Busy Career of a Western Railroad President
FOllTY-SKVKN vuir- if pinctlcal c.x
IktIoiicu in nil llif ileiails of :;i 1 1 1 d.i1
operation ami twenty-nine of these
devoted to tliu service of olio Hue
Is thu record of President Marvin
Hiighllt of the Northwestern t.ystcm. Willi
nearly s.imii) miles of oackage, lo.ooo.ooo
of property anil an auny of employes tinder
Ills supervision, a stranger might In-' In
clined to wi.ndcr that tliu farmi'r boy ol
llfty years ago Kiev, unaided into It. Hut
a moment In the presence of Hie UlcK .
alert, tact fill, considerate man gives the
keynote of his huit'K to one who Ii:i tlu
gift of rending men.
Out of tin- selt-possessinn of tin- man
comes tlio assurance of hid powers, until
one believes the asset tlnns of the railway
world that he Is probably one of thn oldest
and ablest rnlliond maunders on the conti
nent. With his square Jaw. linn mouth and
the nose which Napnlei u alwayx Insisted
upon for ability. I'r sldcnl llugltitt lias a
figure In keeping. Vet with all of It, are a
sensitiveness iiml dltlldcnce Dial aie hard
to reconcile.
Marvin llughltl was honi in (Sonoa, Cay
una county. New Ymk, in His father
owned a farm near the village and the
boy's early life was passed there. Hi' ex
perienced the common, humdrum existence
of tho farm boy lie went to school when
the work on the farm did not Interfere. He
hail some instruction, evi n, In a school tha.
wis dlgnilled with the name of seminary
I'nrm work, and above all Hie monotony of
farm life, palled on the boy. It was an In
Sillllclenl outlet for his activities. About
that time I'rof. Morse was making the In
lliienco of the electric telegraph felt In the
world. It appealed lo young Hiighltt ns It
hail delle to sullts of olll'l's . I 111 Weill
to iiliiirii. when lie secured pkn e at a
lc and sounder.
Oiimcn lo die YimI.
At his iuillisitie age he learned qulckl.
II. ' was a capable operator in an unusually
short time and within a year was hissed
among the experts. I'hell tile west ap
pealed to him and at the age ef IT lie came
to Chicago. The Illinois and Mississippi
Telegraph company had headipiai ters in
t'hiumo ami Judge .1. I). 1'ali 11 was piesl
ilcut of it. In IvM yi.unu llughiit applied
at the olllce for the posilli h of openili !
and was taken on the force.
II wui not bum until (lie young man trom
New York was lemarked In the olthe.
From tin i omplimeutni y gossip of the
clerks he came to the notice of the olllel.ils
nf tlie coMipnny, and when a vacancy oc
ciirred he was made superintendent of the
otnee.
The railroad systems of I he west were in
ilielr Infancy al that time. There had not
been either time or opporiuuit to educate
men to the business The fact that a tele
graph company had a k I superintendent
soon ipread ami the St. I.ouis & Chicago
railroad now the Chicago Sr Alton offered
.toting llughltl the position of superintend
i lit of telegraph for the line. This posi
tion embraced the work of train dispatcher,
and il was in this that Mr. llughiit not his
llr-1 Inkling of railroading, lie took to
his new duties with all his native enthus
iasm When I he road llnalh was absorbed
by the Chlrngo Alton system he wen!
over to tho service of the Illinois Central
road, nctlnt; as trainmaster for the south
ern division, with lie.idipiarleri at Ceiitralla.
III. It was nt (Vntrnlla Hint Mr llughlii
found opportunity for a piece of work that
attraitnl wnlespiead attention
War was on law force of Hoops with
anus, a 1 1 n ii u 1 1 i t loti, artillel) ami supplies
tv.is lo be moved as speedily as possible
Hum St. I.uuls to Cairo The guvcriiiuc in
made a iiqulsllion on the Illinois Central
to do the work. Trainmaster Hiighltt was
Instructed lo see that the task was enr
ileil out is pi it-1 t y as possllile and with as
Utile o to regular tralllc as might be
pi sslble
llughiti loi.k the train dispatcher's table
al headquarters. naillug Hie task before
lilm. but unwilling lo even divide respousi
1 1 1 1 1 1 wltli anyone else. For thirty-six
In ins he sat at Hie table, anil when ho re
linipilshed Hie kc, the last Hoop train was
safely In Caiio. Scarcely hail the train
master rested from this long shift when
another older came for him to see to
moving the same troops from Cairo to
Virginia, so far as the Illinois Central
lines extendi d Then, for another stretch
of thlry-sl hours he sat at the dispatcher's
key, moving I funis without a hitch. When
he was done not a I rain In the regular serv
ice had been delayed or abandoned. A few
days later Ihighln received an order lo ic
port at Hie general olllce In Chicago as as
sistant Min'i Inii ndi'iit of I he Illinois Cen
tral road.
