. Gates one day soon after this:

"How are we to get some one to run these big ships we have ordered? Do
you know of any experienced firm?"

"No," said Mr. Gates, "I do not know of any firm to suggest at the
moment, but why not run them ourselves?"

"You don't know anything about ships, do you?"

"No," he admitted, "but I have in mind a man who I believe could do
it, although when I tell you about him I fear you will think that his
qualifications are not the best. However, he has the essentials. He
lives up the state, and never was on a ship in his life. He probably
wouldn't know the bow from the stern, or a sea-anchor from an
umbrella, but he has good sense, he is honest, enterprising, keen, and
thrifty. He has the art of quickly mastering a subject even though it
be new to him and difficult. We still have some months before the
ships will be completed, and if we put him to work now, he will be
ready to run the ships as soon as they are ready to be run."

"All right," I said, "let's give him the job," and we did.

That man was Mr. L.M. Bowers; he came from Broome County, New York.
Mr. Bowers went from point to point on the lakes where the boats were
building, and studied them minutely. He was quickly able to make
valuable suggestions about their construction, which were approved and
adopted by the designers. When the vessels were finished, he took
charge of them from the moment they floated, and he managed these and
the dozens which followed with a skill and ability that commanded the
admiration of all the sailors on the lakes. He even invented an anchor
which he used with our fleet, and later it was adopted by other
vessels, and I have heard that it is used in the United States Navy.
He remained in his position until we sold out. We have given Mr.
Bowers all sorts of hard tasks since we retired from the lake traffic
and have found him always successful. Lately the health of a member of
his family has made it desirable for him to live in Colorado, and he
is now the vigorous and efficient vice-president of the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company.

The great ships and the railroad put us in possession of the most
favourable facilities. From the first the organization was successful.
We built up a huge trade, mining and carrying ore to Cleveland and
other lake ports. We kept on building and developing until finally the
fleet grew until it included fifty-six large steel vessels, This
enterprise, in common with many othe