my memories of eighty years-第43部分

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D。　W。　Caldwell；　president　of　the　New　York；　Chicago；　and　St。　Louis；　added　to　railway　ability　wit　and　humor。　　He　told　a　good　story　on　Mr。　George　Roberts。　　Caldwell　was　at　one　time　division　superintendent　under　President　Roberts。　　He　had　obtained　permission　to　build　a　new　station…house；　in　whose　plan　and　equipment　he　was　deeply　interested。　It　was　Mr。　Roberts's　habit；　by　way　of　showing　his　subordinates　that　he　was　fully　aware　of　their　doings；　to　either　add　or　take　away　something　from　their　projects。

Caldwell　prepared　a　station…house　according　to　his　ideas；　and；　to　prevent　Roberts　from　making　any　essential　changes　he　added　an　unnecessary　bay　window　to　the　front　of　the　passengers'　room。　Roberts　carefully　examined　the　plans　and　said：　　〃Remove　that　bay　window；〃　and　then　approved　the　plan；　and　Caldwell　had　what　he　wanted。

Caldwell　used　to　tell　of　another　occasion　when　on　a　Western　line　he　had　over　him　a　very　severe　and　harsh　disciplinarian　as　president。　This　president　was　a　violent　prohibitionist　and　had　heard　that　Caldwell　was　a　bonvivant。　　He　sent　for　Caldwell　to　discipline　or　discharge　him。　　After　a　long　and　tiresome　journey　Caldwell　arrived　at　the　president's　house。　　His　first　greeting　was：　　〃Mr。　Caldwell；　do　you　drink？〃

Caldwell；　wholly　unsuspicious；　answered：　　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　President；　I　am　awfully　tired　and　will　take　a　little　rye。〃

Mr。　E。　B。　Thomas；　president　of　the　Lehigh　Valley；　was　a　valuable　member　of　the　association。　　The　Baltimore　and　Ohio；　as　usual；　had　its　president；　Mr。　Charles　F。　Mayer；　accompanied　by　an　able　staff。　The　Erie　was　represented　by　one　of　the　most　capable　and　genial　of　its　many　presidents；　Mr。　John　King。

King　was　a　capital　story…teller；　and　among　them　I　remember　this　one：　　At　one　time　he　was　general　manager　of　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　under　John　W。　Garrett。　　In　order　to　raise　money　for　his　projected　extensions；　Garrett　had　gone　to　Europe。　　The　times　were　financially　very　difficult。　　Johns　Hopkins；　the　famous　philanthropist；　died。　His　immortal　monument　is　the　Johns　Hopkins　University　and　Medical　School。　　Everybody　in　Baltimore　attended　the　funeral。　　Among　the　leading　persons　present　was　another　John　King；　a　banker；　who　was　Hopkins's　executor。　　A　messenger…boy　rushed　in　with　a　cable　for　John　King；　and　handed　it　to　John　King；　the　executor；　who　sat　at　the　head　of　the　mourners。　　He　read　it　and　then　passed　it　along　so　that　each　one　could　read　it　until　it　reached　John　King；　of　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio；　who　sat　at　the　foot　of　the　line。　　The　cable　read　as　follows：　　〃Present　my　sympathies　to　the　family　and　my　high　appreciation　of　Mr。　Johns　Hopkins；　and　borrow　from　the　executor　all　you　can　at　five　per　cent。　　Garrett。〃

Commodore　Vanderbilt　was　succeeded　in　the　presidency　by　his　son；　William　H。　Vanderbilt；　who　was　then　past　forty　years　old　and　had　been　a　successful　farmer　on　Staten　Island。　　He　was　active　in　neighborhood　affairs　and　in　politics。　　This　brought　him　in　close　contact　with　the　people　and　was　of　invaluable　benefit　to　him　when　he　became　president　of　a　great　railroad　corporation。　　He　also　acquired　familiarity　in　railway　management　as　a　director　of　one　on　Staten　Island。

Mr。　William　H。　Vanderbilt　was　a　man　of　great　ability；　and　his　education　made　him　in　many　ways　an　abler　man　than　his　father　for　the　new　conditions　he　had　to　meet。　　But；　like　many　a　capable　son　of　a　famous　father；　he　did　not　receive　the　credit　which　was　due　him　because　of　the　overshadowing　reputation　of　the　commodore。　Nevertheless；　on　several　occasions　he　exhibited　the　highest　executive　qualities。

One　of　the　great　questions　of　the　time　was　the　duty　of　railroads　to　the　cities　in　which　they　terminated；　and　the　decision　of　the　roads　south　of　New　York　to　have　lower　rates　to　Philadelphia　and　Baltimore。　　New　York　felt　so　secure　in　the　strength　of　its　unrivalled　harbor　and　superior　shipping　facilities　that　the　merchants　and　financiers　were　not　alarmed。　　Very　soon；　however；　there　was　such　a　diversion　of　freight　from　New　York　as　to　threaten　very　seriously　its　export　trade　and　the　superiority　of　its　port。　　The　commercial　leaders　of　the　city　called　upon　Mr。　Vanderbilt；　who　after　the　conference　said　to　them：　　〃I　will　act　in　perfect　harmony　with　you　and　will　see　that　the　New　York　Central　Railroad　protects　New　York　City　regardless　of　the　effect　upon　its　finances。〃　　The　city　representatives　said：　　〃That　is　very　fine；　and　we　will　stand　together。〃

