The morning call., 1894-03-30
OF RECENT CHANGES
1t Was Public Feeling and Not
English Holders.
UNCLE SAM WILL JUST BE PAID.
Requa Is President and c. r. nunf-
ington Is a Director of Gen.
traI Pacific Railroad.

"Tbe people of the United States have
made more out of me than l have out OF
them"
1t was Coils P. Huntington, the rail-
road magnate, who said this. He was
seated on a luxurious sofa in a drawing
room of his Mob Hill mansion when be
said it, and he said it, too, in tone OF
earnest conviction that betrayed that he
really believed what he said. In fact, 1t
was impossible to doubt this. When
he was asked how this could be, Mr.. Hunt
ington went off at tangent and spoke in
the generalites for which be is noted, re-
marking, however, as incidentally bearing
out his statement, that he had put ST.
900, 900 into California last year and taken
out $4,000. 900. Mr.. Huntington sighed
ss he thought of this, and then went on to
remark that he didn't know how it was
the newspapers bothered SO much with his
affairs.
Now, what is ralroad?" be asked con-
fdentially. "Why, 1t is simply huge
machine whereby capital can be used in
the millions. 1t is simply concentrated
capital. Moreover railroad is private
affair, and nobody's business but the men
who own it. The public don't care to hear
anything about railroad. If John Jones
had a little business of his own, do the
people care what John Jones does with
that business? No, sir. The railroad
isn't any business of the public. OF course
/ know the newspapers can't afford to come
out with blank sheet in the morning, and
so they send you fellows up to see me.
But. say, there's too many newspapers.
As to all this talk about changes it's all
nonsense. The changes don't amount to
anything. Pm in the board still. But /
tell you, sir, the people don't care to hear
these things"
Don't you think. Mr.. Huntington, the
people do take particular interest in the
Central Pacific?"
"Do you think so? Well. don't know.
Perhaps they do. but the papers make
TOO much of these things"
why were the designations OF 81. E.
Huntington and Mr. Crocker given and
the other changes made?"
well, now, I'll tell you. It was simply
because the same men we're, so to speak,
running those two gigantic concerns. The
public didn't seem to like the idea. The
boards had always been the same. No
changes had taken place in years, and
there seemed to be feeling in the public
bodies. That is ALL"
''lt isn't fact then that the determined
sition of the English stockholders had
something to do with the change?"
"Oh, no, not all. We don't care about
them. We own good deal of the railroad
right here. Oh, dear, no. the English
stockholders had nothing whatever to do
with it."
What amount of stock in the aggregate
do the Englishmen bold?"
well, now, really l do not know, but it
is not bothering US anyhow"
'It is said. Mr.. Huntington. that Uncle
Sam is getting restive about those few
million dollars you owe him."
Nothing in it. / assure you. Why.
when the Government gave that money it
didn't expect to be paid back in day. 1t
would be quite job paying $4,000 900 in
a lump. Yes. it would be quite a Job.
Why. all the roads are mortgaged. Look
at the New York Central; it is mortgaged
for $50, ,000, ,000 Look at the PENNSYLVANIA.
Why, l tell you they are all mortgaged.
and nobody says anything about them OF
paving"
"But they pay interest on those loans,
do they not, Mr.. Huntingdon"
why, yes; of course they do" and
then the railroad magnate thought whole
lot for the space of few minutes.
SIS it true that Mrs. Stanford's action
had anything to do with the recent
changesP" ventured the newspaper man.
when he saw that Mr.. Huntington seemed
lost in brown study on the interest cues
ton.
MRS. Stanford" echoed the fnancier
coming back to cold prosaic matters. mot
at all. Why should it Mrs. Stanford
and myself are the best of friends. Now,
there's where the papers, especially the
Eastern papers, have been telling awful
lies about me. They have been saying |
owe Mrs. Stanford whole lot of money.
/ don't owe Mrs. Stanford a cent. Of
course we have properties in common. /
may say without boasting that it is due to
me that those properties are so prosperous.
Why, l was talking with Mrs. Stanford
the day before yesterday. We are on the
best of terms"
lis there any truth in the statement that
the Central has debts of sixty odd million
OF dollars that mature in nine months ?''
''No. There are debts amounting to
100000 and odd that mature in that
time. and l guess l can take care OF those
myself. Yes. l can raise S2,OooOo0 in
twenty-four hours if / W ant to very easily.
80 there's no fear on that score. You see.
] do business on grand scale. and not ON
peanut basis. / amt bedding in small
stocks. aim for great things. My opera.
tions are of vast magnitude. You see.
money isn't of any account unless it's used
in that way. Money of itself is nothing,
absolutely nothing"
"Will your debt to the Government ever
be paid. Mr.. Huntingdon"
"Oh, yes, ultimately"
when is ultimately. Mr.. Huntington ?''
"l don't know"
When asked about the personnel of the
Central Pacific board of directors Mr..