my memories of eighty years-第45部分

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ation　for　public　speaking；　and　so　adopted　that　as　my　recreation。　　The　result　proved　entirely　successful。

After　a　hard　day's　work；　on　coming　home　late　in　the　afternoon；　I　accustomed　myself　to　take　a　short　nap　of　about　fifteen　minutes。　Then　I　would　look　over　my　tablets　to　see　if　any　engagement　was　on　to　speak　in　the　evening；　and；　if　so；　the　preparation　of　the　speech　might　be　easy；　or；　if　difficult；　cause　me　to　be　late　at　dinner。　　These　speeches　were　made　several　times　a　week；　and　mainly　at　banquets　on　closing　of　the　sessions　of　conventions　of　trade　organizations　of　the　country。　　The　reciprocaI　favors　and　friendship　of　these　delegates　transferred　to　the　New　York　Central　a　large　amount　of　competitive　business。

While　I　was　active　in　politics　I　issued　strict　orders　that　every　employee　should　have　the　same　liberty；　and　that　any　attempt　on　the　part　of　their　superior　officers　to　influence　or　direct　the　political　action　of　a　subordinate　would　be　cause　for　dismissal。　This　became　so　well　known　that　the　following　incident；　which　was　not　uncommon；　will　show　the　result。

As　I　was　taking　the　train　the　morning　after　having　made　a　political　speech　at　Utica；　the　yardmaster；　an　Irishman；　greeted　me　very　cordially　and　then　said：　　〃We　were　all　up　to　hear　ye　last　night；　boss；　but　this　year　we　are　agin　ye。〃

The　position　which　this　activity　gave　me　in　my　own　party；　and　the　fact　that；　unlike　most　employers；　I　protected　the　employees　in　their　liberty　and　political　action；　gave　me　immense　help　in　protecting　the　company　from　raids　and　raiders。

We　had　a　restaurant　in　the　station　at　Utica　which　had　deteriorated。　The　situation　was　called　to　my　attention　in　order　to　have　the　evils　corrected　by　the　receipt　of　the　following　letter　from　an　indignant　passenger：　　〃Dear　Mr。　President：　　You　are　the　finest　after…dinner　speaker　in　the　world。　　I　would　give　a　great　deal　to　hear　the　speech　you　would　make　after　you　had　dined　in　the　restaurant　in　your　station　at　Utica。〃

After　thirteen　years　of　service　as　president　I　was　elected　chairman　of　the　board　of　directors。　　Mr。　Samuel　R。　Callaway　succeeded　me　as　president；　and　on　his　resignation　was　succeeded　by　Mr。　William　H。　Newman；　and　upon　his　resignation　Mr。　W。　C。　Brown　became　president。　Following　Mr。　Brown；　Mr。　Alfred　H。　Smith　was　elected　and　is　still　in　office。　　All　these　officers　were　able　and　did　excellent　service；　but　I　want　to　pay　special　tribute　to　Mr。　Smith。

Mr。　Smith　is　one　of　the　ablest　operating　officers　of　his　time。　When　the　United　States　Government　took　over　the　railroads　he　was　made　regional　director　of　the　government　for　railroads　in　this　territory。　　He　received　the　highest　commendation　from　the　government　and　from　the　owners　of　the　railroads　for　the　admirable　way　in　which　he　had　maintained　them　and　their　efficiency　during　the　government　control。

On　the　surrender　of　the　railroads　by　the　government；　Mr。　Smith　was　welcomed　back　by　his　directors　to　the　presidency　of　the　New　York　Central。　The　splendid　condition　of　the　Central　and　its　allied　lines　is　largely　due　to　him。　　During　his　service　as　regional　director　the　difficult　task　of　the　presidency　of　the　New　York　Central　was　very　ably　performed　by　Mr。　William　K。　Vanderbilt；　Jr。　　Though　the　youngest　among　the　executive　officers　of　the　railroads　of　the　country；　he　was　at　the　same　time　one　of　the　best。

Among　the　efficient　officers　who　have　served　the　New　York　Central　during　the　time　I　have　been　with　the　company；　I　remember　many　on　account　of　their　worth　and　individuality。　　H。　Walter　Webb　came　into　the　railway　service　from　an　active　business　career。　　With　rare　intelligence　and　industry　he　rapidly　rose　in　the　organization　and　was　a　very　capable　and　efficient　officer。　　There　was　Theo。　Voorhees；　the　general　superintendent；　an　unusually　young　man　for　such　a　responsible　position。　　He　was　a　graduate　of　Troy　PoIytechnical　School　and　a　very　able　operating　officer。　Having　gone　directly　from　the　college　to　a　responsible　position；　he　naturally　did　not　understand　or　know　how　to　handle　men　until　after　long　experience。　　He　showed　that　want　of　experience　in　a　very　drastic　way　in　the　strike　of　1892　and　its　settlement。　　Being　very　arbitrary；　he　had　his　own　standards。　　For　instance；　I　was　appealed　to　by　many　old　brakemen　and　conductors　whom　he　had　discharged。　　I　mention　one　particularly；　who　had　been　on　the　road　for　twenty…five　years。　　Voorhees's　answer　to　me　was：　　〃These　old　employees　are　devoted　to　Toucey；　my　predecessor；　and　for　efficient　work　I　must　have　loyalty　to　me。〃

I　reversed　his　order　and　told　him　I　would　begin　to　discharge；　if　necessary；　the　latest　appointments；　including　himself；　keeping　the　older　men　in　the　service　who　had　proved　their　loyalty　to　the　company　by　the　performance　of　their　duties。

