New-York tribune., 1876-09-30
COZ. TTLDEN as 4 RAILROAD CONSOLE
DIIOR.
"LoNG JOHN WENTWORTH" GIVES A LIVELY PIC
TURE OF HIS SERVICES TO AN ILLINOIS RAIL-
ROAD.

"LoNG JOHN WENTWORTH" GIVES LIVELY PIC
TURE OF HIS SERVICES TO AN ILLINOIS RAIL-
from John Rsnttcorth's Speech IN Chicdgo.
Some years ago was started a railroad toward
GaleDa called the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
IL was the first road started. IL was the peoples
road II made by the people and Tor their benefit
Every man along the line took share II nc had not the
We got M as far us Freepor In one direction to
f0DGeS f Ga %I Rapas ds another recon Tn road pa
dividend semiannualiy ali along IL was consd red AS
funds of widows and orphans, were invested in its
stock. The men who managed IL were an eeOnom-
zeal Of Their salaries were very low The pres
ient got about 900 tor his services and the lawyer
did the whole business OF the road now your Cor
pOratOn Counsel, Elliot Anthony, lac had $1,000 year,
aud everything else was done upon ah eco1omlcai pa
sis. 1 member OF the Auditing Committee.
Every bill that contracted on thaE road passed
through my hands, and had no pay for my services.
II there was cause for complaints along the line OF
TO- and when there was annual election, every man
who had share had free ticket for bls wife and
merely matter OF form, and attention was paid to
the collection OF proxe. And one time, while We sup
IRON any quarter But on came Samuel ]. Tilden with
lot OF from New-lork City and stepped into the
wiped out, and was ever afterward known as tue
Northwestern. lCheers aud laughterl The doeu-
Tilden; the whole thing was manipulated Dy
hun and now, II you want TO sec the merits Of that con-
sOlidauOn how IL tnat those men had claims upon
the trust funds-the funds the widows and orphans
that invested Ia that road VIII read 10 you Til
den bought merely uonllun lnc Danh-
rupt concern called the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad
Company another bankrupt concern-the 81, Paul and
Fond Lac Railroad Company; another One--the
Peninsula and Marquette Railroad Company Now, the
beauty OF that consolidation with the GeeDa Road was,
that white OF Chicago had to about 400
miles and large distance over the lake in steamboat
TO get TO It, laughterJ Whether they consolidated the
steamboat or not don't know. Laughter.l They had
also got the Hamilton Extension Railroad Company and
then the Chicago and Western Company They had
bought these up for nominal sum- and stepped rgHt In
and took ours We had the least idea there was any
opposition the road and made no efforts to collect the
proxies They went around purchasing stocks and took
little up here and little there until tney got major
iy What did this great refOrmer do The first thing
was 10 declare dividend OF per cent the whole OF
tha road the most Of which they stole from
having made the dividend OF 3per cent put their stock
I'D and enabled them 70 unload and they sold back the
stock nj an enormous pront. have never heard the
potts OF Mr. Tlden estimated Mt less than quarter OF
million OF dollars In that operation. ApplhRsel Now
what else did they do talking TO the faracrs and
am gad 10 farmers here. end am glad " see
Of my Indiana friends here Tho nrst thlng they
coarse grain "a per cent upon Hour "a