National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-06

CONGRESSIONAL STUPIDITY,
Referring to naval matters, Mr.. Stanford
said. "There is a single vessel on the Pacific
ocean, the Esmeralda, belonging to Chill,
which could stand outside Of San Francisco
at Seal Rock and force the city to be sur
rendered. II seems to me to be most I'M
wise for our people to lay themselves open
to such contingencies, when very small
amounts OF money would supply us with
ships to protect these large ports. The
United States now furnishes the easiest
prize and the richest ever offered TO war
In the capture Of such cities as New
York, New Orleans, and San Francisco.
IL Is most astonishing that we hesitate
on questions Of that kind, while we
are supplying multitudes Of towns with
public buildings, which cost relatively as,
much as ships OF war. Even in that re-
spect find that there is no line Of policy
laid down in Congress for these public
buildings. They ought to be graduated in
cost to the size Of the community which
asks for them, aud there should also be a
classification of the designs, so that the
United States should not be putting up all
these buildings without having perfected
some design within the limits Of the appro-
printion and up to the artistic character OF
the nation and people. We could not con-
duct business In the present way In any
large mercantile corporation"
THE SENATOR'S CAllEER
Mr.. Stanford was born eight miles from
Albany, at the close of the administration
of James Monroe, In 1924 aud WILL there
fore. be only G2 years old next March.
There were seven brothers In his family,
and six Of them were recently allye. Five
generations of his people have been famous
in the state Of New York, where they set
tied in the Mohawk valley about IT'S.
Stanford's father, while a farmer, was also
contractor to build public works In the
vicinity Of Albany. His first important
work was to grade upon the Albany and
Schenectady railroad, which is now a por-
ton Of the New York Central line. About
1880 that road was only about fifteen miles
long, and now II is link In system $500
miles long, extending from New York to
San Francisco; and OF this system Mr..
Stanford is president Of 1000 miles, be-
sides auxiliary lines of railroad quite as
long or longer.
Mrs. Stanford was Miss janet Lathrop,
the daughter Of an Albany merchant, and
Sc was only 90 years old when he married.
henator Stanford worked on the farm, and
went to school part of the time, and he
was noticeable for his attention to facts,
especially facts affecting commercial life
and public enterprises 1t has been said OF
him that he has never made a quotation In
anything he ever wrote, though he has been
a student Of the most substantial books.
Mathematics and the material sciences were
| the life blood Of his studies and specula-
| tions at school, He has always been
GREAT NEWSPAPER READER,
Mr.. Stanford, when the whole press
| Of California was against him, made
| the patient remark that not the richest
| banker on California street nor the ablest
member Of the bar yields as much power
as in ordinary newspaper reporter. 1t is
| a. nfn hnf h,h aa np
treasured up resentments against mere
| writers, considering that II is better to in-
| form them and change their views than to
| bear malice. From the beginning of his
| life he has made the newspaper his great
book and chief assistant toward mastering
facts. Beginning in 1876, he studied law in
Albany three years, and considering that
the new west offered him the best field, he
settled in the top Of the state Of Wisconsin
at one Of the lake ports, near Port Wash
ington, where he would have had long
| time to wait for much practice, but he
| stuck to 1t four years, UNTIL in 1852, fire
burnt his law library and everything else
he had. This caused him to go TO Cali
forDia, and 1t shows us that our best friends
are our disasters.
Three of his brothers had gone to Califor-
mia before, and he arrived there In 1852.
His brothers had planted stores In the min
ing camps, with their central house In Sacra-
mento, and he went out to the camp to take
charge Of one Of these posts. He proved to
be strong merchant, and In 1856 he took
charge Of mercantile house in Sacramento,
which became a powerful house, and i'm
ported its own goods. Then he commenced
the systematic study Of mercantile science,
and he was as bold us he was successful.
California was full Of southern men and
arrogant on the slavery question; but Stan
ford never changed his views on that sub
iect, and he spent his money to create the
Republican party in California, and 1t seems
that he ran for Office twice when there was
no chance for the Republican party. In
1860, when he was 80 years old, he became
n delegate TO the convention ut Chicago
which nominated Lincoln and he and Lin
coin became friends from that time until
the end. Lincoln saw him in Washington
after the Inauguration and took his advice
on making appointments in California, and
before Mr.. Stanford got home he was in
nomination for governor Of the state. His
commanding appearance, grave, Mosaic
look, and the dignity of his facts state
| ments and opinions made whirlwind In
the state. The Republicans at the previous
state election had only poled 5000 votes In
California. Under the incentive of the
Union their poll ran up to over $1,000.
Before he was elected governor he had the
Pacific railroad in his mind, and when he
refused the nomination he said that Of all
the glory he ever expected, more than
enough would be in the accomplishment of
this work. 1t is remarkable fact, when
we see so many railroad presidents shifted
from place to place, to find the president OF
THE CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD
unchanged from the very commencement
of that enterprise in 1860 to the present
day. The company was organized July,
1861, and a year afterward Congress granted
tl,.,,, 81 of N mi n M
land grant. But they had to build fifty
miles Of railroad and equip and run 1t be-
fore they could get anything at all from the
government, and all of this iron had to
come from the Atlantic states and cross a
foreign country. They were two whole
years building thirty-one miles, and then
they bad to begin to climb the mountains,
making an elevation of 1000 feet in seventy
miles. They spent S20,000,000 In building
this 100 miles OF railroad, and when theiI
locomotive went to the mountain top II was
higher In the air than the summit OF Mount
Washington In the White mountains. TIC
build this 100 miles of railroad cost tn c
enormous sum of :2O,0O0,0OO, aud this
figure shows us the extent OF the task.
They were fought by every body in
terested In keeping the barbarism up stage
lines, express companies, pike roads, and
above all, by that small jealousy which
seems to accompany men to strange lands
After they got down In the plains and
learned the art of building road, they laid
$50 miles In 1868 days, laying us high rs tel
miles Of road day, and on the 10th of May
lSG6, this man Leland Stanford himself
drove
THE LAST SPIKE.
His company has never tidcd over a pay
ment. Stanford began to give money
good while ago. lie gave $4,000 to Chi
eago when the fire burnt 1t out; $4,000 70
an Odd Fellows college, and the capita
stock of his railroad alone is Sl00,00O,OOO,
GATH.
TI,i,a,,,,s Ia,InusI,,