The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-06

ing, and realized the desirab ility of get
ting it into line with their other enter
prises. They began by securing control
OF the electric storage company of Phila-
delphia. Since then other companies have
been organized in New York and Chicago,
and supervisory company has been form
ed, which is TO have the general direction
of the electric vehicle business in the diff
ferent cities.
Aside from these giant interests the
members of the Whitney Wldener- Ell
kins syndicate have been prominent in the
organization of the tobacco trust and
the American Spirits Company, better
known as the whisky trust, and they are
stockholders in the Pennsylvania and
other railroad companies.
All Are MuItI-MiIItonaircs.
How great are the fortunes of these
men. or how much they have made within
the past few years since they have been
acting in combination, it would be impossi-
BILE to say. Mr.. Wdener is commonly rat
ed as possessing between $20OO0O0O and
$50, 100000. Mr. Elkins is supposed to be
worth upwards OF $50, 5000. Mr.. Whit
ney's fortune has frequently been estlmat-
ed at $50 100000 But the significant thing
about these men is not the extent of their
own fortunes SO much as it is the vastness
of the capital which they control and the
financial power which they WELD They
ave demonstrated tNdl cumulative power
of millions heaped on millions when these
millions are directed by bold and re-
sourceful minds.
Whitney as Lawyer and Politician.
The three men composing this combi-
nation of financial giants are widely diff
ferent in character and antecedents, but
they are alike in Their ability to control
men and capital
William c. Whitney is the youngest OF
n IL
% years ago. He was graduated from Yale
in 1865, and from Harvard law school two
years later. Then he came to New York
to practice law. He had fairly establish
ed himself as an able attorney at the be-
ginning of the fight that overthrow boss
Tweed He became acquainted with Sam
uel j. Tilden and that astute Judge of
men, attracted by Mr.. Whitney's brilliant
qualities, was influential in securing his
appointment as corporation counsel
For six years Mr.. Whitney held this
office, being twice reappointed by differ.
ent Mayors and resigning in 1882 of his
own choice. During this time he swept
the cobwebs out of the corporation coun-
sefs office, cleared away a vast amount
of business that had accumulated there
and is said to have saved the city 5000
600 by defeating fraudulent cleaims against
1t that originated in the Tweed regime
In the meantime he had married the
sister of his college classmate, now Col
Oliver H. Payne, the Standard OH mag
nate. That brought him into intimate
friendship with men who had millions to
invest In any scheme that a man of bra ms
and executive ability could suggest Whit
ney had the brains and the executive
ability, and he has not failed to retain
the backing of his Standard Oil friends.
Mr.. Whitney is undoubtedly one of the
shrewdest manipulators of men in the
10 HnF1 aCtr al
his management of Grover Cleveland's
political fortunes. He despises the meth
ods of the cheap politician. When Mr.
Whitney wants the help Of any man he
begins by gaining the mans friendship.
by helping him, not openly and ostenta-
tiously, but in ways that are substan-
tial and certain to be appreciated. Then
if Mr.. Whitney wants the assistance of
that man he asks for il frankly and
openly, and he gets it because he has
made it to the advantage of both TO work
together.
Mr.. Whitney is a man of genial man
ners, fastidious tastes and decided opin-
ions. He has accomplished more and with
less flare of trumpets, both in the po.iti-
cal and the business world, than almost
any other man that can be mentioned
ElSins' Career Like ROckefeIIer's,
William L. Elkins is nearly ten years
Mr.. Whitney's senior. He was born in
West Virginia, of Quaker parents, in 1882.
He began his business career at the age
of 10 as entry clerk in store. Before he
was 20 he became the proprietor of q
Lumber yard, but freshet swept 1t awey
and drove him out of business. His next
venture was to establish a produce COM
mission business in which John d. Rookie
feller made his start, BY the beginning
of the civil war he had the largest produce
business In Philadelphia, and had aecum-
ulated comfortable fortune for that time.
When the oil fever struck Pennsylvania
Mr., Elkins sold out his business and went
to the oil helds intending 90 purchase
wells Like Mr.. Rockefeller again. he de-
cided that the business Of refining oil was
more promising than that of a producer.
IA ~