The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-10-12

family, and II became necessary for tho
son to look out for himself when very
young. He had little education but
marvelously clear head and sound judg-
ment. At 16 borrowing 500 from his
mother, he began the battle of life, and
he died the richest man in the world, with
the reputation of having made more
money than was ever before accumulated
In a single life. He had an exhaustless
capital of courage and common sense.
His motto was simple and straight for
ward like every act in the wonderful
drama of which he was the chief actor.
what other men have done I can do"
was the handspring of his eXertions.
For GO years Commodore Vanderbilt was
in perpetual warfare. He neither asked
nor gave quarter. The same country,
the same laws, the same open avenues,
the same opportunities which he had be-
fore him, were equally before every other
man. The keenest competition and the
earnest rivalry of able and ambitious
opponents met him at every step In his
career Wary adversaries were watching
for weakness In his schemes or failure
of his plans. Each day renewed an old
fight or began a new one. He was often
checked sometimes forced to retreat and
take another position, but he was never
defeated. He ultimately remained master
" the field.
We must estimate the career and work
of Cornelius Vanderbilt upon the princiv
pies which are common to very few. HR
was much more than a mere money max
| er. He delighted in money making but,
like all masterful men, he loved power.
He said to me, II sometimes do a fool
ish thing, knowing 1t is foolish, just to
prove that 1 can make even a foolish
| movement successful" He invested his
800 In a little sailboat, or periagua, to
carry passengers between Staten Island
I
that there was public demand for better
service between these points. Old and
experienced masters Of transportation
had controlled the steamboat traffic Of tho
Hudson river and Long Island for years
but in a short time, though he had less
capital, he drove them off these waters.
He saw far In advance of his time the
results which could be obtained from
ocean steamers There were prosperous
lines plying between New York and the
isthmus of Panama and the isthmus and
the Pacific ports. Their managers were
conservative, old fashioned, old fogy and
rich, They looked with amusement and
amazement at this adventurer in their
| domain who singiy ana alone Boldly chal-
lenged their supremacy, Thirty years
afterward ! heard an old merchant las
menting that the commodore forced his
company to sell out to him its Atlantic
/ line and pay him two-thirds the profits
on the Pacific to keep off that ocean.
His entry into the railway world was
| the result of the same foresight and wis
/ dom. His mind was like a rifle barrel.
| 1t carried thought straight TO the mark.
| II was difficult TO induce him to take up
! a subject, but when he did nothing could
| divert him from 1t until a decision was
| reached, He never doubted that verdict
/ or revealed It.. but acted upon 1t with
! lightning like Tapldity. He thus found
/ millions where others had lost them.
The commodore made up his mind that
! railway transportation was to be the
leading business Of the future that there
was no limit % It's expansion, and that
under business management and with
business methods railroad stocks were
| the best investment IN the country. He
| knew that railway chaos was his oppOr-
| tunity. The stock OF tho Harlem rail-
| road was a football IN Wall street at
| from s. to IS a share. 1t found In the man
| of steamboats, and steamships Its regen-
orator
Wall street believed the 100000 the
/ commodore had spent on the road thrown
away. II gave the company new cars
| and locomotives a safe and stable way
| and regular and rapid train service The
! Hudson River and Harlem roads both
ran from New York to Albany. The first
which had not known of the existence
of the latter, now felt tho effects OF its
keen and dangerous rivalry. In less thar
two years the stockholders OF the Hudson
line were begging him 10 take their road
This he did at about $50 a share. Rail
way trafic had found a new and origina
master Quicker time and better facili
tias attrRcted PASSENGERS a9d. freighi