New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-14

Frank Trumbull, for many years one
OF the foremost railroad executives of
the country, was born at Arcadia. Mo.
on November z, 1853. His father. Wal
ter B. Trumbull was an educator. of
Scottish descent through family long
settled in Massachusetts. His mother.
Virginia (Thomas) Trumbull, was
ilneal descendant of William Tan
dolph; the Virginia Governor. Frank
was the youngest of four children. De-
spIse the scholastic attainments IF mis-
father, he himself enjoyed few cduca-
tional advantages, but was compelled
TO leave school before entering his
teens and to begin work as an errand
boy IN country store and postoffice
at Pleasant Hill, Mo.
Started Rail Career at Is
At sixteen he began railroad work
as a clerk in the comptroller's Office
of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Rail-
way, at Sedalia, a road of which in
later years he was chairman of the
board of directors. He next served the
Missouri Pacic road, at ST. Louis, and
then in 1868 was auditor of the
Texas & Pacific. Thereafter for five
years he was associated with the rail-
road and coal mining interests of Col
orado, and was engaged by financiers
OF New York and London to report
upon and advise them concerning vari-
GUS Western properties. From the end
of 1898 to the beginning of 1899 he
served as receiver and general mana
ger of the Union Pacific, Denver e.
Gulf Railway and of the Denver, Lead
VILE Il GunniSOn Railway
His career as railroad president
began on January IL, 1899, when the
Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf Railway
Company was reorganized as the Col
orado & Southern, and he was elected
its president. A few months later he
was chosen president of the Fort
Worth & Denver City Railway; the
next year president Of the Colorado
Midland, and in 1905 president of the
Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek Dis
IT. trict Railway Company Under his ad-
prospered greatly. The Colorado &
Southern increased it's net earnings
tenfold and was one Of only two sys-
TENS which increased their earnings
during the panic year of 1907.
Mr.. Trumbull withdrew from most
of his railroad interests in 1909, but
in February of that year accepted cleo
tion as chairman of the board Of
directors of the Chesapeake & Ohio
and similar position in the Hooking
Valley and the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas Railroad companies. He re-
manned a member of the board of
directors of the Colorado & Southern,
of the Iowa Central, the Minneapolis &
St. Louis, the Kanawha & Michigan and
the Pittsburgh & Shawmut Railroad
~ bo Eric
In Many Organizations
He was a director Of the National
City Bank of New York, chairman of
the railway executives advisory COM
mittee, of the Committee of the Civic
League for Immigrants in America and
of the National Americanization Com
mittee, trustee of the Tuskegee Nor
NAL and Industrial Institute, a mem
Der of the New England and Missouri
societies, the Society of Colonial Wars,
the Metropolitan, Lawyers Sleepy
Hollow Country, Recess, Midday, Eco
nomic and other clubs of New York.
He was married in 1881 to Miss Cora
Hale, who died in 1889. In 1891 he
was again married, to Miss Mary E.
Sisson, daughter of Frederic P. and
Mary Ann (Field) Sisson, of Illinois.
Last October Mr.. Trumbull submitted
to the Interstate Commerce committees
of both houses of Congress an elab-
crate plan for the reorganization of
the transportation system Of the coun-
try, comprising Federal transporta-
ton board and from twelve to eighteen
Federal corporations, among which the
railroad systems would be regionally
apportioned. This plan received care
f..1 lo~ nd Tod in
fluence in the final drafting of the
Esch- Cummins railroad law. Six
months ago failing health caused Mr..
Trumbull to withdraw from all bust
ness activities and to retire to his
home at Santa Barbara