Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-17
FORTUNES WHEEL.
How It HAS Brought Up California
MiIli0naires.
The Men Who are on Top To-day-Ihe
Second Phase Of Life on That
COast-Building Of the Over
land Railroad.
IIFEON THEPAcIFIC COAST.

/ better suit the conditions to say society was
| demoralized for the want OF women,
| children and home life. Without any 10.
| Justice 70 the argonauts il may be said that
ayarice was the ruling and almost the only
passion brought into play. Itinspired about
| equally the gambler, miser, merchant,
| politician and professional man. 1t Is not
pleasant thus to speak OF the fathers OF
4 State such as this is now, with all the &C
| complishments of a high civilization; but
| il is true. and the truth of history should
| not be sighted. The reader must not forget
| that the rich men of these times were but
moderately wealthy by comparison with
| way and bonanza kings. They who
| could count their 500, 600 clear of debt were
| at the top of fortunes ladder, and the man
| of 500, 900 to $50 900 was regarded as rich.
| 7 could write the names OF some who are In
| the receipt of annual incomes running
| above half million who, prior to 1879,
| were glad to earn $40 to $40 day with pick
| and shovel, or by retailing groceries and
| clothing to the miners in secluded noun
tain towns whose very names have been
| forgotten. The matter of a quarter OF a
| century works great changes in country
\ as fast as this has been in the fortunes of
| individuals, not to speak of town and COM
| munities Not long ago the eight or ten
| wealthiest persons in this State were not
| altogether worth $3.50, 900. The aggre-
gate of their properties now is not less than
500, 600, 600, with a prospective value OF
| twice as much. On the other hand many
of the rich men OF twenty-five years ago
have met their Nemensis and succumoed TO
| poverty-some OF them to
Misery and Want.
| Those who planted have not always
! reaped the harvest. Among the latter was
| T. ID. Judah-the man who first put the
| conception of a transcontinental railway
| into practical form, and BY whose energy
| and Intelligence the Congress OF the United
| States was induced in 1862 to assist the en-
| terprise by donation OF land and the loan
| of the Nations credit to California COM
| pany, of which Judah was the life and
| soul, and TO a connecting company Of East
| ern capitalists. In these labors, from which
| human fortunes have been realized by
| by others, Mr.. Judah wss ably seconded by
1 L. A. Epson, the chief Of the editorial staff
| of the Sacramento Union, and by James
Anthony, Paul Morrill, and H. W. Larkin,
the three proprietors of the paper. The peo-
] ole OF California regarded the scheme with
favor coupled with incrednlity. The business
| of the State was in a depressed condition.
| Mining was not as profitable as it had been,
| and agriculture was but tentative and
| doubtful industry. There had been flood
that drowned out and literally ruined
| great part of the State capital, and destroyed
| probably half the live stock in the great
valleys. From the opening OF 1862 to the
| close of 1868 was incomparably the darkest
| period in the history of California. What
| the overwhelming food Of 1862 left in the
| shape of farm property, the two drought
years of '63.4 swept away; and with it went,
| in great measure, public confidence in the
| capabilities of the State 70 support con-
| siderable population. But the Argonauts
| were tenacious as we'll as avaricious, and,
after a short pause, they took fresh
| courage, and went about the work OF re-
| storation and reproduction with as much
| energy and hope as the Netherlanders dis
| played in the gloomiest years Of that long
struggle with tyrant king. Looking back
| upon those calamitieS and the
Heroic Exertions
| of the people that converted them into
blessings, the man whose confidence in the
future OF the state flags now seems to me
| an arrant coward, as mean in spirit COM
| pared with the pioneers as Digger Indian
TO Sioux brave in his war paint. In fact,
the three terrible years coming in success
sion supplied the inspiration that started
| the Pacific railway on its Greer of success
| full and rapid construction. The central
| source of inspiration was Sacramento. Her
| intelligent, far.secing and partially ruined
| people perceived in that enterprise the
means of supplying new life to them and
the State. The gentlemen above named
| gave voice to the common impulse
| of the people and made the enter
| prise popular and possible Poor
as the county was, it unhesitatingly voted
the then feeble and humble suppliant COM
pany a subsidy of 1900, 900, and exerted the
machinery that induced neghboring coun-
ties to give nearly million more. Mean
| time Judah who was an accomplished civil
engineer had completed the survey of his
| route and successfully piled Congress
to double the land grant and increase the
loan Of the nations credit TO the enormous
| figures of S25, sS5, 900. have neither space
| nor inclination here to dilate on the man.
ner in which the amended bill OF July,
| 1864, was got through that body. But it
has always been my opinion that it was at
least hasty legislation, carrying in its course
| a strong tincture OF fraud and corruption.
| 1t had the merit, whatever that may be
thought, of the general concurrence OF
| members in both houses. 1t was ably sup
ported
As n War Measure
by all the most distinguished members Of
the House, +. B. Washburne, OF Illinois,
| only excepted. 1t was debated and adopt.
ed while the echoes of Grants cannon was
| still heard from the Wilderness aud Spott-
sylysnia, and its passage was regarded by
the people as a union triumph-by those of
California as the salvation of the State, and
| sure guaranty for the revival of her
languishing industries. They did revive,
but not to the extent anticipated, and only
because the men to whose lot the control
| and vast profits of the enterprise fell sub
ordinated the interests OF the State to those
of their corporation, and treated their
benefactors with most rare ingratiture.
The construction Of this railway opens the
second phase of California life after the dis
cOvery of gold; as it also opened a new
era in rsilrosding in America. Very few
of the pioneers whose explorations had ia
milisrized them with the difficulties OF a
passage through the Sierra believed ii pos
sible TO ever run train of cars through any
of the several passes 1t is one OF the few
after they had got fairly started they push
ed the work of construction through with
unprecedented energy, undaunted by any
of the many natural distractions. The
discount upon this merit will be found In
the conspicuous facts that they risked no
money OF their own, having none to risk,
and that the means supplied by loans at
| low interest, when money was generally
rating very high in commercial circles, and
| w aIu kbSo, NOiC
tied. 1t may also be mentioned in this
connection that most Of the work OF con-
struction was done by the then
Cheapest or Chinese Labor.
at $50 to $50 per month. when white labor
was worth $50 and SIS. II there is any
parallel in modern history or any history
TO the suddenness and immensity of the
wealth and power accumulated by the five
principal individuals in this railway cor.
poration, have not heard of it. The four
bonanza kings are supposed to have realized
about $lOO. 0OO, 90 in the course Of seven OF
eight years; but their present income is in.
significant compared With the net earnings
of the railways owned by these Eve per
sons; and their railvaysare probably worth
less as to the future than their millions OF
scres of land, nearly all Of which eludes
taxation. The wealth of Wander.
bilt is the accumulation OF nearly two
lives. That Jay Gould ia clouded with un.
certainty. Three generations of the Roth,
childs have less to show than these FIVE