Mr。　Vanderbilt　immediately　issued　a　statement　that　the　rates　to　the　seaboard　should　be　the　same　to　all　ports；　and　that　the　New　York　Central　would　meet　the　lowest　rates　to　any　port　by　putting　the　same　in　effect　on　its　own　lines。　　The　result　was　the　greatest　railroad　war　since　railroads　began　to　compete。　Rates　fell　fifty　per　cent；　and　it　was　a　question　of　the　survival　of　the　fittest。　　Commerce　returned　to　New　York；　and　the　competing　railroads；　to　avoid　bankruptcy；　got　together　and　formed　the　Trunk　Line　Association。

New　York　City　has　not　always　remembered　how　intimately　bound　is　its　prosperity　with　that　of　the　great　railroad　whose　terminal　is　within　its　city　limits。　　Mr。　Vanderbilt　found　that　the　railroad　and　its　management　were　fiercely　assailed　in　the　press；　in　the　legislature；　and　in　municipal　councils。　　He　became　convinced　that　no　matter　how　wise　or　just　or　fair　the　railroad　might　be　in　the　interests　of　every　community　and　every　business　which　were　so　dependent　upon　its　transportation；　the　public　would　not　submit　to　any　great　line　being　owned　by　one　man。　　The　Vanderbilt　promptness　in　arriving　at　a　decision　was　immediately　shown。　　He　called　upon　Mr。　Pierpont　Morgan；　and　through　him　a　syndicate；　which　Morgan　formed；　took　and　sold　the　greater　part　of　Mr。　Vanderbilt's　New　York　Central　stock。　　The　result　was　that　the　New　York　Central　from　that　time　was　owned　by　the　public。　　It　is　a　tribute　to　the　justice　and　fairness　of　the　Vanderbilt　management　that　though　the　management　has　been　submitted　every　year　since　to　a　stockholders'　vote；　there　has　practically　never　been　any　opposition　to　a　continuance　of　the　Vanderbilt　policy　and　management。

Among　the　most　important　of　the　many　problems　during　Mr。　Vanderbilt's　presidency　was　the　question　of　railway　commissions；　both　in　national　and　State　governments。　　In　my　professional　capacity　of　general　counsel；　and　in　common　with　representatives　of　other　railroads；　I　delivered　argumentative　addresses　against　them。　　The　discussions　converted　me；　and　I　became　convinced　of　their　necessity。　　The　rapidly　growing　importance　of　railway　transportation　had　created　the　public　opinion　that　railway　management　should　be　under　the　control　and　supervision　of　some　public　body；　that　all　passengers　or　shippers；　or　those　whose　land　was　taken　for　construction　and　development；　should　have　an　appeal　from　the　decision　of　the　railway　managers　to　the　government　through　a　government　commission。

As　soon　as　I　was　convinced　that　commissions　were　necessary　for　the　protection　of　both　the　public　and　the　railroads；　I　presented　this　view　to　Mr。　Vanderbilt。　　The　idea　was　contrary　to　his　education；　training；　and　opinion。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　it　was　either　a　commission　or　government　ownership；　and　that　the　commission；　if　strengthened　as　a　judicial　body；　would　be　as　much　of　a　protection　to　the　bond　and　stock　holders　and　the　investing　public　as　to　the　general　public　and　the　employees。　　Mr。　Vanderbilt；　always　open…minded；　adopted　this　view　and　supported　the　commission　system　and　favored　legislation　in　its　behalf。

In　1883　Mr。　Vanderbilt　decided；　on　account　of　illness；　to　retire　from　the　presidency；　and　Mr。　James　H。　Rutter　was　elected　his　successor。　　Mr。　Rutter　was　the　ablest　freight　manager　in　the　country；　but　his　health　gave　way　under　the　exactions　of　executive　duties；　and　I　acted　largely　for　him　during　his　years　of　service。　He　died　early　in　1885；　and　I　was　elected　president。

The　war　with　the　West　Shore　had　been　on　for　several　years；　with　disastrous　results　to　both　companies。　　The　Ontario　and　Western；　which　had　large　terminal　facilities　near　Jersey　City　on　the　west　side　of　the　Hudson；　ran　for　fifty　miles　along　the　river　before　turning　into　the　interior。　　At　its　reorganization　it　had　ten　millions　of　cash　in　the　treasury。　　With　this　as　a　basis；　its　directors　decided　to　organize　a　new　railroad；　to　be　called　the　West　Shore；　and　parallel　the　New　York　Central　through　its　entire　length　to　Buffalo。　　As　the　New　York　Central　efficiently　served　this　whole　territory；　the　only　business　the　West　Shore　could　get　must　be　taken　away　from　the　Central。　　To　attract　this　business　it　offered　at　all　stations　lower　rates。　　To　retain　and　hold　its　business　the　New　York　Central　met　those　rates　at　all　points　so　that　financially　the　West　Shore　went　into　the　hands　of　a　receiver。

The　New　York　Central　was　sustained　because　of　its　superior　facilities　and　connections　and　established　roadway　and　equipment。　But　all　new　and　necessary　construction　was　abandoned；　maintenance　was　neglected；　and　equipment　run　down　under　forced　reduction　of　expenses。

I　had　very　friendly　personal　relations　with　the　managers　and　officers　of　the　West　Shore；　and　immediately　presented　to　them　a　plan　for　the　absorption　of　their　line；　instead　of　continuing　the　struggle　until　absolute　exhaustion。　　Mr。　Vanderbilt　approved　of　the　plan；　as　did　the　financial　interests　re