Mr。　Voorhees　became　afterwards　vice…president　and　then　president　of　the　Philadelphia　and　Reading。　　With　experience　added　to　his　splendid　equipment　and　unusual　ability　he　became　one　of　the　best　executives　in　the　country。

Mr。　John　M。　Toucey；　who　had　come　up　from　the　bottom　to　be　general　superintendent　and　general　manager；　was　a　hard　student。　　His　close　contact　with　his　fellow　employees　gave　him　wonderful　control　over　men。　　He　supplemented　his　practical　experience　by　hard　study　and　was　very　well　educated。　　Though　self…taught；　he　had　no　confidence　in　the　graduates　of　the　professional　schools。

In　selecting　an　assistant；　one　of　them　told　me　that　Toucey　subjected　him　to　a　rigid　examination　and　then　said：　　〃What　is　your　railroad　career？〃

〃I　began　at　the　bottom；〃　answered　the　assistant；　〃and　have　filled　every　office　on　my　old　road　up　to　division　superintendent；　which　I　have　held　for　so　many　years。〃

〃That　is　very　fine；〃　said　Toucey；　〃but　are　you　a　graduate　of　the　Troy　Technical　School？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Of　the　Stevens　Tech。？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Of　Massachusetts　Tech。？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Then　you　are　engaged；〃　said　Toucey。

Mr。　Toucey　was　well　up…to…date；　and　differed　from　a　superintendent　on　another　road　in　which　I　was　a　director。　　The　suburban　business　of　that　line　had　increased　very　rapidly；　but　there　were　not　enough　trains　or　cars　to　accommodate　the　passengers。　　The　overcrowding　caused　many　serious　discomforts。　　I　had　the　superintendent　called　before　the　board　of　directors；　and　said　to　him：　　〃Why　don't　you　immediately　put　on　more　trains　and　cars？〃

〃Why；　Mr。　Depew；〃　he　answered；　〃what　would　be　the　use？　　They　are　settling　so　fast　along　the　line　that　the　people　would　fill　them　up　and　overcrowd　them　just　as　before。〃

I　was　going　over　the　line　on　an　important　tour　at　one　time　with　G。　H。　Burroughs；　superintendent　of　the　Western　Division。　　We　were　on　his　pony　engine；　with　seats　at　the　front；　alongside　the　boiler；　so　that　we　could　look　directly　on　the　track。　　Burroughs　sat　on　one　side　and　I　on　the　other。　　He　kept　on　commenting　aloud　by　way　of　dictating　to　his　stenographer；　who　sat　behind　him；　and　praise　and　criticism　followed　rapidly。　　I　heard　him　utter　in　his　monotonous　way：　　〃Switch　misplaced；　we　will　all　be　in　hell　in　a　minute；〃　and　then　a　second　afterwards　continue：　　〃We　jumped　the　switch　and　are　on　the　track　again。　　Discharge　that　switchman。〃

Major　Zenas　Priest　was　for　fifty　years　a　division　superintendent。　It　was　a　delightful　experience　to　go　with　him　over　his　division。　He　knew　everybody　along　the　line；　was　general　confidant　in　their　family　troubles　and　arbiter　in　neighborhood　disputes。　　He　knew　personally　every　employee　and　his　characteristics　and　domestic　situation。　　The　wives　were　generally　helping　him　to　keep　their　husbands　from　making　trouble。　　To　show　his　control　and　efficiency；　he　was　always　predicting　labor　troubles　and　demonstrating　that　the　reason　they　did　not　occur　was　because　of　the　way　in　which　he　handled　the　situation。

Mr。　C。　M。　Bissell　was　a　very　efficient　superintendent；　and　for　a　long　time　in　charge　of　the　Harlem　Railroad。　　He　told　me　this　incident。　　We　decided　to　put　in　effect　as　a　check　upon　the　conductors　a　system　by　which　a　conductor；　when　a　fare　was　paid　on　the　train；　must　tear　from　a　book　a　receipt　which　he　gave　to　the　passenger；　and　mark　the　amount　on　the　stub　from　which　the　receipt　was　torn。　　Soon　after　a　committee　of　conductors　called　upon　Mr。　Bissell　and　asked　for　an　increase　of　pay。　　〃Why；〃　Bissell　asked；　〃boys；　why　do　you　ask　for　that　now？〃

After　a　rather　embarrassing　pause　the　oldest　conductor　said：　〃Mr。　Bissell；　you　have　been　a　conductor　yourself。〃

This　half　century　and　six　years　during　which　I　have　been　in　the　service　of　the　New　York　Central　Railroad　has　been　a　time　of　unusual　pleasure　and　remarkably　free　from　friction　or　trouble。　In　this　intimate　association　with　the　railroad　managers　of　the　United　States　I　have　found　the　choicest　friendships　and　the　most　enduring。　　The　railroad　manager　is　rarely　a　large　stockholder；　but　he　is　a　most　devoted　and　efficient　officer　of　his　company。　He　gives　to　its　service；　for　the　public；　the　employees；　the　investors；　and　the　company；　all　that　there　is　in　him。　　In　too　many　instances；　because　these　officers　do　not　get　relief　from　their　labor　by　variation　of　their　work；　they　die　exhausted　before　their　time。

The　story　graphically　told　by　one　of　the　oldest　and　ablest　of　railroad　men；　Mr。　Marvin　Hughitt；　for　a　long　time　president　and　now　chairman　of　the　Chicago　and　Northwestern　Railway；