The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-05-23
VANDERBILT.

What He Says About His Western Trip.
After his return to New York city,
Mr.. William II. Vanderbilt said to To-
cal reporter:
81 had no particular object in going
west, except to see the country and Sc
cure much needed recreation. l was
not after any additional railroad proper
ty, as reported. Railroads seek me.
There is scarcely day that / am not
importuned to take control of western
and other railroads, which 1 refuse.
There seems to be popular impression
that l am ambitious to enlarge my con-
troll of railroads. This is mistake, and
have more trouble in shaking them off
than in securing them"
In reply to an inquiry concerning his
impressions of the west, Mr.. Vanderbilt
said:
at is beautiful, magnificent coun-
try. When / listened to the descriptions
given by merchants and others from the
west, l thought they exaggerated; but /
found that the half had not been told.
In Missouri and Kansas the wheat is
several inches high and looks well, and
the farmers have put all their corn in,
while at Buffalo we met ice, and in the
northern part of the state there was
snow. When we look at the large farms
of wheat and corn, extending for scores
of miles, the first impression is that there
will not be railroads enough to carry
the crops; but the fact Is that there are
| three roads where only one of them pays.
The great fear is that the west will over
do it. They have built too many roads
out there, and many of these are bank
rupt. There are lot of people out west
now buying up bankrupt roads because
they can be bought cheap. The COM
bination, as it is called here, now has a
number of bankrupt roads ON its hands.
The strangest thing is that the people
are so easily gulled by the representa-
tiOns on Wall street to invest in the al
most worthless securities OF these roads
at from Is to 80 per cent advance"
IMPRESSIONS OF WESTERN CITIES.
81 went as far west as Omaha con-
| tinued Mr.. Vanderbilt, land went down
to st. Joseph and Kansas City. On pre-
viOus visits did not go beyond Chicago;
but wanted to see the country, and /
am satisfied with the trip. st. Louis is
great city. It is rival of Chicago,
and the Improvements since my last Wis
it there, in 1870, are wonderful. There
| Is new union depot, which is great
advantage. There is an air of solidity
| about the business men of st. Louis, and
1 they are active and wide awake. The
Missouri Pacific road, now managed by
the GarrisOns, is a valuable piece of
property. The road is in excellent or
der, and runs through splendid cOun-
try. Having been a farmer for twenty
years, saw at a glance what a beautiful
country it was. ! renamed over night
at Sedalia. which is a nice city, with ex-
cellent railroad facilities. Kansas City
is great place-full of business and &C
tivity. st. Joseph is also a fine place,
with active business and handsome resi-
dences, but it lacks the railroad facilities
of Kansas City. The great agricultural
belt of Missouri and Kansas, / was told,
runs for two or three hundred miles
west of the Missouri river until it strikes
the sand plains. 1t is wonderful coun-
try, and shows how the Almighty has
provided an abundance for u.s."
In regard to the negro immigration
into Kansas and Missouri, Mr.. Wander
bilt said:
81 did not visit the sections where the
southern negroes have gone, but / heard
la good deal about them. This is not the
kind of immigration that the West needs.
Those men who go west to squat and re-
frain from work, or work two or three
days and sun themselves the rest of the
week, are not wanted. The west requires
immigrants who will be ready to work,
and who viii be thrifty and saving of
their money. Such men succeed there
and are respected"