Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
WHAT rs INTERESTING GIDDF
GOTHAM.

tCorrcsnondence ofthe Richmond plspa'chI
NEW YORK, March 6, 1886.
A coupe drives hurriedly up to the
Mills building in Broad street, and a
tall, powerfully-built, dark-complex-
toned man alights and steps briskly,
in the sharp, cold morning, into the
commercial palace. lie is one OF the
eraatest railroad magnates in this coun-
try, though once a poor boy on Con-
necticut fam. II is Coils p. Hunt
ipeton. lie avoids rather than seeks
notoriety, but his fight with the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Sante Fe and other
railroads has again brought him INTO
prominent notice. He came TO New York
as boy ofl6. Now heis worth nearly a
hundred millions on paper and at least
a quarter of that in available money.
He is president Of the Central Pacific
and Southern Pacific railroads, and
controls the numerous roads tributary
IN these. of which, in the far West, the
California and Oregon is one of the
most important; he also controls the
Arizona and New Mexico Galveston,
Harrisburg and St. Antonio; Scioto
Valley: Kentucky Central; Louisville
and Western Houston and Texas Gen.
trail Morgan's Louisiana and Texas;
Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big
Sandy, and Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
roads. not TO mention other important
railway interests. He can ride on his
own roads from San Francisco to New
norris News, Va, or clear across the
continent.
He rules his roads with an iron rod,
but has broad and statesmanlike cast
of mind. He has reduced passenger
rates on his Southern Pacific road 90
Der cent. in order to encourage emf
grafton in that direction, and thus
build up q permanent local traffic for
the road be loses on his through bust
ness from the Atlantic seaboard, but
the lower rates, he thinks, and not I'M
reasonably, will benefit him in the end.
Before this fight began, the high rates
tended TO greatly restrict the develop
ment of large tracts Of the West.
A MATCH FOR GOULD.
Mr.. Huntington is plain, practical,
not seldom jocular, says original things,
speaks slowly and cautiously, and has
none of the purse.pride often seen in
men of far less wealth. lie is full Of
human nature, but in his sixtieth year
cares little for society. lie reads men
rs he would an open book. lie can
assume a franknesS though he hath 1t
not. lie is one OF the few men who
have proved more than a match for Jay
Gould. lie has a full oval face, q
prominent nose, and dark-br0wn eyes.
His eye is not so searching as that Of
the Little Magician q" Just mention
ed. His manner is less terse, more
easy and careless, as he noncha'
lontly twiddles his eyeglasses; he
wears in his office black-silk
smoking-cap, usually on the back Of
his head, giving him an open, jolly
look. 1t is only after you have left
him that you realize that he is one of the
uncrowned financial kings Of this coun-
try. Austin Corbin, who has acquired
new prominence in the financial world
of late by identifying himself with the
Drexel-Morgan Reading Syndicate, is
one of the most popular men in
SWall street. Of about the medium
height, with a ruddy complexion,
pleasant gray eyes, and robust ply
sique, at fifty.eight he is as energetic,
enterprising, and ambitious as ever.
He was born in Newport, n. H.,
studied law, and was graduated at the
Harvard Law-School. For a time he
practiced law in his native town as a
partner of Ex-Governor Metcalf, of New
Hampshire. In 1851 he went to
Davenport, Iowa, and became banker.
lie there really organized the first ma
tional bank in this country; he made
the first application under the new law,
but it was inadvertently faulty in the
matter Of some minor technicalities,
and the document was returned from
Washington that this might be RENE
died. In the mean time four other
banks made application, and when he
secured the admission Of his bank to
the new system it was a No. ).
lie is worth about e., 100000. lie has
always been a staunch Democrat, but
was q personal friend Of General Grant.
lie president the Long Island; lndi-
ana, Bloomington and Western; Elmira,
Cortland and Northern, and Manhattan
Beach railroads. lie came to New
York in 1866 and has ever since been
banker here. In winter he lives ii
Brooklyn, but in summer he spend:
much OF his leisure time at his fine farm
Of 200 acres at Babylon, Long Island
where Russell Sage also has country
seat, whittier, by the way, he retired
at the solicitation Of Mr.. Gould ant
other friends when the financial tornado
OF 1884 had blown away millions oil Thu
put and-call kings fortune, and hi
nervous system was so shattered ol
the strain that he needed the retire
ment Of his home near the sound
ing ocean. Mr.. Corbin is member o.
the Union League, Manhattan and Sat
urday-Night Clubs, ofNew York; 9th
Somerset Club, Of Boston, and the Con
seryatiye Club, Of London. lie
domestic, however, in his tastes. IL
is by nature builder-up, not an icOno
clsst. In endeavoring to pull tn
Reading out of the slough of despOn
be is engaged in congcnial task. IL
is considered one Of the squarest me,
in the domain Of finance. His in
tegrity has never been questioned.
The third and last assembly ball wa
given last Thursday at Delmocico's
The co,illon was led by SIR. Leo
D'Oremieulx, whose partner was Mis-
Jeanne Borrowe. Mr.. D'0remieul
proved a very competent leader. lie
q son of the late Professor D'Oremieull
who taught French so long at We
Point. Nine. D'0remieulx also CA
ried on a fashionable young ladie
school in New York. A sister, Mis-
Oremieulx, married DR.. Roosevelt
Nine. D'0remieulx was a Miss Glib
for whose family Gibbs avenue in Nea
port is named. All are fayorites
!. society.
7 MRS. POTTER.