Ill Iv'.l Mr. HugliHt was made gn. lal
supei iiili illicit! of the sy-tlem, a position
which he ie:aliii"l while John M llnng'a
was pri s dent When I'leHldenl I oug ih r -tiled
Mr. llughlii was made stipe In e ileal
of tho I'ullniaii Car compaii., lint si on
ri signed to become assistant general man
n KIT of the Chicago Milwaukee .V S' Paul
road
Fcbruan 1 1"7-'. he was appointed gi n
eral supei Inii mlein ot Hie i imago -N'urthwedtcru
railroad t'ldeio I Janus II
llowo was manager, and lucm-i- of his
lack of pr.ii Heal know ledge In asked for
I he ass.siance of Ml. llughltl iituully
this made Hiighltt manager ot 'In mad ami
when II II. Potter hail sincifdiil llowo
ami lellred 111 IS"''., llughlii was appointed
mamicer in fact.
Il tins lime his ability and value to the
io.nl hail been recognized. In ISM) tho
dire, nils elecled him second vice presi
dent In 1 SSJ he was Hum n president
of Hie Chicago, St. Paul, Minno
upidiH A- Omaha line. In 1SSI he was clcclod
president of the Fremont, KIKhorn H Mis
souri Valley railroad, anotlni dependency
of Hie sst in. and )U lllled thai position
for Hue)' ears. Tlien, in 1 SS7 . when Piesl
denl Albert Keep was made chairman of
the boird of dlieetors - an olllce new to the
management I highlit was unanimously
Heeled to the presidency nf the Chicago
& Northwestern system.
1 1 1 m VIi'IIiimIn iih I'i est ill-n I,
Fourteen ears as Hie president of 11
yitnl railway compani have left few
luniks upon Hie man lie. hair is an iron
urnv, with a trace of silver in Ills beard,
but his color Is unlmpc o liable and Ills
c.w's dispute Hie fact that he Is neatly ill
years of ago. As n railroad prinident, his
familiarity with eveiy detail of railroad
work gives hint 1 1 cineiidous piestlge as a
great executive force III the machine. He
i a u handle an engine, throw a switch, or
lelleve a trnlti dlspntchei at a inoinenl's
notice Tho crew of the tialu which pulls
"I ho old mint's" car knows that not n
detail of stopping, starling slowlm; down
or making time is lost upon him.
There is a suggestion of militarism in
tho man. Hut behind Hie 111 in taee is a
depth of eje that robs it of Us aggressive
licss He exacts of all null their duly,
giving his own oi ice as an example and
holding mil to them thai in winking for
Hie good of tile Hjslem the ale working
for i lie good of themselves.
At no time In Ills career has he engaged
ill liny husHics outside tile duties of the
position lie has lllled op the various roads
Willi which lie Inn been conned cd. Hiving
his entire Unit', thought and energies to the
luleiesls lie i cprcsciited, ho has shunned
loniiecl ion with any and all schemes, no
mailer how equitable or Just or prob,ibl
piolllnhlc. lie lias always believed II to
lie unwise for a person occupying high
positions of I rust to allow one's mind to
lie distracted by outside ventutos and has
never been a speculator in lauds, town
lots, construction companies, grain, slocks
or bonds, although his position has offered
him many supeiior openings What wealth
he has accumulated has In en uiado leglll
mali!l. If n piece of laud was bought It
w us paiil for In cash and was purchased
simply ns an Investment.
Mr. Ilughllt's recreations are few. He
prefers a trip to the woods of Hie north
west to the excitement of the eastern
watering icsorts He Is a splendid billiard
pluer anil has a Hue billiard room in his
1'ralrlo avenue resilience, l-'or politics he
never evinced liny taste. He was a greni
admirer of Stephen A. Douglns, but after
tho death of the "Uttlo Clalit," ho tilllul
himself with Hie republican patly. wlih
which body he has since allillated. He
served one term ns president of the Chi
eago Cotnmerilnl club, all Hint is per
mitted, this being the only other olllcu lllled
by hlin since ho went Into tho service of
the Northwestern road.
Episodes and Incidents That Enliven Court Proceedings
HlMHtAII for a court that knows
something about a boy and is will
ing to do him Justice, At Tori
Scott a 15-year-old lad was sum
moned Into the probate court on
the complaint of his father lo show cause
why ho should not be sent to the boys'
reformatory. 'I' he father took the stand
and told that on several occusions when
the boy ought to be out ill the sun hoeing
torn he ran away to the creek and wen
llshlnt,'. "Was ho bad other ways?" queried
the Judge. "No-o-o," reluctantly admitted
the father "Case dismissed; costs at
tached to thu complaining witness,"
sharply said the Judge.
