Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-03-21
ALBANY, March 10, 1872.


the railroad whistle and the roar of the
trains going over the bridge. Mr.. Ram
sey is little, gray headed, sallow faced
gentleman, weighing about one hundred
. and fifteen pounds, with a very bright
eye, and, on this occasion, he was dress
ed in dark clothes and wore a black
sack oyercoat Mr.. Ramsey, like many
other men in this great, glorious and free
republic, has history. Three years
ago there occurred one of the bitterest
railroad fights that ever was known on
this continent. Joseph Ii. Ramsey,
president of the Albany and Susquehan-
ma railroad was principal of the first
part, and James Fisk, Jr., with Jay
Gould, the great Erie bandit, were prin-
cipals of the second part.
THE ALBANY AND sUsQUEHANNA WAR.
The Erie railroad ring had endeavored
to get control of the Albany and Sus-
quehanna road This man Ramsey,
(weighing only one hundred and fifteen
pounds came to the front att he begin
ming of the fight. Tue stockholders and
directors of the Albany and Susquehan-
ma road were paralysed at the audacity
and impudence of the Erie ring. Conse-
quently they made no fight whatever,
and Ramsey had to bear the heat and
burden of the day. There was one eX-
ceptiOn-an honorable One-his name
was Van Valkenbgurh, an officer of the
Albany and Susquahanna railroad.
VIOLENCE TO FISK, JR.
Coming into contact one day with Col
Fisk, he seized him by the shoulders and
threw him bodily out OF the office, Fisk,
like the youth in the "DeCamerOn, came
no more that day Formonths the courts
were full of the Albany and Susquehan
na-Erie fight. Injunctions were issued
right and left, Barnard working like a
beaver in New York and Judge Peck
ham going him one better necessarily at
Albany. Shares were sold and shares
bought and there was general confu
sion among the cOmbatants.
4 GRAVEYARD.
The Erie ring manufactured a report
that Ramsey had hidden the transfer
books in graveyard, buried ten feet
deep; but on every day of the fight
Ramsey came to the fight fresh as a dali
sey. Fisk mined. and Gould mined. but
Ramsey cOuntermined them both. FL
nally the great struggle was had at
Rochester, and Judge E. Darwin Smith
decided the interminable contest in favor
Of Ramsey. who, as | said before.
weighs hut one hundred and fifteen
pounds To this mantle only one who
/ had ever beaten the Erie ring by strate
gem or fair fight came to get infOr-
nation about this infamous railway
cahal.
RAMSEY RECITEs HIS STORY.
! Mr. Ramsey very quietly took off his
/ coat in my room, sat down put his spec
taclcs on his nose and pulled out his pa
/ pers notes and Preferences. | liked to
look at this little fellow, he was so cool
and sclf-possessed. although there was
red hot coal fire burning in the CRATE.
You know Jay GOuld?" | said
Il know of him." replied the little
man. He was a farmer in early life
that was his trade-and had charge Of a
tannery for Colonel Zadoc Pratt. This
tanncry was in Pennsylvania. Colonel
Pratt who was well known in New
York State, as an estimable and hOn0ra-
bic gentleman, got rid of Jay Gould ut
a c0stof 800 600"
Can you explain to me. said |,
"what became of that 100000 10 which
Won refer"
ABOUT THAT 800 900.
No. replied Ramsey. 1.-THE courts
will decide that some day-that is when
the day of judgment comes You had
better sec Mr.. Southmayd about that.
There Rs another little matter that might .
be explained about how Mr.. Loop was /.
sWindled. Gould, after that was clerk
in ex-senator Berhan's country store at
RoXhury. Delaware county. y. \. BY /.
the way. Mr. HeraH Commissioner. / .
might state here that Mr.. Gould was
i s4l IL
the Sheriff 5 jurisdiction there"
GoT-rD's TNFA>Iy
wen. said l. Mr.. Ramsey. can YOU
not tell me something of the career of .
Mr. Gould in the Erie complication ?"
The little man frightened I'D and an
-Wcrcd:
L suppose we might as well proceed
to that at once. In the fall of 1867 Fisk.
Gould and Eldridgc obtained bvpurchasc
great number Of proxies for the pur-
pose of controlling thcclcction of direct
ors Of the Erie railroad for that year.
Eldridge. who was keen fellow. wa
interested iR obtaining aid from the Eric.
ring for his Boston, Hartford and Fish
XIII railroad project.
THE ro.roT ,vn rIsurI,1 .wIxn5r
l,-I,, I,;,, H., ..,,t Cl,,1I .,.,l ~,
to vorl; in ncfarions way Fisl, and
Gould had been in the habit of obtaining
nrovios for Daniel Drew. fhe nroXia7
were obtained and sold Inv FisL, td GouId
and Eldridge. In this yiuainons waV
they carried the election. The old hoard
was turned ont in which was incInJed
Daniel Drew One of the members If
the hoard, however, resigned and Drew
was elected in his place, Tbesc stock
iobbing wretcbes thus gained control Of
that great property
THE GREAT ERIE RovD sw1vD1r
..Can ,,a,, 4au ,,a NJ D. ",.....
J., oaI you teli me- MI NaiiiSey' SOME
t31hg ABOUT tne great is lSsuo OF conVertl- .
ole Roll(i !, at tnat tlh 1e.:,
~ cS. SAID the little man RAMSEY. / .