The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-30
YANDERBILT At s4R.lTOG4.
what the Railroad Conference has Done-The
Policy of Mr.. w. n. Vnnderbiit-Too Many
Irons In the Fire.


philologists have all given us a turn. Just now
we are full Of politicians gamblers. and sport
ing men.
The conference Of the railroad mon was the
longest. and ought to have been the most i'm
portnnt. II lasted for nearly three weeks. and
was concluded by the meeting Of such big gums
as Mr. Scott Mr.. Jewctt. AMI Mr.. King. the lntter
Of whom. during Mr.. CARROTS European trip.
is the head Of the Baltimore and Ohio. They
were constantly postponing their attendance.
but the heat in the cities and the racing AMI
other attractions Of Saratoga induced them at
last 10 pay flying visit to the United States
Hotel. In this way Mr. Vanderbilt was for
something like three weeks comforting merely
with his own officials. md only for n day or two
with tho heads Of the great lines connecting
with him.
That tho meeting was upon the whole an in
formal and friendly one seems to be evident
from the fact that while Mr.. Vanderbilt called
at Mr.. Jewctts parlor. in tho room next to II
four Of their business friends were INDUCING
In n quiet game Of point euchrc. and continued
to do so al the time the two eminent gentlemen
were confcrring
There Is n rumor current among Mr.. Wander
bits friends that he has both Mr.. Jewett and
the Eric road in his power. Tho evidence Of
facts contrndicts this rumor however Mr.
Jcwett seems IN preserve n very Independent
attitude toward Mr.. Vanderbilt. At tho begin
ming Of the conference. Mr.. Vanderbilt seems to
have expressed his intention TO cut OF both the
Erie and the Grand Trunk and to reduce them
to the position OF mere local roads. unless they
would agree to his terms. Mr.. Jcwett did not
seem to mind this threat at all. When Mr.
vanderbilts intentions and demands were
communicated to him. he is reported to have
said:
II don't believe n word OF all this. II Mr..
Vanderbilt IL not genius he Is not fool
either. and he knows how TO take caro- II his
interests. He must he well aware that the Erie
does not want his Lake Shore, and still less his
Michigan Central. We have an independent
connection with Chicago by tho Atlantic and
Great Western and the Fort Wayne roads.
Apart from that. we have tho lakes. which we
do not utilize now. solely out Of regard 20 our
rallrond affiliations. We can bring freghts 10y
the lakes from Chicago for q. cents md make
money by it. while by rail 1t costs us 8
cents 1t would not take Us moro than
three months TO organic the water route aud
to damage both the Lake Shore and the Mch-
gan worry seriously. Mr.. Vanderbilt knows all
tl.s. and he knows. also. that it will be- done IN
case he makes any attempt TO dictate the law TO
rs. He has altogether too many things on
hand O. be able 10 assume commanding att-
tube"
To find out what was being done at this con-
crcnce was 10y no means an easy task. There
were half dozen newspaper mcu in attend-
unce here. hut none of them. with the execution
~ Mr. Hiram Cnikins. were able To- learn
much. This gentleman. having been Clerk of
tho S'nate NJ Albany. had occasion e. rem
Ter services to the Vanderbilt concern. and wis
now rewarded 20 some extent from hcaduunr-
10 81.
les or sent away with an abrupt Their j.
nothing TINT can tell or that can De- Of intcrc=,
to the public"
This fact is. perhaps, one Of the best proofs
thot the conference was not successful. for il
had been so Mr.. Vanderbilt would have taken
good care 20 make II known TO the pr S. His
c'urtlcrs-nnd there are great many Of them
hcrc-siand around him ike thick palisade.
and no outsider can approach him except
through an Introduction OF one Of these fellow.
whose duty II seems 20 be TO guard him from
outside influences. For this work Of protec-
ton, combined with n good deal Of nattcry. he
pays them IN points on Lake Shore. Michi-
gan. Western Union, and Now YORK Central |
am told that whenever any Of these fellows
wants to mako few thousand dollars. be- has
mas only to say to Mr.. Vanderbilt that he is q
man Of greater genius than the late Commo-
dorc. that he Is one Of the hanlsomest and most
refined gentlemen in the world. or that Mrs.
So-and-so Is madIy in love. and 40 on.
Some said. however. that the way TO obtain IN
formation rs to what was going on at the meet
ings was to appear perfectly unconcerned in
the matter and 60 indulge in sociable drinks
with such Of Mr.. Nanderbilts courters rs ono
happened TO know. 1t would appear finally:
]. That after the meeting was over Mr.. W. II.
Vanderbilt had a big personal quarrel with Tom
Scotia quarrel which must upset any agree
ment that might have becn arrived at.
H. That M Jewett did not yield jot TO Mr.
Vanderbilt. and made him understand. in "a
polite and circumlocutory way that he Mr.
Vanderbilt. had too many irons In the fire. and
that II was. in any case. utterly Impossible for
him 20 keep both the Lake Shore and the Michi-
gan alive. Ono Of these roads must be ruined
III. Tint II was difficult to say now which Of
the two roads was 10 go to the wall. Indications
on this subject could be gathered in Wall street
only by watching which of the two stocks Mr.
Vanderbilt will he selling. He is supposed to
hold about 100000 shares Of Lake Shore tout oi
5OO.0OOl and about Ss.OOO 900 worth OF Michi-
gan Central tout OF Sls 600 oOOl. A short timo
ago he began to sell some Lake Shore. but
seems to have bought 1t back again within the
last few weeks. when he saw that Jim Keone and
Russell Sage were likely TO obtain control Of the
~ That Mr. Vanderbilt's profcssed policy #
retrenchment and economy was humbug. H.
cuts on freight and passenger agencies under
the pretence 81 their being paid useless COM
missions, and keeps on paying fifteen per cent
commission 70 the Merchants Despatch Com
p1ny on all freights which 40 b. his roads. He
docs SO because the Merchants u nspntch Conn
pany is u close corporation, uf which hc is tho
principal stockholdrr. Tho same thing might
be said Of the Wagner Parlor Car Company. ~
which the stock is held almost exclusively Ia
his family. and from which something like
S,o00,000 profit Is divided every year It is
argued that with the outlay Of one or two years
dividend ON this stock The New York Central
might have built Sleeping and parlor cars of lis
own.
V. That he owns the whole Of the Canada
Southern Railroad which Is one Of the feeders
Of tho Michigan Central. and that. consequent
on that, it was likely TINT he would stand by the
Michigan and let the Lake Shore go
Tho trouble with Mr. Vanderbilt" said
very impartial and well-hfornied observer 10
me, is that he is 50 confoundrdly selfish. lie
thinks Of nothing but his own self. Wi;h Gar.
rctt. Baltimore is first and Garrett SECOND. With