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Personal Sketches of Marine Men Calvin Austin, Retired Chairman, Eastern Steamship Lines, Inc. SHE resignation of Calvin Austin as chairman’ of 4} the board of the Eastern Steamship Lines Inc., Boston, on May 4, brought to a close the active S mi career of one of the most important figures in ——— maritime affairs on the Atlantic coast during the past 50 years. Born in Fryeburg, Me., Mr. Austin was educated at the Fryeburg academy. At the age of 16 he went to Boston and entered the employ of the Sanfords, pioneers in Maine coast steamship service. In 1875 he began work as an office boy for the Sanford Independent line at $3 per week and gained rapid promotion through the various departments of the business. In 1882 the Sanford line was sold to William H. Hill, a Boston banker, and Mr. Austin was made general manager. The name of the company was changed to the Boston & Bangor Steamship Co. and its service ex- panded widely along the north Atlantic coast. New and improved types of excursion steamers were developed under his suggestion and the line became one of the most important units in New England’s transportation system. In 1900 Charles W. Morse, whose financial genius deeply influenced the first decade of the present century, obtained control of the Maine coast lines which he con- solidated under the name Hastern Steamship Co. Mr. Austin was chosen to manage the affairs of the com- bined companies and in 1905 became president of the Eastern Steamship Co., operating lines to Portland, the Kennebec river region, Bangor and Bar Harbor in Maine and to St. John, N. B. During the same year the Metro- politan line, operating between Boston and New York, was acquired by the Eastern company and the steamers Harvarp and YALE were built for this service under Mr. Austin’s guidance. These steamers, together with the Governor Cops, were the first equipped with turbine en- gines to be built in this country. In 1906 Mr. Austin became the head of the Consoli- dated Steamship lines which included the Clyde and Mallory lines, New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Co., New York &Porto Rico Steamship Co., the Hudson River ROM office boy to president of one of the largest American shipping enterprises, marked his progress. | 4S long and active career has con- tributed much to the upbuilding of coastwise transportation. EGOTIATIONS for the Cape Cod canal and New England tariff adjustments typify progressiveness. Night line, Joy line, Eastern Steamship Co. and the Metropolitan line, a combine capitalized at $60,000,000 operating in all 105 ships in addition to barges, towboats, ete. This enterprise was dissolved in the financial panic of 1907 and during the subsequent period of readjust- ment Mr. Austin as president managed the complex financial affairs of the Eastern Steamship Co. and the Metropolitan line, which were reorganized into the Tast- ern Steamship Corp. in 1912. At this time the Boston & Yarmouth Steamship Co. Ltd., was purchased from the Canadian Pacific railway and at the close of the World war a further reorganiza- tion of the company resulted in the present organization known as the Hastern Steamship Lines, Inc. Later the Old Dominion line, operating between New York and Norfolk, Va., the Richmond-New York line and the Gulf & Southern Steamship Co. were purchased, the combined interests now representing one of the largest shipping enterprises in the United States. To the enormous details of this business Mr. Austin devoted his personal attention. He supervised the build- ing of 21 ships, including the Boston, New YorK, YAR- MOUTH and EVANGELINE. He was also instrumental in negotiating with the government for the purchase of the Cape Cod canal. His long career coincided with the progress of this business from its almost primitive condition in the early seventies to its present status. His vision was responsible for many improvements both in type of steamers used and in the character of service. His negotiation of the first tariff adjustment between the New England railroads and his own company is typical of the progressive spirit which dominated all his activities, and the Eastern Steamship Lines, Inc. is in large part a monument to his efforts. Jere A. Downs, Boston banker, has been elected chairman to succeed Mr. Austin and Capt. Eugene BE. O’Donnell, widely known in marine affairs, continues as president. Mr. Austin’s resignation was brought about through impaired health. In private life he devotes himself to his delightful Calmore Farm estate in Dunstable, Mass., where he enjoys his principal hobby, which is horses. 48 MARINE REVIEw—July, 1931