The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-01

BY DAVID La
| Especial Despatch to The Reformer. }
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON, March 1. While
this is a week of farewells TO the out
going administration, it is also a week
of expectancy and curiosity as to the
new regime. And while most of the fig
ures in the new cabinet are known to
the national capital the unknowns are
Andrew W. Mellon, of Pittsburgh, sec
rotary of the treasury Henry c. Wal
lace of Des Aloines, Ia, secretary of ag-
riculture Edwin DENLY secretary of the
navy and-assuming that James j. Da-
Wis of Pennsylvania is to be secretary of
labOr-well, he too is unknown here. The
others-Herbert Hoover, Senator Fall,
Former Senator Weeks, Will Hays,
Harry Daugherty, Charles Evans
Hughes,-have all been identified more
or less with public affairs heretofore.
First and foremost of the new Corners
about whom interest centers is the next
secretary of the treasury. What man
ner of man is he? All that has been so
tar told is that he is the second richest
man in the United States, or at any rate,
in the front rank of the wealthy. But
the truth is Mr.. Melons genius in bus
mess has been all the more remarkable
because he has accomplished things with
out publicity or OstentatIon-aud the
prediction is made that he viii probably
be the most silent man in the dminiS
tration. Mr.. Mellon is a slender, ditfident
man, with gray hair, and Il manner 50
shy that it is almost shrinking; indeed
it hardly tells you Of-hand that he CON
trolls vast financial and industrial inter
ests. "A. w IS what his employees
aAl H. - .IFfTArr 80 ~
ganiZc is his paramount quality. He is
able always TO steer Il smooth, middle
of the road course, between the demands
or radicalism and conservation and it Is
this faculty of diplomacy and skillful
handling of the most intricate affairs of
business which makes his friends 50 alb
s~Dlutely confident that the country has
u real surprise in store when the next
secretary OF the treasury gets into ac-
ton.
To the people of his home city the
name of \. w. Mellon stands for two
things outside his business activities-
the salvation of Pittsburgh during the.
panic of 1907 and a war record as the
local leader in every large drive for
funds or men. He is the only member
of the various war committees in Pitts
burge who didn't make Il speech. But
when a Liberty loan parade was formed,
Mr.. Mellon was in line as i"nconSpicu4
ously' as one of his clerks. And when
Pittsburgh went over the top on all her
loan quotas during the war it was gem
orally the quiet influence of Andrew Mel
Ion which made that happy result pos
sible.
1t was the Mellon interests which
saved Pittsburgh investors in 1907.
Other concerns trembled but the Mellon
companies went through safely because
of the carefullneSs and conservatism of
the man at the helm. The new secretary
is the type of man who gets down to his
office at nine O'Clock and works n good
eight-hour day. His recreatiOns are rid
ing before breakfast and golf. He has a
son, Paul. II years old and his only
other child-MiSS AilSa Mellon-was a
debutante last year.
Mr.. MELONS, parents were not
wealthy. His father came to America
from a cabin in Ireland. He was on the
and later established a banking business
in which he took his son in 1874. just
after the latter had been educated in the
public schools and the University of
Pittsburgh. Gradually 4. W. Mellon
built up those banking interests and
steadily amaSSed a great fortune because
of his remarkable knowledge of ma
tiOnal and international finance and bus
mess.
The list of public and charitable or
CARNATIONS in which A. w. Mellon is
interested reads like a director. He is
one of those public spirited men who is
a member of everything but who doesn't
show it either publicly or privately.
Much thought and time as well as gifts
have been given by Mr.. Mellon to var
ious educational and charitable insti-
%tutions.
Naturally a man who has been so