The record-union., 1894-06-12

individuals they had weaknesses which
the constant criticism brought into sharp
relief As body they were afraid OF
their own power. There was old John
II. Starin, owner OF sound and harbor
steamboats,, tugs and other craft. lie
was a crude, practical man, whom the
older Vanderbilt found driving d truck,
aud started Oh the upward path to wealth.
lie was very queer, stubborn and silent.
He seemed, SO far as l could infer from
his actions. to believe his colleagues were
working III the interest OF Iaminany and
the L. So he baked. He refused to
sanction others plans without offering
any satisfactory ones himself.
Samuel Spencer was an able Commls-
sioner, a thorough railroad man and
keen, sbrewd thinker. He was, when ap-
pointed, as he IS still, the railroad expert
OF Drexel, Morgan IL Co., the greatest
railroad banking house in the world, L
believe. It is one Of his functions In that
capacity to go over railroads plant,
fixed and rolling, for the purpose OF esti-
mating its value as material. He has
been one of the most active men In the
reorganization of the Reading, Richmond
Terminal and other wrecked railroads.
Before he was engaged by the banking
house he was President OF railroad, To
which position he was advanced over
the tops OF freight cars. So there was lit
tie doubt of bis ability and training.
But Starin's early connection with the
Nanderbilts lent color to the belief that
his chief purpose was to protect the New
York Central Company, who were sup
posed to desire to build the proposed new
system Of rapid transit. In the same
way, Spencer's connection with DreXel,
Morgan Il Go. gave rise TO the suspicion
that he stood for the Manhattan Com
pany. of which j. Pierrepont Morgan is
Director and a large holder OF stock.
William II. Steinway, the piano manu-
facturer and builder of street railways,
towns, and a successful international
financier, had no damaging connection,
but he was considered too good-humored,
honest and weak to understand his fell
low commissioners. He was pretty
harshly treated, but he never lost hope.
His reward, if he considers it such, is
that he is on the new commission.
The fourth man was Eugene l.. Bushe.
He was on the Tammany General Com
mittee, and took his orders direct from
the Mayor, as l know OF my own expert
ence. But l nevertheless believe that he
meant we'll and that the Mayor did too.
toward the last. Bushe, however, is a
lawyer. with no knowledge whatever Of
engineering, and is, besides, not in any
sense strong man. His plan contained
some egregious errors, said the critics,
iected, upon which the new commission
must act. Poor Mr.. Bushe labored un-
der great difficulties. He could not
speak, vote, suggest an idea, or oppose
one, without having the Tammany ghost
pointed at behind his back.
His plan was the last one proposed.
The first was that of the tunnel under
Broadway and the Boulevard up to the
end of the island, emerging into the air
on xyioA at
filth street. This was the result of years
hard work. 1t iell fiat, because il con-
templated construction by private capi-
tai. When the franchise was offered Tor
sale there was one bidder, an unknown
man, who named 8 couple of dollars as lis
value TO him. Mr.. Spencer, who had
done most of the technical work on this
plan, said 1t was not worth more, that the
underground project was not feasible.
and proposed negotiations with the IL"
Though he had declared this same opin-
ion at the time the work on the tunnel
plan was begun, his ready rejection of the
labor OF the year was taken as proof
positive of his treachery in the interest of
the Manhattan Company.
Still. the demand for some sort of relief
was so strong that this turn of affairs was
accepted by the public and an interesting
period of negotiations set in. 1t was not
known then that silent John Starin's
mind was already made up not TO give
the franchise for additions to the elevated
road except on impossible conditions.
He never sad a word till everything was
settled to the satisfaction or Tammany,
the Manhattan Company, the press, the
public, the zeal estate interest. Then one
day when we newspaper men had writ
ten up long accounts of the history of
rapid transit and of how the final agree
ment was arrived at, Mr.. Starin came to the
final meeting and voted mo-" That was
all. He did not explain. A unanimous
vote was necessary, so there was no ne
cessity for reasoning about 1t. 1t was
impossible because OF that negative vote,
and that was all the satisfaction any one
got out of him, except that the news
papers wanted his resignation and de-
manded it. He didn't bulge, however,
but said again, simply: mo, [ will not
resigu."
While it was thought the negotiations
were capable of producing some result
they were interesting. The Mayor,
through Mr.. Bushe, insisted that If the
Manhattan Company were TO be allowed
to build third tracks for continuous ex-
press transit, they must not only pay
tax on the new part OF the structure, but
also on the old. When the original fran
chises were granted the city did not get
the value of them. That the "L' people
admitted, but they replied that they were
not the original purchasers and that they
would not submit to u rectihcation of an
old error on the city's part for tue sake of
new privileges, which they insisted were
for the welfare of the travelling public
There is no use in going over the vari
Gus concessions made by each side before
q final compromise was effected, eSpe
cially as Mr.. Starin prevented its final ac-
ceptance. What l want To point out as
bearing on the present situation, is the
effect OF the agitation on the soulless cor
poration. Long ago the New York Cen
trail offered TO build the road. The Van
derbilts said they Gid not care to risk the
possibly heavy losses, il the venture
failed, but that they would undertake it
for the sake of the city. There was a
howl at this, the opinion being that this
was piece of hypocritical etfrontery. So
the New York Central, after standing the
abuse fora while, Withdrew this offer, and
now Chauncey Nj. Depew says: 1--WE
will not build the road. We are done
with rapid transit" He says the men in
the Central fear the antagonism Of the city
government and the popular abuse that
falls on every one who undertakes TO
touch the business. Whether this is final
or not remains to be seen. 1t shows how
capitalists feel.
The Manhattan Company feels the same
way. Russell Sage, with whom | have
talked frequently about the matter, has
his own peculiar reasons. l will not give
them like he speaks, since L believe
know his real thoughts. He is a cautious
man, satisfied with the present profits of
the Manhattan. and is afraid TO invest
more money in other facilities. He doesn't
care whether we stand or sit. There is
no other way 10 get there except on his
road. 1t carries to its full capacity, and
- -.
goes into the sinking fund. j.
Pierrepont Morgan thinks more
money could be made on bet
ter and more roads s. and would