The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-04-30
LITTLE GAME OF BLUFF.
How millionaire Purposely Wrecked
Railway Trade.

Railway Trade.
''See that man over there?" said
prominent Detroit lawyer to me the
other night as we were standing in the
rotunda of the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
pointing as he spoke to tall. smooth
shaven, powerful-faced man who had
just entered. He doesn't look much
like a man who would deliberately
wreck train, does he? But he did,
all the same, less than ten years ago,
to my personal knowledge.
''Who is he? Well, that's Michigan's
newest millionaire, James M. Ashley
Jr.-tJim' Ashley, as they call him
out there-the grand mogul of the To-
ledo and Ann Arbor railroad system.
He started out twelve years ago with
out dollar, and in that time has built
and equipped 400 miles of railroad,
and, without freezing out a stock
holder or cheating any one out of a
penny, now controls it, and is worth
$2,O00,000 if he's worth a nickel. How
did he do it? Simply by combina-
ton of brains, grit, and gall For
while his tongue shutters like sin,
don't believe that his brain has missed
cog since the day he was born.
Speaking to me not long ago of
how he came to 90 into railroad build
ing, he said: ''W-when l c-c-came out
of c-c-college and s-s-saw the power
that m-m-money gave to those who had
it, l mm-made up m-my mind that
w-w-wanted some of it, and g-g- guess
I've g-g-got it And he has.
But l started to tell you about his
wrecking that train. 1t was about six
years ago, and Jim was in tight spot,
financially, and he couldn't get any
more town bonds until he had got his
road running forty miles ahead of the
terminus at that time. You see he
had received upwards of $3.50, 900 in
bonds from towns ahead, which he had
already hypothecated, but they all
contained provision that they were
to become utterly worthless unless he
ran a train into the towns that issued
them by certain prescribed date. If
they were thus defaulted, of course
those who held them would swoop
down upon him and drive him into
bankruptcy: and every cent he had
made so far he had put into the road,
for he was playing for Il big stake or
none at al. Well one fine morning,
while Jin was moving heaven and
earth to get through on time, and just
as his graders were preparing to put
his tracks across that of another road
that intersected it, Jim was served
with an injunction restraining him from
crossing the other road. Of course the
whole thing was bluff, the manage
ment of the rival road well knowing
that it would be dissolved at the hear
ing, but they knew how badly Jim
was pinched, and they fondly hoped
that the loss of that $150,0O0 would
ruin him. so that they could gobble up
his line for a song. Jim read the in
scratched his head, and looked at the
high embankment of the other road.
Suddenly an idea struck him, and as
soon as the sheriff disappeared he pro-
cGeded to puG it into execution. The
next day the trainman of the rival
road reported to the management that
Ashley was tunneling under their
track, after snoring it up so that it was
perfectly safe for their trains. Down
went the sheriff and ordered Jim to de,
sist, only to be coolly informed by him
that:
THE injunction only r-r-restrained
from c-crossing the other track, anC
|
by a d-damned sight
The sheriff didn't dare to interfere
with him, with the 400 navvies at his
back, and so went back to the county
seat and telegraphed to the Governor
for troops TO uphold the dignity of the
law. The governor ordered two com
panies of troops to the seat of war, anC
so telegraphed the sheriff, all uncon
scious that Jim had tapped the tele
graph wires and was getting ready t.
receive them. In order to get to the
tunnel, their nearest route was to come
by rail and strike Jim's road abou
twenty miles from it, and then rur
, down his line to the field of battle
When they reached the junction th
, train stopped, and the Major in com
t mand got out to see what was the mat
) ter. He found an engine in the ditcl
| and pile of broken fiat cars thirt,
feet high on the track, while Jim sa
; on the top rail of an adjacent fence
: serenely smoking a corn-cob pipe an
: calmly surveying the wreck. You sec
he had deliberately taken his oldes
| engine, hitched thirty dilapidated fla
| cars to it taken up two rails at tina
spot, and then, after telling the train
men to get out of the way of splinters
had run the train back up the track
mile, pulled the throttle wide open
| jumped off and sauntered leisurel,
down the track to look at the ruin
} and witness the discontinue of hi
enemies.
"What's the matter here, Mr.. Ash
ley?" asked the Major, as, in compan
| with the conductor of the militia train
he approached the silent Sphinx on tn
fence.
"'H-h-had w-w-wreck, said Jim.
"When will you get it cleared off?'
asked the Major.
""Wel.' said Jim, my m-m-men ar
, pretty busy up the track, and TT
reckon it'll be about t-t-three days
, B-but it's only twenty miles to the ent
, of my t-t-track, and you c-can walk
in day if you're in h-h-hurry.'
''Of course the soldiers didn't care t.
hoof it that far, and when, after Ion.
detour that took them at lest twelv
| hours, they arrived at the seat of wa
they found the track laid through ant
, two of Jim's engines footing defianc,
at them from the other side, so the
turned around and went home again
and Jim's bonds were saved.
Doesn't look like man who hat
ever deliberately wrecked a train il
} time of peace does he? But he ha