Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-28
YOAKUM, RAILROAD
MAGNATE, IS DEAD
Farmers Boy Developed
Transportation for Vast
1yraas ct West.


NEW YORK, November 26.-Ben-
iamin Franklin YCakum, farmers boy
who became a railroad magnate and
developed transportation for vast areas
Of the West and Southwest, died at his
Fifth avenue home early today. He
was 70 years old.
Ia suffered d severe heart attack last
MONDAY ana fallec 10 rally floln COM
plicatlonS LlIaf followed.
Although retired from active railroad
management at the time tx rs death,
- was a director of the Seaboard Air
Line the st. Louis & San Francisco
Railway, the Western Power Corpora
ton and chairman of the board Of the
Empire Bond & Mortgage Corporation,
New York.
He was born on a farm in Limestone
County, Tex, and his ambition from
boyhood was to build railroads. He
started as a freight clerk in Southern
Pacific offices at Houston, and later be-
came a rodman in construction of the
International & Great Northern Rail-
road from Jacksonville to Palestine, Tex.
Expanded Western Road.
Having served his apprenticeship, he
entered the executive end and by 1888
was general manager of the San An
tonic & Arkansas Pass Railway. From
1898 to 1896 he was general manager
and third vice president of the Gulf,
Colorado & Santa Fe.
His most notable work was in eX-
banding the st. Louis g. San Francisco
Railroad. which he joined in 1896, De-
coming its president in 1900.
Under his administration the road
through construction of new lines and
BY absorption of other companies, prin-
cipally the Rock Island, grew from
line CT 1870 miles to more than 1900
miles At that time the largest mile
age under single control in the coun-
try, the line extended from st. Paul
MINI, and WATERFOWL, N. Oak, in the
North, to Denver in the West and to
New Orleans. FL Paso and Brownsville,
%NX., in the South.
Opened Rich Region.
b building the road from Corpus
ChrisN So Brownsville Yoakum opened
up the Fich Gulf Coast region of Texas
to the Rio Grande, once used only for
grazing catEs, it was converted through
Irrigation ana intensive cultivation into
e garden spC: = truck, fruit and sugar
cane farms.
When he began construction in Okla
hona and Texas houses IN some cases
we're so to rs miles apart, but the plow
IOllOWeQ Ills Id11o dAlO SOO44 oaAA
cities sprung up along the roads right
of way.
For more than 20 years he had been
interested in improving the condition
of the farmer and in 1909 first advo-
Gated a system of farm marketing
known as 1.-THE Yoakum plan" many
features of which have since been en-
bodied into farm legislation ana IN ma
tional farmers organizations.
Although a lifelong Democrat he felt
he could not indorse the McNary-
Haueen farm relief bill and supported
Herbert Hoover for President at the
last election.
Established Clubhouse for Caddies.
He was the founder of the Lenox
Hills Golf Club, which was established
on part of his Long Island estate, and
after the death of his wife in 1925 he
established a clubhouse for caddies as
a memorial to her.. This club OF Co
lonial architecture, with an assembly
room. a gymnasium and a library, Is
regarded as one of the most complete
structures of its kind. Too Ill to at
tend the last annual banquet OF the
"Caddy Club" he addressed a personal
letter to its $50 members expressing his
interest in their welfare ana urging
establishment of similar clubhouses at
golf clubs throughout the country.
He was married in 1885 to Elizabeth
Bennett of San Antonio, Tex. Their
two children, Mrs Paulding Fosoick
and Mrs. Francis r. Larkin, were at
his bedside when he died.