Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1883-01-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
How William z. Dodge Made
Money Where Other People
Lost Theirs.
LFrom tl.e !slbanr Erc:,:ng Journa1.l

:
The Rev. Z. w. Clark, d. D., of
this city, who recently addressed sew
cral railroad magnates requesting
! their views relative 10 the suspension
of traffic on Sunday, has received
many interesting replies. The bulk
of the testimony would indicate that
an observance of the Sabbath by rail-
ways could be brought about by :.
. consultation OF mutual interests. OF
the responses to the reverend gentle
mans circular, none is more compre-
!Iensivc than that of Ar. William Z.
Dodge of New York, whose interest
i'll some OF the greater enterprises lias
given him the best opportunity for
forming IN opinion. lie writes:
New Yo.x. Dec. 3. 1882.
TIE Rec. r. III, Clark u. u.
AlY DEAR SEE: lreceivcd youT pos
tai and the circulars, which I was glad
to see. Iour work, can kut hope.
will do mulch good. have been cCm-
nectcd for nearly half Il century with
some of our principal railroad ds-was:
twelve years i'll the Eric, commencing
when it was il Orange county and re-
manning till after its completion to
Hunliirk, when they soon commenced
running cn the Sabbath, when l at
once left the direction In 1913 l
was ut the opening of the New Jcr-
sep Central. putting il the first shovel
fGl of dirt and making an address,
l remained a director till 1873. du-
ring all OF which time it was Sab
bath-keeping road. During the sum
mcr of that year Big. Johnston. its
, President, made Il contract with
another road to run two trains on Sun
day. When we returned i'll the early
fall the subject came up On the cues
tiOn OF approving the contract Ii
was opposed by the late John c.
Green, Judge AIaxwclI of Easton.
Pa. : Mr.. Ere. in5huysen, and myself.
and after three days discussion Mr..
Maxwell changed his vote and the ac-
ticn of the President was approved.
l sent in my resignation, which was
not accepted. and ] at cnce put my
stock (some $3.50. .OOO) on the market.
and sold it at 116 to 1I8. In two
years thereafter it was bankrupt, the
stock selling for 10 cents. The road
was put in the hands of 4 receiver.
where it remains till this day. Twas
one OF the early builders of the IIOus-
ton and Texas read. and for seven
years its President. during which time
ii was a strictly Sahbatii-kcepingro road i.
( but it WAS then controlled by the Nor
gaEs, who had purchased largely of
its stock, and left it and il has now
become q regular Sabbatll-brcaking
road. was one of the first 20 he in
tcrcsted in cur elevated roads. and
never dreamed of them being rrn Oh
Sunday. Hearing that it had been
decided TO run on Sunday, l went al
once to Mr.. Cyrus W. Field, the Pres
idcnt. and demonstrated agains: it
But finding him determined. at once
put my stock iii the market and sold
/ it. These elevated roads have become
the most open and disgraccful viola
tors of the Sabbath, and during warm
weather are crowded all day and night.
rushing by our places of worship. cry
ing as they go. No Sabbath No
+ Sabbath" and as an induccmcnt talk
( ing passengers part of the day at hall
the regular fare of other days.
The Delaware. Lackawanna end
/ Western road was formed in NV office
i'll 1851 by my inviting some 100 gen.
tlclncn to consider the project. Ny
late fathcr-in-law. Arson G. Phelps.
made the first subscription and myself
the second l have been director
ever since. 1t has grown into vas;
proportions, but has been a strictly
Sabbath-hCepiIg road. and greatly
prosperous / was pleased some years
ago last summer. when in the office.
to see a telegram reply just made by
the President. Mr.. Sloan. to letter
from Methodist minister. asking that
trains might he run on Sunday to {
camp meeting some fifteen miles from
Scranton. The reply was short. but
to the point:
''Our trains don't run on Sunday >
We have just completed our road
10 Buffalo As q through line to Chicago
and l trcmble for fear of the future
But if 1t ever runs on Sunday 1 al
once close my connection with it.
No one can estimate the vast value
to our country from the construction
of our railroad system. 1t has don,
} more than all else. and but for it ouI
country would hardly have extended
west OF Chicago. But it has dont
more than all other things to dcstro,
our Sabbaths. and it is becomin.
worse and worse every year Man,
roads now use the Sabbath for max
ing up their freight trains with til;
accumulated freight of the week
thus running more trains (freigkt1 1or
Sunday than any other day in thr
; week. Also. that day is the specia
day for repairs to cars and engines
and The shops fmany roads are 1Zorr
. busy than other days Icontend br
this policy the roads are driving from
them their best and most reIiabl,
men, and making the bulk of thei
employees men who have not the fea
of God, and hence are not to be full