my memories of eighty years-第39部分

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resent　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　represented　by　Mr。　Pierpont　Morgan。

By　the　reorganization　and　consolidation　of　the　two　companies　the　New　York　Central　began　gradually　to　establish　its　efficiency　and　to　work　on　necessary　improvements。　　As　evidence　of　the　growth　of　the　railway　business　of　the　country；　the　New　York　Central　proper　has　added　since　the　reorganization　an　enormous　amount　of　increased　trackage；　and　has　practically　rebuilt；　as　a　necessary　second　line；　the　West　Shore　and　used　fully　its　very　large　terminal　facilities　on　the　Jersey　side　of　the　Hudson。

During　his　active　life　Mr。　Vanderbilt　was　very　often　importuned　to　buy　a　New　York　daily　newspaper。　　He　was　personally　bitterly　assailed　and　his　property　put　in　peril　by　attacks　in　the　press。　He　always　rejected　the　proposition　to　buy　one。　　〃If；〃　he　said；　〃I　owned　a　newspaper；　I　would　have　all　the　others　united　in　attacking　me；　and　they　would　ruin　me；　but　by　being　utterly　out　of　the　journalistic　field；　I　find　that　taking　the　press　as　a　whole　I　am　fairly　well　treated。　　I　do　not　believe　any　great　interest　dealing　with　the　public　can　afford　to　have　an　organ。〃

Colonel　Scott；　of　the　Pennsylvania；　thought　otherwise；　but　the　result　of　his　experiment　demonstrated　the　accuracy　of　Mr。　Vanderbilt's　judgment。　　Scott　selected　as　editor　of　the　New　York　World　one　of　the　most　brilliant　journalistic　writers　of　his　time；　William　H。　Hurlburt。　When　it　became　known；　however；　that　the　World　belonged　to　Colonel　Scott；　Hurlburt's　genius　could　not　save　it。　　The　circulation　ran　down　to　a　minimum；　the　advertising　followed　suit；　and　the　paper　was　losing　enormously　every　month。　　Mr。　Joseph　Pulitzer；　with　the　rare　insight　and　foresight　which　distinguished　him；　saw　what　could　be　made　of　the　World；　with　its　privileges　in　the　Associated　Press；　and　so　he　paid　Scott　the　amount　he　had　originally　invested；　and　took　over　and　made　a　phenomenal　success　of　this　bankrupt　and　apparently　hopeless　enterprise。

I　tried　during　my　presidency　to　make　the　New　York　Central　popular　with　the　public　without　impairing　its　efficiency。　　The　proof　of　the　success　of　this　was　that　without　any　effort　on　my　part　and　against　my　published　wishes　the　New　York　delegation　in　the　national　Republican　convention　in　1888；　with　unprecedented　unanimity　presented　me　as　New　York's　candidate　for　president。　　I　retired　from　the　contest　because　of　the　intense　hostility　to　railroad　men　in　the　Western　States。　　Those　States　could　not　understand　how　this　hostility；　which　they　had　to　railroads　and　everybody　connected　with　them；　had　disappeared　in　the　great　State　of　New　York。

During　my　presidency　the　labor　question　was　very　acute　and　strikes；　one　after　another；　common。　　The　universal　method　of　meeting　the　demands　of　labor　at　that　time　was　to　have　a　committee　of　employees　or　a　leader　present　the　grievances　to　the　division　superintendent　or　the　superintendent　of　motive　power。　　These　officers　were　arbitrary　and　hostile；　as　the　demands；　if　acceded　to；　led　to　an　increase　of　expenses　which　would　make　them　unpopular　with　the　management。　　They　had　a　difficult　position。　　The　employees　often　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　only　way　for　them　to　compel　the　attention　of　the　higher