The Washington herald., 1922-01-22

II thought over all this a. q young en-
gineer in his Juveniles and came to the con-
clusion that the greatest opportunity was
offered in the productive industries, and that
of the productive industries there was none
greater than steel. resolved that would
get into the steel industry. I 30 played my
cards that after ten years in the coal fields
i as engineer became manager Of an iron
mill in Jamestown, Pa. Here had every
opportunity to learn the iro-- business all
the way from taking the ore out Of the
ground to its appearance in finished product.
I'm those early days when 1 worked in
the coal fields of Kentucky, my fondest
ambition was that some day should be the
owner Of a coal company. As events shaped
themselves 1t came to pass that after got
into the steel business found myself In a
position where l could make certain loans
to the coal company for which worked in
Kentucky, and the interest which grew out
OF those loans eventually resulted In nv
coming to own the company. In fact. an
years passed became president of the Cen.
trail Iron and Coal Company, the McHenr,
Coal Company, the Main Jelico Mountain
Company, all Of Kentucky, and Of otb.,
similar industries. In the end / came N
own eight or ten coal companies. and thus
found my early ambition realized MANY foll
AS an engineer my father had been in
terested in street railways. At ON. tim.
Tom johnson, afterward Mayor Of Cl.ve.
land, had worked for him. 1t Is an ir,.,
esting fact that when johnson elaborated aud
worked out his scheme of three-cen rail.
ways in Cleveland A. B. du Point INV
orotner, a son of Johnson's former emplov.r
was his engineer and adviser in that .rt.,
prise. l myself became interested In ,tr..,
railways and developed and owned ,v,t.m,
In four or five different communities, tbs.
aiso contributed somewhat to nv 6nanci.,
accumulations."
How about your conneetion v,,h A..
powder company" 1 asked.
Always desiring and wanting 70 n,,.
oack 70 the State of Delaware, the bom. =,
my ancestors, in 1900, having saved .on.
money-enough to live on went to D.I..
ware and year or so later was ..k.d r.
my cousins to become associated with tb.r,
IN the u. /. du Pont de Nemour. povd.-
Company. This did gladly, becaps. N.
concern had been In the family one bnndr.d
years, and l felt that it should be continu.d
In the family, and was glad to have an on.
portunity of devoting any time might have
to the interest of this concern, of which the
family are justly proud. In 1889 / had
married my cousin, Alice du Pont, which was
smother reason for returning to Delaware.
les, was made president of the powder
company in 1902, and held the position
about twelve years, after which 1 sold my
interest TO the younger cousins"
How did you happen to get into the in.
surance business?' asked, knowing that he
had at one time owned the majority of stock
In the Equitable Life Assurance Society.
Il first became interested he replied,
through the construction of the ofice build.
ing In New York. known as the Equitable
Building. The Equitable Life Assurance
Society owned the ground on which IN.
building was to be erected, and this .stab.
lished the most cordial and business relation,
between that company and my associates.
We purchased the ground an they lent us
some money for the erection Of the build.
ing"
Back in 1914 ] thought that conditions
sers ripe for the economical constructiou Of