Sir Hurry Poland, n Ilrltlsli magistrate
noted for his brilliancy. Is careless In his
dress. Oncn his family persuaded him to
go to Poole and order a fnshlnunbly-cut
suit. To the chagrin of the household Sir
Henry looked more outlandish In tho now
clothes than in his old ones. Ills brother-in-law
went to see Poole about it. "It Is
not my fault, sir," the tailor assured him.
"Kvery care was taken, but how could wo
lit a gentleman who would Insist upon being
measured slttltiK down?" And the only sat
isfaction that could bo obtained from Sli
Harry Poland himself later on was the
dry comment "Well, It's my business nnd
not yours. I like to be oomfortnble. I
spend thtee parts of my life sitting down
and I preferred to bo measured so."
Jim Webster was being tried for brib
ing a colored witness, Sam .lohnslng, to
testify falBely, relate.? the Detroit Tree
Press.
"You say tho defendant oifered you f."ai
lo testify In his belialf" said the lawyer
to Sam.
"Yes, suh."
"Now, repeat what ho said, using his
exnet words."
"Ho said ho would give me .".u if I
"Ho didn't speak In the third person
did he"'
"No, sail he tuck good inre dat dur
were no third puson 'loan I dar was only
two us two."
"I know tliui, but he spoke to ou In Hie
llisl person, dldn'l ho?"
"I was de fust pusMin myself, h ill."
"You don't uiiilei'stniul me. When h
was talking to oti did he say 'I w 11 pay
you f..u?' "
"No. piiIi, lie didn't say nothing' 'bout
you palu' me J."n. Your name wasn't men
Honed 'ceplln' he told me ef eber I gol
hit i a scrape you was the liesi lawyer in
San Anioiie to fool do jedge ami de Jury
III flic' you was do best in town to covin
up rcskellty."
For a brief, lueathless moment the trial
was suspended,
A complaint, which a correspondent of
Case ami Ciimmeni says was llled In an
Idnho court, runs as follows:
"I. Tlint at. all times hereinafter men
tioned plalnlllls, . . ., weie associated to
gether ns a musical orgniilallon under the
name and style of Hie Hrangevllle llrnss
Hand.
"II. Thai Hie ilefcmlanis nro, and
nl limes hereluaflei mentioned were, asso
ciated together ami doing business nt thn
county and slate of Idaho under the iiaiiio
and stylo of the Hemocintle Kxcciltlvo
Committee of Idaho county. Idaho, and that
the Mild defendants constituted the head
PAt"-AMELrMe.AN L.XPO.blTI OFT WUMr Bu I L DTn fa"
PAN -AME.FxK2.AN LXP05ITI0N -WOMAN6 liUILPINGj
push of what Is lomiuonly known and styled
as the Un l ' rr I II i'i or (ireut Unwashed, and
are and were organised and existing for the
purpose of knocking thu Btutllng out of thu
H. O. P., nnd then and thereby drawing
public pay and growing fat and sleek there
from. "Ill, That during Hie mouths of Septem
her, October nnd November, 1900, nt tin
county and stale of Idaho, tho defendants
then nnd then being desirous of rallying
the Unlerrllled to listen in the shooting of
anvil, cannon nnd other big guns and fore
lug and compelling the Cl. (). P. to dunce
In the music of defeuduiits. employed plain
tills to furnish music for the entertainment
ami Inspiration of the (ircat Unwashed ami
for thn terror nnd Intimidation of Hie
(',. O. P.
"IV. That defendants have failed nnd
refuued to pay the suld sum or any pnrt
thereof, although they are now enjoying
the fut mid lucrative olllces much coveted
by tho (!. O. P ami the pnp eiitniunuU
called 'hayseeds.'
"V. That plalnlllls have demanded in
willing payment thereof 1 1 ml Hieie Is now
duo and owing from defendants the said
sum of i;n, together wlih V aoorno's
fees, us piovlded by law.
"Wlutrefoie, plaintiffs demand Judgment
against defendants for the sum of ?''.u, tu
gellier with " ailorney's fees and costs of
i his act Ion."
Shuffle
lli'ltolt Jinn mi I I'eicelvlug now III. i
tho block wus inevitable. Hie noble pi loom
bethought him of suicide,
"Shall I shuili, on tills nun tnl coll'''
mused he.
Ilut the exi eiitloner, being a man of
"nine nil withal, divined his thought.
"You tihullle after I i n i ' ' ' quoth tin
funcHoiiury, brlelly
Tin duki vas sib nt at Hii" It wan no'
hi ftie i "i wiiit to i Hid', hi ids with inn
from Mil' commonalty
