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THE ATLANTIAN
3
(Flti> Atlantian
Published Monthly by E. WALTER TRIPP
Box 118, Atlanta, Georgia
THE ATLANTIAN will give free space to alt Secret Societies and Labor Or
ganizations.
On the other hand, we put everybody on notice when THE ATLANTIAN makes
a statement which we believe to be true, and such Statement goes uncontroverted, we
shall insist that it is true.
Published Monthly by The Atlantian Publishing Co.
VOL. 3 DECEMBER No. 35
Our Motto: “Pull for Atlanta, or Pull Out.”
ii
Editorial Etchings
II
Christmas
Nineteen hundred and twelve years ago the Wise Men from the
East followed a brilliant star until it rested over a stable in the
little Judean town of Bethlehem. Entering that stable, amidst the
rudest surroundings they found cradled an Infant. These Wise
Men added to their wisdom, faith. And moved by that faith, they
laid their offerings at the feet of this Infant and offered up their
worship.
It was an humble beginning. Nineteen centuries have been regis
tered upon the tablets of time. The world has gone through the
usual cycles of slaughter, of rapine, of plagues on the one side, and
of sweetness and love and charity on the other side. Out of it all
has come, as the centuries have passed, a constantly increasing army
who follow the lead of the Wise Men and worship—it may be feebly
—rlie Infant whose advent heralded to t lie world a new creed—a
creed of boundless charity; a creed of love for fellowman; a creed
of returning good for evil. Five hundred millions of people today
march under that banner. It would be too much to say that they
all understand the significance of tlie flag which floats over them.
It would be too much to say that they all practice the doctrine which
they profess. But it is not too much to say that, imperfectly as
.we understand it, imperfectly as we practice it, all the good things
of this world are due to the imperfect belief in, and the imperfect
practice of that creed. No thoughtful and honest man will dispute
this. And this being so, imagine, if you can, what this world would
be if we had perfect understanding and perfect practice.
With each recurring Christmas season, which marks the natal
day of the infant Christ, it is proper for all men to take stock of
themselves and see how nearly they are living up to the standard
set by the Master. Then if we find ourselves short in performance,
we can go forth and endeavor to retrieve the past by some service,
remembering that in the final day of account we shall be judged by
one standard, and by one standard only—a standard which is not
too high for any of us, and not too difficult for any intellect: “In
asmucli as ye did it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye
did it unto Ale.”
W. T. Gentry
Atlanta has no more valuable citizen than W. T. Gentry, President
of the Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company. A Virginian
by birth, born in the little town of Gordonsville, starting life as a
telegraph operator, some thirty years ago while working as a
telegraph operator in the old town of Alexandria, Virginia, he
came in touch with the telephone business as manager of a small
exchange. It was the infant days of telephone business—it was
hardly more than a promising experiment. But the young telegraph
operator, possessed of a versatile mind, of a large foresight and
immense industry, took hold of it with enthusiasm, and in a very
short time won his spurs. He was sent to Atlanta twenty-five years
or more ago, to take charge of a little exchange which represented
a small investment, a few thousand dollars. He has worked up
through every grade of the service, until today he is president of
a thirty-million-dollar public-service corporation, which employs
more than six thousand people and connects with a network of
wires every village and hamlet of seven great States.
On another page appears a rather more detailed sketch of Mr.
Gentry and his works, and this is merely intended as a little ap
preciation of the man. No better evidence of his wisdom and his
qualification for the great place which he fills so well can be found
than his attitude toward the State Railroad Commission. Always
frank, open, kindly, and generous, he has never leaned toward the
secretive in the conduct of his business and has kept for his com
pany a large measure of public friendship by that policy. When
the State Railroad Commission of Georgia assumed authority over
all public service corporations, Air. Gentry did not do as so many
other corporation officials do, try to hide everything he could; but
went before the Commission with a statement which was a marvel
of its kind. Every possible bit of information that could be given
was given, with the result that the Company at once gained the
confidence of t lie Commission—and between his company and our
officials there has never been any friction. What the Telephone
Company is worth to Atlanta would be hard to figure; but with
its great buildings, its army of employees, and its great disburse
ment of money, anyone can readily see that it is one of the great
assets of the city. This is the public side of the man.
On the personal side, his kindly and genial temperament enables
him to make friends of everyone with whom he comes in contact,
and it is strictly within the limits of truth to say that no man in
Atlanta enjoys a larger personal popularity than this president of
a Ihirty million dollar corporation—and one need not be afraid to
state that he is the only man in the United States occupying a
similar position who enjoys tin 1 same popularity.
In this connection the following editorial, taken from the Rich
mond (Virginia) News-Leader, of February 26, 1909, is worthy of
reproduction, as it comes from his home folks:
TOAI GENTRY.
Yesterday the Southern Bell Telephone Company elected W. T.
Gentry president. This is a fitting caption to a brilliant business
career, and the logical result of the long and extraordinary service
Air. Gentry has given to the Bell Telephone System in the South.
That it is a system at all is largely, if not chiefly, due to Vir
ginians. About twenty-five years ago this young man, without
fortune, with precarious health, and with an empty sleeve, without
knowledge of the telephone except what he could teach himself
while meeting heavy personal responsibilities, began work in a
little office in Alexandria, which he managed while performing his
duties in the telegraph office there. lie found the telephone little
more than a curious experiment; his constructive talent, boundless
energy and commanding executive ability developed and applied
it, and now, having served in and passed through every grade, he
is at the head of this vast organization that with thousands of men,
and a capital of more than thirty million dollars, has woven over the
South a network of wires more intricate than the labyrinth that
serve night and day the business, the convenience and the pleasure
of our people.
From a scientific experiment, a possibility but little more sub
stantial, apparently, than Prospero’s vision, he has built up, and
is now at the head of one of the most potent factors of development.
Virginians are and ought to be proud of this Virginian and his
great work.
To the many who knew “Tom” Gentry in his boyhood days, and
loved and respected him because of his big heart, and the resolute
spirit, and exhaustless energy, that made him, in spite of his slight
form, his feeble health, and his empty sleeve, the cleverest pupil,