Evening star., 1925-06-01
RAILROAD GENIUS
RET|RESST|LLF FIT.
Julius KruttsChnitt, Master
Builder. 0beys Own Rule
at II Years.
By Consolidated Press.

BY Consolidated Press.
NEW YORK. June 1-At a time
when two young ''upstarts" of rail
road finance the Van Sweringens of
Cleveland-are holding the center of
national interest with their proposal
of billion dollar merger of five
great trunk lines. an old master" of
the rails, a great builder a great
engineer and executive. is passing
from the scene of activity almost un-
noticed, though in history his praises
will not he unsung.
He was the lieutenant of l.. H.
Hartman in the pioneer DAYS He
was the successor of Hartman at the
helm of the vast Southern Pacific
system, with all of its subsidiaries and
related roads.
He is retiring today-on the thresh-
hold OF II, still keen, still alert. stilI
capable-but retiring in compliance
with one Of the rules of his com
pany, which he has enforced for wears
the pensioning of all employees who
have reached the record of three score
years and ten.
Rose From Bottom.
Julius kruttschnitt. known in every
financial circle of the world. is being
begins June ], but two intervening
holidays have made it possible for him
20 quit the job in advance Of the date
he himself fixed for his stepping out.
Julius kruttsChnitt is quitting the
road, laying down his tools after al
most As years of active service That
period comes pretty close to spanning
the history Of modern railroading.
And kruttschnitt has made the grade
- go J. IL,
chair of the presiding officer of the
executive board. Born in New Or
leans. La. in 1854, his first railroad
work was on MOrgan's Louisiana and
Texas Railroad and Navigation Co.
now an integral part of the Southern
Pacific system. His work early
caught the eye of Mr. Hartman.
Closer contact proved Harrimans un-
erring judgment of his fellowman.
Surpassed Chiefs Dream.
Kruttschnitt was all that the master
builder desired.
His record of achievement is too long
to recount. Even Harriman's dream
Of Southern PaCihc's future greatness
has been surpassed under the skillful
hands Of Kruttschnitt
Mr.. Kruttschnitt $ passing is of
greater significance perhaps in that il
marks the beginning of the end of
what might be called the civil engineer
dynasty in railroad direction and man
agement The coming retirement OF
Samuel Rea of the Pennsylvania sys-
tenn and the rounding out of the career
OF Leonor f. Loree of Delaware and
Hudson and Kansas City Southern
will mark further breaks in this dis
tinguished chain. Through all of his
service TO the Southern Pacific the re.
tiring head insists that he has re-
mained an engineer. There was a
time when the railroad executive who
was not a graduate in engineering was
considered something of an interloper.
This was viYidly recalled recently
by the production of a letter written
by Timothy Blackstone when he was
retiring as chief executive of the Chi
cago and Alton road. 1t was written
to his dear friend" Judge H. Lynde
Harrison of Connecticut, and it read
in part:
Expect to meet you at Branford a
week hence. Please bring draft Of the
will complete, if you can, as finally
discussed on your trip here. In one
particular it must be changed mate
rally. making provision for subStau-
tial allowance as bequest TO under
write the education of young men in
New England who aim at railroad ca
reers. There is only one worthwhile
way TO success for them: through
environment as engineers, and l want
to further that.
Sees Others Handicapped
ANY railroad manager who is not
an engineer is a handicapped mana
ger. He can succeed only by nj acles
Of luck, and that, of course, only tenn
porarily, and for his property, danger
Gus. I have known the important
ones, all and those without engineer
ing educat tion and experience who
have succeeded 1 can count on my left
hands fingers.
BY education I mean experience,
supplemented by books or lectures, or
academic, or what else can illustrate
experience"
Mr.. KruttsChnitt has been the schol-
ar in railroadinE. He feels today.
however, that government supervision
Of railroads is taking all of the per
sonality out of them. Every one must
go TO Washington for orders.
The pensioned Mr.. Kruttschnitt is A
very rich man. He says he is going
to have q. very pleasant vacation.
Like the mOtorman on his day off, he
is going to do bit OF travelling. Then
he will golf some and ride horseback
and walk. And when he catches up
on his loaf1ng, he says he may want
to go back to work. If any one will
hire such an old hand.
Copyright. 1929