The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-04
PITrsBURG, Feb. l, 1873.

| COrT6SpOuu0nC
| PITTsBURG, Feb I, 1873
| That might pierce the mystery in which the
| statements and counter-statements flying around
the newspapers have enshrOuded the origin Of the
| Credit Mobilier Company went up to Butler to-
day, village handy to this city, and sought out
| the man who obtained the charter for the COM
| pany from the Pennsylvania Legislature. WANTED
| to hear the story from his own lips and in this
succeeded Colonel Jacob Zieger of Butler, Pa,
| whose many years spent in and about the sta tie
| Capitol at Harrisburg never produced such
| famous fruit when lac gave legal. form
| and substance to the mighty Credit Mobier
| snake, whose convoutiOns now involving
| nearly every man OF "innuence" in the country
who has ever been within the sweep of its tail or
| under the fatal fascination OF its eye.
The story the charter, which is herewith given,
is in as nearly his own words as may be, and with
as lew Interruptions as were necessary to bring
out all the points OF interest
THE TRUE STORY THE CHARTER
1t was in the Winter OF 1885, said Colonel Zeigler,
when l was Clerk of the Senate, that, happening
to be stopping at the Continental Hotel, in Phia-
delphia, was introduced to Duff Green of Wash
ington city. He was Of the magnificent type Of
fine old Southern gentlemen one used to see
in those days. Tall, spare white headed and
clean shaven, and with u peculiar, quick nervous
| and vigorous movement he was a man that would
| have been noticeable in any company. But his
| mind was much more remarkable than his body.
| He was an imperial imaginatiOn-an imperial mag
| nation, sir; there Is no other word for it-and
| this, combined with temperament OF unmistaka-
BILE hOpefulness, made him exceeding fascinating
man. If Train could be tanned down somewhat and
his eccentricty modified with strong element of
| had ha un,,Id ,ac OH INF
had been the editor of Washington newspaper
| for many years; but he failed at length, such
man was pretty sure to do. But the failure
did not disturb his hOpefulness in the least
He plunged at into various railroad
| schemes in the Southern States all of which were
| very magnificent, most Of which have since been
realized, but out of none Of which did Mr.. Green
make cent. Poor Duff! he could predict things In
the future q remarkable way, as II by q sort Of
instinct, but 1t didn't do him much good.
DUFF GREEN'S PACIFIC RAILROAD.
Well, it was while manGuvring through the
| South and Southwest that Green conceived the
feasibility OF constructing railroad through Texas
to the Pacific Ocean. The idea once entered into
| him could never be exercised. 1t took utter pos
session of him, like the devil did Of the swine, and
consumed him as the thirst for the Presi-
dency did Henry Clay or Mr. Greeley.
1t was Just about this time that the great
| French Mobiler Company, organized by and run
| under the patronage of the Emperor Napoleon, be-
| came known in this country, and Duff Green got
| hold of it. He came up to Philadelphia with q
trunk full Of statistics and documents showing
what wonderful things for France this company had
! done. This was the whole capital with which poor
Duff invaded Pennsylvania with the intention OF
organizing plan which would accomplish the then
chimerical scheme OF spanning the continent from
ocean to ocean with the first Pacific Railroad, and
which did accomplish 1t, too. but in vastly differ
ent way from what Green ever thought of.
THE ORIGINATOR OF TIE CREDIT MoBILIER.
| REPORTER-Then DUFF Green was the real origin
| ator OF the Credit Mober Company.
! ZEIGLER-0h yes-that is, he originated the idea;
but Lord, he would have made a pretty mess OF IL
men. He had charter drawn up which was
curiosity tell YOU. Talk about the powers the
charter would have given the company power to
run, not only Pacific railroad but the govern
ment OF the United states and all Europe besides.
1t full of wild absurdities and Irregularities,
such has would have snagged it in far more easy
| going Legislature than that OF Pennsyvania-ifa any
such there be. / took 1t and pruned 1t and put 1t
into sEape-in fact got 1t all up pretty much new
| again.
REPoRrER-Then you drafted the charter as it
ZEIGLER-Yes, and old Governor Porter. Dur
Green got Porter and myself almost excited as
| he was himself by his glowing pictures OF the pos
sibilities OF his scheme as grand measure OF ma
| tiona improvement, and we entered into 1t
| y,
! through for him.
| REPoRTER-Were you, then, the only corporators'
| ZEIGLER-Oh no; we three and Charley Hail. OF
! Philadelphia were the only men who took any
| real interest in it, Then put in the names OF
| eight or ten other men, mostly politicians around
| Harrlsburg-Asa Packer was one OF them-and
showed 1t through
There wasn't any great difncuty, continued
| Zeigler. None OF the legislators had any serious
objection TO 1t. In fact, they knew nothing OF its
powers and we couldn't get them to examine 1t.
| That was the only difficulty. They regarded 1t
| A
| and we had hard work to convince them that il
| was not. They absolutely laughed us out of the
| name, for one thing.
REPoRTER-How was that9
| ZEIGLER-Why, when proposed the Credit Mo-
ber bill to them they first stared and then roared
with laughter. 1t was such q funny name, they
said. What did we tack such Dutchy title to our
bill forr The title was Illegal clear attempt TO
cover up snake inside with name taken
| from a bill OF fare, and 50 on. And,
then, when demonstrated with them and ex-
planned, they said they were suspicious OF sucn a
| damned French name, anyhow. Their constituents
would at once suspect bill with such a ridiculous
foreign name like that; and SO we droppeap o tne
| sylvania Fiscal Agency ] had more troup,e VII"
Dun Green than had with the assembly NEIL zen;
| They had no objection TO the Fiscal Agency, wv
| Dun rot angry at their objections 10 tne Creui.
| Mobilier and the Jokes at his project. lie wantea
| TO abandon the whole thing ,,,...,,.,
"What is the use, ~ he said TO me, 'ol tIlnlng WIN
| these ignoramusesf they can't see thing when
| IT'S held right mn before them, ana they make
| Joke of what their children will think the most
| magnificent work OF the century: ~ Is casting
pearls before swine to let these fellows act on THIS
/ charter.