The Sudden End of a Railroad Giant
W.S. Mellen, General Manager of the Northern Pacific, dies of heart failure in Seattle, mourning the loss of a leader known for his integrity and labor relations.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The news of the death of W.S. Mellen, General Manager of the Northern Pacific, reached the city yesterday. Mellen had arrived in Seattle Wednesday morning on the steamer City of Kingston, feeling exhausted from the heat of his recent trip over the Washington Central lines. He went to his hotel to rest, but was suddenly seized by a fatal heart attack that evening. Despite his high standing, Mellen was widely remembered for his approachable nature; he was an honorary member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and was known for settling labor grievances with fairness, famously preventing strikes under his watch. His remains were taken to the Masonic temple and transported back to St. Paul for interment.
“I have neuralgia of the heart, you can do nothing to help me.”
Mellen was a rare example of a corporate leader whose reputation among his own laborers was actually positive—a stark contrast to the often-bitter labor battles between the Northern Pacific and its workers during the 1890s. His death prompted a city-wide moment of reflection on the power of railroad executives who, at the time, essentially held the economic life of the Pacific Northwest in their hands.
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