The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-03-17
THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.

|
Hon. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, late
Minister to England and one of the most
distinguished of New England states.
men. OF course his views of PcnDsyl.
vauians wear the usual blcar of yankee
eyes, but as to the operations of the
Railroad his views are correct:
| The Pennsylvania Railroad should need no in
PRODUCTION to any American reader. 1t is proba-
bly, to-day the most powerful corporation in the
world, as indeed, 1t owns and operates one of the
oldest Of railroads. Its organization, rs compar-
ed with that OF It's great rival, the New York
| Central bears the relation of n Republic to an
Empire. Cusarism is the principle Of the VAN
derbllt group; the corporation is the essence of
| the Pennsylvania system. The marked degree
in which the character OF the people have given
an insensiblc direction to the management Of
their corporations In these two States is we'll
deserving of notice. In New York politics. the
| individual leader has ever been the centre; in
| Pennsylvania, always the party. The people of
| this last state are not marked by intelligence
| they are, in fact dull, uninteresting, very slow
| and very pcrscvering. These are qualities, how
ever, which they hold In common with the an
cicnt Romans, and they possess also in marked
degree, one other characteristic of thns classic
| race, the power Of Organization, and through 1t
| of command. They have always decided our
| Presidential elections; they have always in
thclr ann heavy fashion. r,aulatcl our cannon.
| iCal policy; their iron. masters have in truth
| proved iron masters indeed when viewed 10y
other localities through the medium of n protec-
tive system by them imposed. Not open to ar.
o,rn,n, no, r,contivn nf dos mat ,i,on +,
Gnyhcs nrbrlr,Io,t cvacu,lon mis- .ioto nonn ti,c
t,. l,r,,.s ,,.,ii ,,,,o, &, ,,.,,,t o,t i.,,, ,i
1y ,.lt bo,, u, ,r,,o,,t,, ia seo,,r, H. ~ a,,,
n.,,,i n,,rI strii,i,,,, I,,,g,r,,ta, -, ,7'I,,
+, t., ,,,atatI,, r ,,ost ,t,,r,,,,,,i. ,,t.t
,.,,,n',,, ;,a, Il, ,rtt,, ,,a,, ,,,,,,i,,,,', a.
mo-, ,,,ir,,,, ntsor,,o, q, r, o,r,,ot, ,,,,,,
nov II, visto,,co 90 ,,i,I, its pro,d,,, ma ts c,,,
Nice proeidonis a,ch of whom, dovn,csb bis ,rbol,
o,,I ,a ,,t ,1oa,,,a ,,ro,.,,,o ,,,,o,t,or t, , :,
oh, i,.ai ,i,, a., ,t,,,,,,o a., ,,,ot,aa, Tan,
~ ,,,,. ,,,, T.'i,,,,
r,t ,,,,t, ,,,ts -, ,at,,r,. All ,,,,,n,,
| ,n,i,,, -, = -, -, t. ., ,,,. d. ,
noro,in, .,,,,,tI no, osg,,,a oi,so,,t, o,,,roI -
I'm NJ -. 70 ,,.,',',,,..,tN ,1'5 +
co,,I1 ,I. .,,,, ~, ,,, e,,l C..,,,,'',
+, IL Ii. t,.i.a,, ,,,. tyt, r,,tI,,, 81,
| co,,or,,,,r 9Th, Wv. o,,,r,,,rto,ot,. h ,,, -
,ho vico. pro.iIn,ts or ,ho r,o1 or,, ir,Ioci
,.rtio .,,ob , c,,,,,,,,i,,, ,,,,,,I.I ,',II iart ,
,b, rxscrtiyo iu,,o,,c, a. t 1o,,,,r,I II ~ ,,,,i
pronortionoteIy Increasing tbo noliticol move
of the cornorotIon Such soIi,lItv In one mart,
IA , cor1ict is almost .,,r, ,,i,i,,o,.l,. -, ,,.,
conn, tho ,I,,,, of ,i,,ls lil,. t,os, If hos To an
oo,,,,,,,, -, >.,,,, vi,
such is this great corporation, high in credit /
the money markets of the world. careful with,
of its outward reputc, apparently unbounded
its resources. Organized so long ngo MS 1851
had thirty miles of road ready for operation /
the succeeding year. Not until lS5i howcye
was the Pennsylvania Railroad proper compl
| ted. 1t then controlled the line from HarrsbLi
| to Pittsburg, two hundred and ten miles, whiC
had cost IA little less than sl7,OO0,L0J, and W.
