A PIONEER OF CANADA.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 October 1910, Page 8

A PIONEER OF CANADA.

Siv Thomas Shaughnessy, according to a cablegram published last week, has been re-elected president of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Forty years ago Tom Shaughnessy, poor lad in Wisconsin, entered the service of a railway company at St. Paul, his only possessions being a splendid constitution, Irish wit and a keen brain. He rose rapidly from post to post, and thirteen years later he was invited to join the staff of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, The step required courage, because the future of the Dominion seemed still in doubt. Money was scarce and the company was still fighting to accomplish the passage of the Rocky Mountains. The young railwayman decided to take his fortune into his hands and to-day he stands among the great men who have created Canada. “Sir Thomas Shaughnessy works on system,’’ writes a correspondent of the Daily Mail. “lie is a ruler and, as every great railroad president must be, lie'is largely an autocrat. He is an untiring student of detail, and nothing is too small for his attention. He plans, but lie leaves the execution to others, while keeping in constant touch with all sides of the work. Ho is master of his work, and is a. strong believer in the theory that lie works best who remembers work is not all. During office hours he is a machine, mastering, directing, controlling. When he leaves office he leaves business cares behind. T never want to see my secretary when business hours are over,’ he declares. ‘The busiest man should be able to end his work in business hours, and should have evenings clear for home and family and friends.’ ”

To-day Sir Thomas rules over 14,500 miles of track, the main telegraph system of Canada, and a great hotel service, and he is a commanding influence in the large communities. ,He declares that he intends to work for many years yet.