Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-12-31
lanrasffr fntelligenrer.
MONDAY EvENINa, DEC. 81. 1885,.
HuntIngten,s Letters.

of whom the country Is nearing goOd
deal lust now. lie has been doing a
great business for twenty years past
in railroad building, but he has not
before had the concentrated attention
OF the people as he has 1t to day.
IL would have been better IL we had
given more attention to Mr.. Hunting
ton. But he is gentleman devoted TO
the single aim Of money making, and
disposed TO do 1t with as little public
notice as possible. He has not been an
aspirant for fame. The more quietly he
could roll up his cash the more agreeable
to his tastes, because the more effective
for his aim, Mr. Huntington has, how
ever, had great deal to do with our
public men. He had to cultivate them,
because there was money In 1t to him.
Certain letters are now published which
exhibit him in his operations in Congress
at period of his career within the last
decade. He was already railroad mag
nate. He and three associates had
obtained from the United States the
lands and bonds with which they had
built the Central Pacific railroad, and
had leaped at once into the possession of
great fortunes. Thomas A. Scott fol-
lowed long way after them with new
Pacific railroad scheme. 1t was the
noted Texas Pacific, which Mr.. Scott
engaged To build with the philanthropic
intention of giving the people compet-
ing line to the Pacific. On this ground
he asked Congress for subsidy.
Mr.. Huntington and his associates
wanted to kill Mr.. Scott's road, and
they commenced the building of the
Southern Pacific Mt about the same time.
Mr.. Huntington devoted himself to the
work of persuading Congress not to aid
Mr.. Scott. His very effective argument
was that the Southern Pacific company
would build without aid from the gov
ernment the road which Mr.. Scott would
only build with IL. 1t is this period OF
struggle to which the letters to Cotton
relate, and they are full of interest as
portraying the views and moves of a
gigantic lobbyist In persuading legisa
tion for private interest. Mr.. Cotton
was the active partner Of the Central
Pacific quartette in building the South .
ern Pacific he died before the project
was fully completed, and his associates,
of course, undertook to swindle his
widow out Of his share of the profits.
These Interesting letters are brought out
IN the course of the suit to show the
confidential relations between Cotton
and Huntington.
Huntington certainly writes to him
with great freedom and thoroughly eI-
poses his own character in bis communi-
cations. He appears to have no thought
that any means be may adopt to further
ms plans can be Objectionable to prop
erly educated taste. He shows sensible
appreciation Of the public voice by
cultlyating newspaper advertising
when it can be had cheap. His
fondness for cheap instrumentalitieS
is clearly exhibited and shows hsm -
atClaE. Ia 1,EI / lu-pt niuUIuuG jr
'temG-gUg7 1UG -r-v T-at'r a ~.
their DEVICES yItm q. saL Es ; q
Iage,l N ewing a s.l ultIs % ser ILysEI-
IiS million tCGrS VI ALL bT q rpF
acre, wfnCi MS yqEIaIT aa Fc0tTFe
frum tie government Or nti.zEr III
he thinks llis .'1r.mgoyEr bsali ~
Stated 1f WITH ,ie ~ -lial h.. -l-1rls
silOuid have ils ANT, v'ncs hnuld "a
J.lken trnm lhe 'l,lr1au unuGBnilRi.--.T
course, win tdir !BmpeuRaGinr.
Nj. Huntington VII 80 ~ r.-1 is:
sample q the successful An=r.csa G5l.
lar hunter. He attends strictly ~ his
own business; says plainly, bat
In bad English, what he has to
say, when II suits him to say it
never halts at devices that will give
leverage TO his schemes A; has no regard
for public interests that cross his own
IN truth, thoroughly selfish, uuculti-
waited, natural dollar smeller. Since
those days Mr.. Huntington has goLe on
Eourishing. Mr.. Scott did not get hi!
subsidy, but made coalition with
Huntington and his associates and built
his road 10 join theirs then he sold out
TO Gould and now Gould sits lamentin!
the bad bargain he made. Mr.. Hunt ng
ton started in from the East bought III,
chesapeake aud Ohio road, inducing thu
state of Virginia TO sacrifice its interest
in 1t. Hesold bonds at high figures, which
deprecated in the hands of the holders,
through the pretended embarrassment
of the road. Securing favorable term:
OF adjustment, M. Huntington has
gone on with his enterprise, extending il
westward through Kentucky and across
the Mississippi, and eastward down tn,
peninsula between the York and tn,
James rivers to Newport News, opposit,
Norfolk, where he has laid out a great cit,
and expects, probably, to establish sea
board metropolis. Mr., Huntington is
man of great views and enterprises, bu
sadly deficient in moral sense, We fear.
THE year that closes to-day has bee
fraught with many calamities and phys
ical disturbances Of nature. AS early a
Al.