represented by about sl2,OOOGCO OF stock and 81
0UOO ofindcbcdness. This might be consderc
the sartng.point; $780, 900 of annual gross ear
ings on capital n little less than s20,OOO0.0. II
many years It's growth was confined to Pennsy
vania In 1869, however, its policy in this r
Srcct underwent change, and it burst throus
State limits, extending its field of operation oN
n vast region living between the great lakes al
the Ohio upon the north and south. and I
Missouri on the west. The corporation now ow
nearly four hundred miles OF road in Penns,
yauia. and directly controls twelve hu adrcl mil
more almost entirely within the same stat
beyonl its limits IT leases and oucratcs near
sixteen hundred miles I'm addition. holding I
stock and bonds of railroads. canals. towns n
cities like some vast Crcdn ,f,Ji}icy. IL has +
deed. noless than sanOOD ooO standing on It's boo
as represented by these investments Mea
while in the sixteen wears It's own capital al
Indebtedness has swollen from S2DOJUOO)
SCION 600 with liberty secured to Increase the
to nearly slOOgO,OOO; at the same time the sy
TEN of roads which it holds In its hands rttur
n yearly income of hardly less than 40 900 OlO,
which about $1,000 90 is claimed as net profit.
When it is remembered that onc-third of
the railroad mileage in Pennsylvania Is direct
controlled by this company, some idea may
formed of the influence exercised by il in legiSI
tive body, famous since the days of Nicholas Bi
die for subserviencc to money influence This &C
poration, however does not stand alone; Nigh
in itself II is also the acknowledged head Of til
Secular railroad hierarchy which shapes the d,
tinioS of PENNSYLVANIA A. and is lmme dlatcly re
resented in every branch Of the National Cover
ment. 1t is. indeed. intrcnched in power m
while it avoids all noisy scandal, 1t may al
DEFY attack
IN the winter OF 1870, the Pennsylvania col
blnat!on was as husily engaged rs ever in I
=. schemes OF expansion, and was casting It's Gag
eyes about IN search of ways and means. The
Y, finally rested on no less quarry than the Sin
lie ing Fund OF the state itself, solemnly pleged
!. constitutional provision 10 the payment of I
public debt. I, amounted to s9jOOOO), and
u attempt upon it was resolved. The nccessa
Is arrangements were silently perfected. The Co
,p stitution Of the state brislod with adverse pl
visions. In order t. prevent "log rolling
y" was provided that but single measure could
"a contained in any one bill another clause dire
le | ly Inhibited the Commonwealth from haNi
,b financial relations with any private cprporatio
II third clearly asserted the sacred character
+ the Sinking Fund, and guaranteed IT to spccl
d, purposes. Each OF these d!lilculics was c.rcn
hs vented. Every step of the process constitute
;, study In legal !escrdelnain. The several II
necessary to corporate the various cnterpri
Ill which constituted tho common bond of
& combination were passed separately, in acc
,o dance with constitutional requirements; to o.
~ ward appearance they were proper, and ~
~ desirable measures. Tho organic acts thus
IS on tho statute-book, dead lctterSi IT. remained
~ lniuse into them the breath OF liIe, the Legs
. lure could sun lhclUue huJ one sulgs'l III u
10 single act, ana could loan neither the pun
lg | credit nor the public money to private cOrpo
ns toAS. NOW came the masterpiece one swe
ing general act in relation to railroads difee
the substitution OF the bonds OF these compah
IL not yet organized anu whose roads We're
a comhlehctd ana mlsht never he pIohIable,
the eHhdouOteuS securities "hIrh rcVfeSeuledSli
VI ing fuhu In the treasury OF lAe Stale' Inc Les
lg lature thus did not loan the credid of the Sta
nd ana LOT iaS It's hands upon me sinking Fund
Al