Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-12-26
eoULp's SIDE OF THE ERIE fIeAr


70 NW 70 flsht fenucrbiit That He Ia
suod the Bogus Certificates.
G. p Morosini, who for over elohfeer
years was closly associated in businss,
with jay Gould, was perhaps Ia mnrb
Irieyed as any one over the flnnncler,s
Heath. He and Mr. Gould had adioinins
aesks at n Broadway. Mr.. Could mads
Mr.. Morosini his confdant In MANI Of
his private as well as business az airs
and no man was perhaps more familiar
than the latter with Afr. Gould's personal
characteristics Seated in his office Mr.
Morosini pointed out the plain stained
wood table and leather bottonfed chat,
which Mr. Gould was accustomed TO 90
oupy. There sat a man." said Mr.. Moro
SIM, "who was more misunderstood and
more causelessly maligned than any l have
ever known. Twas the auditor OF the Fri,
company at the time Mr.. Gould assumed
control, and continued in that capacity
until after General John A. Dix becamt
president of II in 1872. Mr.. Could wa,
brought into Erie in 1868 by Colonel jim
Fisk.
Mr.. Gould became president Of the com.
pany. Immediately tao road bounded intc
popularity. Its stock increased in vaiat
and there were many who begged fol,
blocks, but could not get them. Among
those who saw great future for the road
was Commodore Vanderbilt. He saw in
1t powerful rival to the New York Cen
trial and Hudson River railroad, and deter
mined II he could to Robble it up. He tried
at first to purchase q majority Of its stock
He failed. Then he declared freight W. r.
At that time cattle were brought from Buf
falo TO this city at el25 u carload. TIL,
commodore reduced the rate to elOO FISH
and Could made cut of twenty-five dol
lars less, The commodore went to afu
dollars. Eric then offered to bring cattll
here at twenty-five dollars per carload, and
when the Eric put the rate still lower Van
derbilt issued IN order to bring cattle oyeI
the Central at ono dollar carload. Tit
commodore thought this would ruin til,
Erie's freight traffic. He waited to Sc,
what card Fisk and Gould would nexI
play. Just as he wits congratulatihg him
self that not steer was being carried ovei
the Erie, while the Central was compelled
to refuse business, be discovered that a.
in previous contests he had been outwitted
When the commodore reduced the rat,
to one dollar per carload Fisk and Gould
purchased every COW aud steer TO be had
west of Buffalo. They shipped them, moi
by the Eric, but by the Central, at thu
commodore's own rate They had sold
enough in this city to mako fortune be
fore Vanderbilt found out where he wa,
at am told that the air was very blu,
in Vandcrbiltdom when the commodore
learned how he had been tricked He sworl
revenge, but first put the rate back on TIT
transportation Of cattle"
Mr.. Morosini laughed heartily while 70
lating this incident. Continuing, he said
"Commodore Vanderbilt still ached to get
control Of Erie, and he went to buying NJ
ell the stock not held by Fisk and Could
having partially succeeded he offered e
relieve them Of their holdings Fisk said
All right; we will give you slOO00,OOi
worth
"rhe colonel issued q lot of stock, which
of course was not worth the paper OF
which it was printed. Vanderbilt bic and
thought that he now possessed supremt
power over Erie. When he discovered that
Fisk and Gould still held the majority Of
legitimate stock in Erie, while his pur
chase a; big price was worthless thu
commodore was the mRddest man in Amer
ica. Then there were interminnble suits
Interrupted by the killing of Fisk By
Stokes.
II am not defending Bisk's trlckery, but
Vanderbilt had to be fougnt<witlf his own
weapons or he would have had a MONOPOLY
OF all the railroads in tho tRte.u-New
York World,