Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-06
Aancaster f1ttelligencer.
1oNn.Y EVENING, AUG. 9. 1888.


MONDAY EVENING. AUG. 9, 1883.
yanderblIt's Views.
Mr.. Vanderbilt sees ft at this time to
communicate with the public. He has
aubmitted to be interviewed, or probably,
to state the case more accurately, we
need to say that he has caused him.
self to be interviewed. Evidently lie had
something to say publicly. He desired
to tell the public that business generally
was good, and in particular that the
business of the railroads in which Mr.
Vanderbilt was interested was particu-
larly fine. He had no desire to sell any
part of his interest in them. A few years
ago he did not seem to have SO good an
idea of the value of the New York Gen.
tral railroad stock, which he now lauds
highly. He sold a great block of 1t and
invested the proceeds in government
bonds. This was at time when the
stock was more highly valued by the
public than it is now. But the people
are always apparently possessed of
wrong idea about the values OF Mr..
Vanderbilt's railroads. he engages in
the amiable effort to make their under
standing better. He kindly places at
their disposal the ready tongue of his
spokesman, Chauncey NJ. Depew, esq +,
who occupies the position of attorney
for Mr.. Vanderbilt's railroads, and who
engages in professional exhibitions OF
multifarious kinds in their behalf.
When the Legislature is in session he is
busy with it and its commissioners. In
the vacation season he seems to stay by
his chief at Saratoga, ready to speak for
him. He is in charge of Mr.. Wander
bilt's facts and their manipulation,
and The reporter of the associated press,
who came to Mr.. Vanderbilt for infor.
nation, was referred by him to Mr..
Depew, sitting conveniently adjacent,
to get the load that was appointed to be
fired into the public mind. Mr.. Depew
got along swimmingly and easily. If
we could believe what Mr.. Depew said
we would all realize that the profitable
business we are now doing had put us in
possession of abundant cash, which it
would he foolish in us to invest in any
thing else but New York Central rail
road stock.
When Mr.. Depew's speech about good
crops, good business and the good rail
roads of Mr.. Vanderbilt had run out, the
chief himself came forward with a
declaration in an impressive voice that
it had always been his practice
when he found that he had a good thing
to keep it. That, we venture to say, is
a very universal practice, and by nc
means unique in Mr.. Vanderbilt. But
it was rashly said in view of that sale OF
his of New York Central stock which
Mr.. Depew was boosting, and which Mr..
Vanderbilt declared TO be now the very
best thing entirely that he knew of. Mr..
Vanderbilt's practice is undoubtedly tC
sell bad thing when he knows he has
it. He seems to he governed by very
ordinary human impulses. But it would
have been very we'll if he had explained
why New York Central stock was good
thing TO sell few years ago, and a good
thing to purchase now especially in
view of the fact that he is himself build
ing another through western line in
Pennsylvania, and some other fellows are
paralleling his old road in New York.
We fear that Mr.. Vanderbilt does 70,
sufficiently realize the fact that the pub
lie are not prepared to take his word as
gospel truth. The fact is, that our ex
perience teaches us to..believe that when
he talks to the public he does not mean
what he says. 1t is but short while
since that he publicly proclaimed tina.
the " Nickel Plate " road was of no ac
count whatever to him ; and yet few
weeks afterwards he bought it at a great
profit to it's builders, who had construct
ed it on purpose to "strike him for tile
profit he got.
Mr.. Vanderbilt is a very importal
man because of the great capital lie
wields and his words are worth listen
ing to, even though they need to be read
backwards. Properly understood he
gives notice that he would like to give
some one else an opportunity to make
the fine profit yet to be realized out of
the New York Central stock he still
holds.