New ark.
 In order to secure terminal advantages. the New York Central bought man:' blocks of real estate, stretching northerly from the Grand Central terminal MT. Wingus suggested that, as electricity was now employed successfully in hauling trains and as from the electric motors no smoke. cinders or noise went forth. 1t woul1 be possible to utilize the land above the railroad tracks to commerc'st advantage. President Newman, after
 careful investigation, thoroughly in dorsed the plan and when he resigned the presidency of the various New York Central lines, he fetained his post as 2 director in the system and was com vast system of real estate improve ment This involved not only engineer ing of high order, but also very skl.i- full financing. aggregating considerably over $100, ,000.000. MT. Newman in nia quiet, modest way Che was almost aD- normally modest), carried on this work. As result there are whole blocks of large buildings. many of them suitable for industrial purposes, constructed oSer the railroad and the adjoining parcels of land. MT, Newman aided the Ya.e Clup III liHdtiIiHS lIc SOASLiuSl 0ftpt New York Central real estate of pullc ing which is understood to be the largest of any club building in the United States. so large that in these war days the Princeton club is now affiliated with -he Yale club. At one time 1t was in serious contemplation to erect new opera house, to take the place of the Metro politan opera house, upon this real estate. That plan. however, was abandoned.
 MT. Newman was persuaded that t would be commercially practicable to build upon some of these parcels of land at least two hotels and so to build then, that they would be regarded as conspicu- ous among the hotel structures of the world.
 One of these hotels was completed in record time and now ranks with the most fashionable as we'll as the most sue cessful of American hotels. 1t is con- nected with the Grand Central terminal by subways. But MT. Newman did not stop there. He planned the construction of hotel building which is to be the largest in the world. which is also to stand adjacent to the Grand Central ter minal It probably represents an invest ment Of more than $l5,ooo,Ooo Today this gigantic hotel building. is. so far as the structural steel work Is concerned, prac. tically completed. Tn size 1t compares favorable with the New Equitable build ing, which Colonel DuPont built in Lower Broadway. It should be completed within year. Probably Mir. Newman will hereafter be best remembered as the originator and director of the largest real estate undertaking of which there is record, either in the United States or anywhere else. In financing 1t ranks In the cost Of construction with the new Erie barge canal or the new aqueduct system. It has already been demon ]. strated that large as the investment Is, it is to he an excellent investment for the New York Central
 These achievements reflect the career of a man who was born in comparative poverty, was briefly taught in the com mon schools of Kentucky, and who had no other advantages than those due to his ability and to his unsurpassed ca pacity for work. His career. If the yourl of this country could learn of If in de- tail, should serve as one of the most val uable of the lessons, of which so many have been taught. that the greatest suc- cesses in the United States have been gained for the most part by men who began their active lives amid humble surroundings and who worked their way m aolely by merit.