A Transportation Bureau was organized to manage the electric railways in the interests of the people, and the fare was reduced to two cents.  Everybody rode, and the receipts were astonishingly large and quite sufficient to meet expenses and leave a profit, which went into the town treasury.  Thus the people received large benefits from the electric railway, conduits for wires, gas privileges, and other franchises.

Electricity also propelled the pleasure launches and fishing boats.  The smoke nuisance was a vexatious trouble of the past.  Life for the laborer and his family ceased to be a burden.  Eight hours were given to conscientious labor, eight hours to physical, mental, and moral improvements, and eight hours to rest.

By the Harris beneficences all the employees became personally interested in the profitable workings of the steel plant.  The profits of the business also were greatly increased by the valuable inventions of the Ingrams.

The money advanced to the employees was rapidly returned through the company’s treasurer to Colonel Harris, and by him, and later by his heirs, was again invested in other lines of practical benevolence.  The act which gave Colonel Harris most comfort was his righting the great wrong done James Ingram, his early joint-partner, and father of George, his son-in-law.  Colonel Harris held $2,500,000 of the steel company’s stock.  He disposed of this stock as follows:—­

To George and Gertrude, each $250,000 or $500,000
To James Ingram, early partner 1,000,000
Retaining for himself only 1,000,000
                                         ----------
Total $2,500,000

Since his return Reuben Harris had aged rapidly, his hair having whitened, caused probably by the loss of his only son and lovely daughter.  His joy on account of the success of the Co-operative Steel Mills could not banish his intense grief.  He had performed his life work, and the cares and burdens of the new enterprise he had placed upon George Ingram in whom he had full confidence.  He had seen much in his travels abroad; and now he had learned a most valuable lesson, taught by the Savior himself, that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

At the close of a long summer day, as the golden sun dropped into blue Lake Erie, the life of Reuben Harris passed from sight.  It was a strange coincidence that the papers Monday morning should contain parallel obituary notices of both Reuben Harris and James Ingram.  Together they had labored earnestly for humanity, each in his own way, and now reconciled, together they entered,—­

  “The undiscovered country from whose bourne
    No traveller returns.”

The four thousand employees, in a body, attended the double funeral.  Each man had been the recipient of tangible assistance from both Harris and Ingram, and each laborer felt that he had lost a personal friend.  It was a touching scene as the four regiments of employees, each wearing evidence of mourning on his arm, filed past the two open caskets.  Each employee left a rose on the caskets till both were hidden from sight.  The thousands of roses were more eloquent than marble or bronze.  During the week, the employees each contributed the wages of two days for bronze statues of their late employers.