The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-01-28
NEW YORK PARVENUs.
The Modern ArIstOcracy OF Railroad and
Sleeping Cars.
New York correspondence Cincinnati Ga


The Modern ArIstOcracy OF Railroad and
Sleeping Cars.
New York correspondence Cincinnati Ga
Eette.
While the old aristOcracy is decaying,
new names are steady claiming rank.
An old family drops out of notice in the
failure of the Arnolds. who once held first
rank in Madison avenue. The Dash fam
lily also disappear-sunk in the same Ca
lamity. Aristocracy has its incessant
changes, and when a name SINKS it never
reappeaTs. You will sometimes find the
remnants of these once splendid families
living in tenement houses amid the dark
misery of the squalid poor. Among the
new names which appear in the arIstocrat-
ic ranks the railroad kings hold prece-
dence. There is VIM. II. Vanderbilt
who few years ago was farming ON
Staten Island at so poor rate that he
! could not pay n mortgage of $4,000. Al
present however he is a capitalist of SOU, :
600, OO0, and can pay $30,OO0 for IA picture
He has palace under construction whose
cost will not be less then $1,000, Goa
sum which, large as is may appear to
others, is but One-sixth of his income.
What u specimen does this man afford
of rapid and almost incredible wealth
The recent Hayne- Wagner nuptials call
attention TO another remarkable in
stance. Wagner. 1t is true, is not as rich
as Vanderbilt but in his case there was
no inheritance. Hence he is entitled to
q high degree of credit for genius and
energy. The Hayne- Wagner nuptIals
were the most splendid this city has
seen in a long time. Diamonds giIttered
satins rustled and the trousseau exhaust
ed the highest combination of wealth
and taste. How strange it seems In
viewing such brilliant affair TO recall
| the fact that Webster Wagner-the own.
er of so many palace caFs-began life as
a wagon maker in far inland village
Time was when it was hit for him to
find sale for sleigh or buggy. At pres
ent. however, this man is worth his mil.
| lions.
The tale is q simple one. The wagon.
maker finding the business dull, obtains
the position of a station agent at the
same village (Palatine on the line Gen.
trail Hudson rOute) and the trade he once
carried on leads to suggestions concern.
| ing car improvements. He sees how
ventilation may be increased by elevat
ing panel in the ceiling. He takes 8
patent for this idea, and sells it to the
company for $4,000. This was Il
capital hit, and yet il was the merest trIfle
compared with that which was to follow
While pursuing the same effort for i'm
prOvement, he invented the sleeping car
and then all that was necessary was r.
interest the maganates of the road In the
scheme. The result is the formation of =
company whose stock is distributed
among those who controlled the roads
and who thus held the cream of the
travel, leaving the rest for the other share
holders Wagner's stock now pays about
| fifty-five per cent per annum. a cal
which cost $12, 900 will yield an average
return of $1,000 a month. The system
has increased until Wagner's cars ruu
from Chicago to Boston This accounts
for the fact that the former wagon maker
aud station agent now appears in con
nection with this Offering and gaudy
nuptial occasion. He is now a member
Of the new aristocracy. Wagner is I'm
changed by his elevation. He is plain
unassuming business man, and retains hi:
residence in the same village where BIZ
began as a wagon maker. The fact tha
success has not turned his head is one
of the best proofs of true manhood.