Evening star., 1940-12-29

reted out waste, increased revenues
and improved service.
Knows Mechanical End.
Credited by his motive power de-
partment with having been respon-
Sible for every major development"
in that field on the B. q o. over a
20-year period, Mr. Willard fire.
/ luently employed ingenuity to ac-
! complish mechanical feats.
On one occasion, while serving a
road that had rundown equipment
and few repair facilities, a freight
car developed trouble.
Mr.. Willard found that an axle
had been sprung. pulling the wheels
out of line. 1t was the type of mis-
hap that presumably could be cor
rected only in the repair shops
Undismayed. Mr. Willard ordered
a fire built under the axle and fitted
a heavy bar jack horizontally be-
tween the wheels. AS the axle
heated and softened Mr.. Willard
worked the jack The axle slowly
pulled back into shape. The wheels
Strengthened and dropped back on
| the tracks.
! Fellow workers were impressed.
To Mr.. Willard, it merely was the
application of a nimble mind and
the tools at hand.
DiSlikes Demonstrations.
Baltimore e. Ohio workers-and
hundreds of them never have seen
their president-speak affectionately
of Uncle Dan" Yet there Is none
of the hail-fellow in his personality
TIE never goes out on tours hand
shaking workmen or whooping it up
for the line.
He dislikes demonstra tions, fears
any display that might be regarded
as mawkish: he hates publicity"
and upon occasion, may be short
of patience.
But his friends tell of his kind
ness and generosity; Mr.. Willard
gives away considerable portion of
his salary--now $4,000 year-to
friends, relatives, his church and
various charities.
Although old mo. 80" now tours
the system only twice a year, Mr..
Willard directs affairs through fine
tooth combing of reports, depart
ment heads and by formulation of
many policies at luncheons in his
private dining room at the general
Offices here
His Central Interest.
Three or four times a week, Mr.
Willard summons key men to the
luncheon table. There may be as
many as IL or 14-but never 13.
"The conversation may touch on
q dozen subjects in a half hour" an
official relates. Mr.. Willard always
takes a leading part in it, whether
it's politics, art. literature or war.
But, sooner or later, we get on the
subject of how to improve the road.
That still is Mr.. Wizards central
interest"
1t was from one of these lunch
con gatherings that came plans for
air-conditioning the B. & O's pas
senger fleet At others, officials
worked out the Baltimore & Ohio
plan" for modification of interest
charges and bond maturities.
Under the program--which went
into effect in 1889 and kept the
road from bankruptcy-the holders
of 80 per cent of the bonds agreed
to postponement of maturities and
part of the fixed charges for eight
years, saving B. & O. about $9,000,-
900 year.
Mr.. Wizards diversions are few.
He lives in modest Victorian home
In Suburban Roland Park. He
takes active interest in The Johns
Hopkins University, which he serves
as president of the Board of Trus-
tees.
He plays the violin-strictly for
his own entertainment-and reads
pfodigiously from a library that
contains 100 volumes alone on
Napoleon Bonaparte-his favorite
character of history.