The sun., 1878-06-11
Mr.. VANDERBILT'S BUSINESS
THE NEWEST SCHEMES OF THE RAIL
WAY MONARCH DISCUSSED.
| with nm Income Of several millions Annually.
yet borrowing Money-The Twcnty-third
| street specuIator-' Timely Discovery.


Everybody is asking, "what did William
II. Vanderbilt 20 TO Europe for2"
Since his return. on Saturday tho newspapers
have bccn propOunding various theories. and
somo Of them most ridiculous ones At present
there is no one except Mr.. Vanderbilt who can
authoritatvely answer the question. and it is
not likely that he will until the information can
he Of no possible use to Wall street and the
people who might profit by it.
The schomcs of Mr.. Vanderbilt in order to
succeed, have to be kept secret in their nccp-
ton. In spite Of the unfavorable comparisons
drawn by envious busybodics between the new
railroad king aud the late Commodore. it Is
very certain that the son knows enough to keep
his mouth shut, and very tight. too.
In his interviews with the reporters on Satur-
day they were unable to obtain the slightest
hint Of what he had boen doing while abroad.
He did not seem especially Interested in estab-
fishing cattle yards in Liverpool in introduc-
ing the Wagner sleeping and drawing room
cars on English railways. in negotiating for the
purchase OF the Atlantic and Great Western
Railroad. in buying up u controlling interest in
| Erie. nor in running n special line Of steam
| ships across the Atlantic
He was willing to listen to the schemes with
which he had bccn credited. and seemed
amused instead OF bored at the recital. nut no
| pump ever drew less water out Of a dryer we'll
| Tho rcportorial proboscis WIS withdrawn unsa-
| tiatcd. and Mr.. Vanderbilt drove away from the
! wharf trumphanty in his carriage.
| II il tocrnhly certain that the New York
] Central kalrOad will bc connected at no dis
| Ant day with n line Of steamships running ho-
! tween New York and Liverpool. and II IS prob
| able that these steamers will he owned 10y the
! company. Tho other trunk lines of railroad
| have either had steamship lines Of thcir own. of
! have made special arrangements with exist M
! companies Tor the transportation Of their
freight and passenecrs across the Atlantic fol
several years past Tho Erie. particularly. has
| built up both freight and passenger traffic to d
| large extent at the expense of New York Cen
| iral 10y close arrangements with steamship
1t is not likely. however. that Mr. Vanderbilt
! crossed the ocean and hunted around European
| capitals To buy Steamship. People who waui
| to buy and have the money to pay for thcii
! purchases. ARE generally waited upon. by other.
! who want to sell out Probably Mr. Vanderbilt
has been waited upon 10y representatives o
! every prominent shipbuilding firm in Europe
and America. since his trip To- Europe last year
| when Il WIS generally undersi .od that he want
Railroad.
So far as establishing cattle ynrds in Liver.
| pool * concerned. that is a matter Of detail In
| which Mr.. Vanderbilt is hut slightly Interested
Such work is peculiarly the task Of subOr-
dinnte.
The most plausible theory in regard to the
visit of Mr.. Vanderbilt to Europe is that h,
| went over lust as every other grpnt railroad
magnate for years past has gone ovcr-tO bor-
r. u.
| income ot several millions per hnnum he i-
| ahundantly able To- keep tho wolf from the door
but there are many and peculiar reasons why
| If needed. instead of New York
In tn" first place il is cheaper. In the next h.
| can borrow il for a longer period. and again n,
can do ii with grcuter secrecy. The act that
/ Mr. Vanderbilt would wish to borrow secretly
Is not NJ all an oyidenc" Of weakness. II he bor-
! rows largely IN New York every Qtuhunc cries
| ont. What does he want So mn III ready none,
t.rf, and torthwitf gossip becomes busy. an,
| Mr. NAndcrblts plans are in danger of brcum
lhE khoWn. II su,riy alt"r he ha- negotiated
q loan Of four or five millions OF dollars. LAX,
Shore becomes actve and higher. Wall stree
scents out the purchaser, and everybody goes
In To keep the railroad king company whei
ne wants the mark.t 70 himself. Severn
months ago the Twcnty-thrd street par
ties made considerable money in thii
way by discovering that Mr. VANDERBILT
had borrowed large amountoi money in Wal
street. Iney kept wilde awake. ana when Lake
Shore began to move NJ these keen-Wlttr,
operators had many thousand shares to dispos
II will be remembered with what secrecy Mr.
Vanderbilt e.nvclopcd his departure for Europ
last year. His most intimate friends knew
nothing OF his intended "trip until the evcnin.
before he sailed. and then II only leaked ou
informed in regard to the movements Of promi
ncnt pcrsonagrs.
It must 9e qpderst9od that tho money Dor
rowed by Mr.. Vanderbilt in Wall street upo
| pledge OF his securities ~ always paid up in
short time out Of his Immense income.
| Last year his trip TO Europe was followed In
81 to 81. II WIS the most complete surprise I
stock operators. particularly SO when he hH
not been known to borrow any money or plcdg
any securities in Wall street. Yet 1t transpirc
that outside OF himself and Jay Gould thcr
was no Western stock of any amount.
Unless he had fort. fed himself in Europ
with ready money for his enormous purchase
of Western Union it is difficult to imagin
whore he obtained margin for his stock withou
/ publicity.
Mr.. Vanderbilt madc several millions by IN
rise In Western Union. and IL was well wort
his while TO 20 to Europe to obtain the rcquis II
funds for his purchases If he could the bette
deceive Wall street.
Exactly what Mr.. Vanderbilt Is going TO Il
now is hard TO predict. He has bought II
Michigan Central and Canada southern sine
the death OF the Commodore. and If his trip I
Europe has been made TO obtain funds to lu
other property 1t is not clear what line h
wants, Holding the great lines between Buifal
and Chicago. he eau only be reaching furthe
west. II would not be- strange II, as in Wester
Union. last summer. Jay Could and William 4
Vanderbilt were working together to cOntr,
the business Of n continent. Mr. Vanderbilt
a great stock operator; he ha. immense weatl
and the ready money to carry out his plans ca
always bee procured here or in London upo
pledge OF very small par Of the many fl
securities in his enormous safes.
MRS. BENEFITS LAHSCIT.