The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-08-31
Two Horse Baryaina.

Two very eminent men who are occupied
in the accumulation Of wealth in this town.
have lately engaged in horse trades. One
bought horse and the other sold one; and
the two transactions together servo to show
TINT the character OF one Of these two dis
tinguished citizens has been misinterpreted
to his disadvantage. but that the popular
estimate Of the other is just and accurate.
The two gentlemen in question are Mr..
WILLIAM II. VANDERBILT. the railroad mag
nate OF the Atlantic slope. and Mr., @. P.
HUNTINGTON. a grandee of the same sort
belonging to the Rlcifc. Both OF them have
becn represented in the popular esteem as
monopolists. not only because they prefer
to be rich themselves rather than that any
other person should DO rich, but because
they regard the accumulation OF wealth as
the chief end Of man. and hard cash as the
most desirable OF all earthly possessions.
concrete or abstract. Yet see how ono OF
these distinguished oitizens has been mis-
understood. We refer to Mr.. VANDERBILT.
He owned a chestnut mare named Maud 8.
that has shown that she can trot around
mile track one-Quarter Of a second faster
than the next best horse yet known: aud 1t
was believed that when really put to her
trumps, she could beat him by a full second
or perhaps two seconds. Mr.. VANDERBILT
gave twenty thousand dollars for this mare;
but she improved 50 under his management
that her former owner returned and laid q
check for one hundred thousand dollars at
the feet OF Mr.. Vanderbilt and begged to
be allowed to become the owner OF the mare
again. Here was chance to make FIVE hun.
dred per cent on the original investment:
and such profits are what Mr.. VANDERBILT
has always been thought to lie most in love
with; yet he refused the offer. To give her
back to the party who used to own her,
would have been to allow her to be hacked
and hippodromed about the country.
continually speeding toward that ever
cvancsccnt goal, better record; and,
In view OF the affection that he had
conceived for her, he preferred rather
to turn her over into the private stable OF
Mr.. ROBERT BONNER, where she would be
sure OF the best of treatment and n perma-
nent and peaceful home: and this he did al
though he oaly got forty thousand dollars for
her, less than half the price that he had been
offered. Money to him was no object COM
pared to the happiness OF his mare; and thus
We soc that the heart Of the great capitalist,
which has generally been thought to be hard
and unapproachable to the softer feelings, Is
really inspired by emotions the most tender
and sympathetic.
Nr. HCNTINaToN has also been considered
a man fond Of making money. and the ac-
count OF his horse trade will show that he
is really pretty sharp Mt a bargain. He
wanted to buy horse. and. recognizing, like
every shrewd and sensible man, that the
proper way to begin any form Of important
business is through the newspaper press, he
advertised for horse such as he described,
and received innumerable answers in return
from men each OF whom had Just the horse he
wanted He met them at his Office ard after
talking the matter over, concluded TO try the
horse OF q certain dealer. The animal turned
out Just as he had been represented,
beautiful fearless. fleet, youthful, kind,
and sound; and as Mr.. HUNTINGTON
was whirled along the upper Bouevards be-
hind the noble creature, in company with the
gentleman who had him for sale, he made no
effort to restrain his admir- 'tion and salts
faction. He was beautiful horse. Mr.
HUNTINGTON liked his gait; he liked his
temper; he liked his mouth. his carriage,
his color his tail, his legs. and his feet.
Iva ehAhS occuS hith StIleSPouucu cAdCIly
with Mr.. HUNTINGToN's idea Of what horse
should be. He was very much In want
OF n horse. and this was the horse
that he specially wanted In fact. he
must have him. and, expressing himself in
these terms to the owner, he finally asked
him bluntly how much he really wanted for
the horse. The price asked was one thousand
dollars. without criticisIng the sum. Mr..
HUNTINGTON again taxed his powers OF lau-
dntion. He praised the horse, aud explained
how delighted he would be to buy him and
how determined he was that the horse
should become his own. Then he offered one
hundred and fifty dollars for him, exactly
fifteen per cent. OF the sum that the honest
dealer had asked!
OF course this could not be agreed TO. The
horse was good one and the dealer wanted
Mr. HUNTINGTON to have a good horse, and
consequently he wanted him to have this
horse: but at such a sacrifice tho idea could
not be entertained. However, Mr.. HUNTING
Tons monopolizing spirit was so firm. and
the dealers desire that Mr.. HUNTINGTON
should have good horse was so Irresistible,
that he finally consented to the price offered
On handing him the check. Mr.. HUNTINGTON,
like true searcher after knowledge, said he
would like TO know one thing. why is 1t, my
friend, he asked. that you. who are willing
to sell me that horse for $50. should in the
first place have asked me $1,000" "Why."
said the man. pocketing his check. Mr..
HUNTINGTON, how could know that you
didn't want thousand-dollar horse
There could hardly be greater contrast
In the characters OF two men than Is exhib-
tied by these two episodes. We leave them
to the world to study, and to mete out justice
accordingly. But after all there Is more fun
in HUNTINGTON than In VANDERBILT.
The Tariff Again.
An esteemed Pennsylyania cOntemnnrary