The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-10-12

street," beware Of the vortex before you;
ere you venture on this perilous step, 90
to Cornelius and Uncle Daniel, and make
them free gift Of all the money you are
willing to risk, (for into their strong box
es 1t will come at last) and thus you will
be saved q world of worry and trouble
cntailed by that mysterious, protracted,
and to you, painful process which will
end finally in the transfer of your money
into the strong boxes aforesaid.
Our two chiefs are types of the class Of
great American speculators. Will Of
iron, heart of boldness, hands of steel,
mind of crystal, chest of gold, both pos
sess. Vanderbilt is a true Anaxandron.
king of men. Seventy-six winters have
not yet bowed that stately form, or
quenched the light of that deepest black
eye. Three score years and ten have
written upon his rival more Of the physi-
cal signs of decay, but from beneath hi.
shaggy brows and wilderness of wrinkles
his steel grey eyes twinkle with the vital
ity of youth. As to means to an end
their resources are adequate everywhere
to the projects they undertake. The
operations of Drew are more rapid, com.
pact and local. His genius is robust in
organizing panics. As rule he has been
for years on the "short sidc,'' and so he /,
well styled the Great Bear. He may be
said to trade on financial fear and apprc-
hension Vanderbilt, on the other hand.
is by constitution and temperament
Bull" His policy is embodied in the
advice he gave young Richmond, When
the latter was "short' of Harlem in
1864, namely: "Never sell what you
hayn't got; :" and so he may be said to
trade on the hopes of men, His opera
tions extend over years Of time and over
arcs Of circles, whose radii are hundreds
of leagues. When in the spring of 68,
Central fell to 109 his friends said his
ambition and avaricc had outwitted his
judgment, but to-day, central at 200,
refutes the charge. His intellect is more
comprehensive that of his rival more
subtle. The one is the greater stratcgist;
the other the greater tactician. Both
have identified themselves by the great
lines Of travel they have established, or
control, on land and water, with the ma
terial progress Of our country.
Place your ear to the ground and YOU
can hear the thunder of their trains from
Omaha TO Manhattan. All day and all
night long, ten thousand brakemcn.
switchmen, and frcmcn and engineers.
begrinned, wan and haggard, are grinding
and goading on their roaring, screaming
steam serfs, as they drag to tide-water
across broad, fiat prairies, through black
gorges, and over crazy trestle-works and
bridges that reel and stagger beneath
them, the treasures of our imperial val
lies and gold-veined mountains, and the
spires and snowy fabrics of farthest In
dia.
OF the two. Vanderbilt is the most
daring operator. The stake he plays for,is
railroad monopoly, the table on which he
plays, covers one million square miles,
and his dice are loaded with S30,00OO0O
of the heaviest of the precious metals
The most wonderful thing in the career
of Daniel Drew, is the fact that he is still
numbered with the great money-kings,
Notwithstanding he has for twenty years
or more, been betting against the increase
OF hard money and paper currency,against
the growth Of population, against the de-
vclopment of the riches of the country.
against the rise of values,--in a word.
his operations have been
on the "short side" of stocks, almost in
variably, this alone proves the ability
and resources of the man.
He is shrewd and far seeing, and when
ever trap has been set for him, by the
Commodore, or his satellites, he has man
aged to eat the bait and elude the trap.
The hounds of the street have followed on
his track, yelping and bowling with jaw
that thirsted for his blood or otherwise hi,
money, thrusting daggers at his name and
reputation, but his steady, fearless course.
and virtuous devices, have failed them 81.
last, and he now sits in his stronghold
(atter having given hundreds of thousand
to the course Of christian education in the
Methodist E. Church, with his eve on
the point of the dial plate which indicate.
the round sum of S15,000,000 in his
pocket
The Commodore has just placed train
upon his Hudson River road, that MAKE,
the time between Albany and New York
in three hours
This is characteristic of the man.
1t is said that he often goes from New
Y ork to Troy in a special train, that al
tains a speed of 20 miles an hour, When
asked by gentleman why he rode at SO
fast rate--his characteristic and pleas
ant reply was-A man of my age has moi
q minute to lose.
His many enemies result from thcif
dislike to his rigid enforcement of law
and order.
/ have heard it said that the Commo.
1ore would give half million dollars for
the tow pants, red wool shirt and ten
cent palm leaf, which he wore when q
youth, navigating between Long Island
and New York.
His, is an illustrious instance of the IA
,ilities afforded by our free institutions.
enabling young men of inherent energy
md restless aspirations, to rise to distinc-
ion and make their mark in the world.
How evident it is-that "intellect is
better than position. Brains inside the
lead, is better than a crown outside"
The COmmOdorc's newly married wife is
aid to be a member of the Methodist
Church, and an active worker in the
'hurch and Sabbath schools. 1t is to be
loped that through her agency a portion
# his colossal fortune may be eventually
'onsecrated to the cause of the Redeem.
r.
A grave yard in a city-what a con
rast with the rush and ievered tread and
work on every side of these early deposito-
les ofthe dead. Well they have their uses.
heir uttaraneos cannot bo ,rboll,- lo.t