New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-24
RAPID TRANSIT.
VIEWS OF COMMODORE VANDERBILT AND
OTHERS.


CITY-HIs PLANS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE
THIRD AVENUE RAnwAY-No PROFITS TO BE
EXPECTED FROM RAPID TRANSIT sCHEMEs-sC0-
GEsTIONs FROM W. II. MORRILL,.
A reporter of THE TRIBUNE visited COmmO-
eore Vanderbilt yesterday he proposed to take
any action under the Rapid Transit law Mr.. van
derbilt stated very emphatically that he would nave
nothing 10 do with rapid transit to the lower part
Of the city. AT tme he said offered to FURNISH
rapd transit TO the City Hall Park but legislative action
was necessary and the took hold OF the matter
the papers began cry out Monopoly! and the scheme
was defeated. Whenever attempt anything the people
call it monopoly. have therefore dropped the ques-
ton Of quick transit to the lower part OF the CITY,
and shall have nothing more to do with IL.
At the time that j proposed to build roao
70 the City Hall, 1t was my intention I"
invest II necessary for the completion OF the WORK. "s
much as S. 900 900 the enterprise, and when IL Was
completed to make present of 1t to the city, OF course
n would not do then for TO anything OF ths Knu
NJ they would have only said humbug aud, as they re-
fused 10 the road IN the way wished 10 construct
It. they will have TO get 1t the best way tney can
There was no money in the enterprise TO me- ana
there Is little considered as ali investment III 'ho
recent improvements above Forty-seeondst' can say
truhfully never undertook anything Simply on account
Of the money hoped TO make by It. nave Always
taken great deal OF pride III doing my WORK III such
way as TO add 10 the ornamental display OF the CITY,
ave are now able to rn." said Commodore Vanderbilt
and shall run, as many Trains hNh wv NNf"' Wv
Forty-second-st. as may be necessary TO ACCOM-
MEDIATE the travelling public, and at as low
fares as possible and continue to expenses My plan
has always been TO keep fares down as low as poloe
OF course the more passengers we shall have 10 carry!
the cheaper shall be able to make the rate But stn
Il will be impossible TO make the transportaon-say from
Harlem the City Ha-as cheap as 1t might De upon
one continuous ne the transfer cannot be made without
expense Had there been no objection to my building tne
road should have had it completed last Fall and the
people would have all the rapid transit they need
but repeat, shall have nothing more to do with
the matter shall run my own road and bother my sell
no further about how the people shall get down town
They already have the horse cars"
MR.. vANDERBiLTs COMMENTS ON HIS CAREER
Commodore Vanderbilt seemed TO be in an unusually
communicative mood, and he made the following sug
gestions TO the reporter "when you have lived Sir to
carry as many gray hairs as do You VIII have learned
that there is little sympathy with appreciation OF your
efforts il matters little what may be the circumstances
II you successful in accommodating fortune you VIII
be called Spectator and moDopollst WHILE II you
should fail riches it will all be about the same
"a YOU will talked of in that as one who does not
amount 10 much anyhow. have specuated on
the market and regard nothing less than gambling
operation When was 80 years old had been working
for years for my employer at $1,000 year. ana
when left him had than $4,000 all told"
AFTER q long and very successful life, Commodore
what in your opinion is the true secret OF success III max
ing money!
"save what You have and live within your income.
Avoid all speculation No matter what was making,
always made 1t a rule ~ something ana this course
II persisted ill., is succeed. The money will pile up
in time When working for the gentleman referred
Ia moment ago persuaded him 10 let the profits
i should realize in the business in further ex-
tending 1t. This did until 1t had grown
90 large that In his eyes the amount was
100 large TO risk ne refused to let me go ahead any
longer although he had such confidence in me as TO offer
me a partnership which declined. Since then l have
been operating myself did not accept the partner
ship because knew his other partners and coud not
agree and could quarrel where was one OF the
interested persons. did not object TO insisting upon
the rights of my employer as long as was not directly
Interested but to enter into partnership where knew
should have maintain my own rights by repeated
quarreling, more than would agree TO DO"
POSITION OF THE THIRD AVENUE RAILWAY.
Samuel j. Phillips, President Of the Third Avenue Rail
way Company remarked in to the question OF the
reporter regarding the that will probably DC
adopted by his Company upon the rapid transit question
~ il now presents ITSELF that he hardly knew what to
say had been meeting of the Board since the
Hustled bill signed, and consequently no action had
been taken 1--WE already have rapid transit directly
through the Of the island down as far as Forty
there should be another similar track within 300 feet OF
that now built With the boats on the East River
Grand Central Depot from Westchester County WITHIN
zee what more is wanted several years yet at least
have taken the trouble To have a'caTefu calculation
made of the money we take in from all the passengers
who ride the Thrdaye line above Sixty-hfts ana
ind receipts amount TO only - 100 per DAY inns
Ia for transportation both ways. How steam line ten
to pay the question: considerable number OF those
whom carry would ride on horsecars under any
circumstances Every trip cars make TO Harlem is
loss 10 the Company If could have the profit OF the
fares Of four passengers on each trip MADE Dy our cars
we could make much handsome dividend than we
are now able do. Although paid per cent diyi-
dend year the road did not earn quite per cent
Now, To the increase IN the population OF the upper
Fart % 5e ey H eon n Mr. Philip is
mo doubt that such would be the result but 1t would
come only gradually IT IL question: OF years, curing
which time road could sink fortune we 81 % %
part OF the city, II could see where IL would pay eN
penses. We should not care icr pIont ~ TTu oS
pay expenses but can see no assurance OF nus uong
Ibis. All the city needs. or VIII need III my ohioh iOr
many years yet, Sne Fo1 % TO the City Hail
and this is what believe Will ultimately be done. III
will De matter and can be done without espo.ai
tracks under the tunnel now made TO Thirty
:eeSnd and then at rs ss Where Sep By
little detection to the west, the rails can pass
through the center Of the wide blocks west OF 1e
ordinarily wide, and are not very valuable whe the
center Of them very little us"d As M tne
matter city has already paid oneha OF the expense
of building tunnel above FOIy-seeOnd-st or fOlh-
and the people would thus 1e aoie 10 iT tter
than the enc which cOnemplates Tue erecton Oh un-
nghy structures over the avenues-Dy whieh tne 1p
sty OF comparatively poor men who have invested 'he
savings Of lifetime, II may be- III mouse anu pacc Vi
business, must be seriously danaged-hat cannot De
beye capitalists will invest any large sums ol money
without giving the matter more careful investigation
OPPOSITION FROM CENTRAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
VIM III Morren at No "a West Twenty -hithst. made
the following statements on this subject;
In regard TO the prospects OF rapid transit now
remembered that the Committee to be appointed ny tne
Nayor will have almost unlimited power ana II becomes
oneson OF the greatest importance To the success Oh
the enterprise who to he the i've selected for
this work sincerely desiring as 90 hat some speedy