An economic boom after the war helped the company to expand its operations; Harrison worked to improve the railroad's public relations and to upgrade the locomotive stock by introducing more powerful engines.

Harrison retired in 1937, intending to focus on his hobby of writing about historical subjects, including the roots of the American Thoroughbred horse, but he died three months later in February 1938.

[3] Burton had served as private secretary to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, and Constance Cary was a novelist.

[5] Harrison was admitted to the New York State bar in 1892 and worked for the law firm Bangs, Stetson, Tracy & MacVeagh from 1892 to 1896.

[7] William Finley, president of the Southern Railway, died on November 23, 1913, and Harrison was elected as his successor eight days later.

He also instituted a remedial education program for the regular workforce; they were trained in mathematics and other subjects to high school level, as well as in engine and machine-shop basics.

When business declined in 1914 Harrison reduced his salary by 20 percent, but introduced smaller and graduated cuts for other staff, with the smallest percentages at the lowest pay scales.

[12] Harrison established a foreign trade department for the railroad, hoping to take advantage of the railway's ability to connect to the Mississippi Valley and Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico ports.

[13] In 1915, when the railway lost 12 percent of its revenue owing to disruptions in trade caused by the start of World War I, Harrison was concerned about longer-term changes underway.

In the annual report that year he warned stockholders that automobile ownership could severely impact railroad passenger revenues.

After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, some military training camps were located in the south and much of the construction material used to build them was hauled over the Southern Railway.

Harrison worked for the USRA during World War I and, under its regulations, was required to step down as chairman of the Southern Railway.

A few years of operation returned a surplus to the company, which led to the stockholders requesting in 1923 that the railroad pay a dividend to the holders of the common stock, something Southern had never done.

Harrison managed to block the request, but in March 1924 a subsequent demand was successful, and a dividend of $5 (equivalent to $89 in 2023) per share was declared.

The Carolina was a sleeping car and the Virginia was set up to serve members of the board of directors, with a kitchen, dining room, and observation area.

In 1923, engineers under his direction created the plans for the Ps-4 class of Pacific type locomotives, which became famous and a symbol of the Southern Railway.

On a visit to England, Harrison had seen the paint scheme used by the London and North Eastern Railway, which used apple green-painted engines.

Returning home in 1925, he ordered the newly delivered Pacifics painted a forest green, which he called Virginia, with gold lettering and silver trim.

The Crescent Limited began service in 1925 between New Orleans and New York, with a scheduled time for the one-way trip of 37 hours and 50 minutes.

[22] Harrison, who was 68 at the time, planned to concentrate on his hobby of writing historical works, but he died three months after his retirement.

[10] Harry DeButts, an employee and protégé, described him as "a little cold when you first met him, but underneath he was a very warm, admirable, capable and wise man".