The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-25
WHITNEY WILL RETIRE.
Millionaire Says His Children and
Horses Are His Only Interests.
New York JOurnal.)

Horses Are His Only Interests.
New York Journal9
That William c. Whitney intends to re-
tire from active business life is practical
~ settled. Mr.. Whitney has been so con-
splcuOusiy powerful in business, politics,
sports and society and IS IJCay so thor
oughly equipped in every way to continue
ms potentiality that the announcement
OF his retirement came not only as
surprise, but was received with mere
dull1y.
This was particularly the case in polit-
zeal circle=
The politicians advanced the theory
that Mr.. Whitney had retired from active
business to devote himself 10 national
pontlcs, with view TO presidential posi-
bllities In 1894
on this point MIR. Whitney said emphat-
icaliy:
Il have not gone out Of business to go
INTO politics. For several years I have
Ia ken only passive interest IN politics;
nave no ambition in that direction and
certainly would not choose that field for
either rest or recreation.
9 8. 2
So far as the Metropolitan Traction
company is concerned. Mr. Whitney said
that Mr. Nreeland. the president. is amply
able to conduct its affairs and to preserve
its interests.
f.Do YOU know" asked Mr. Whitney.
that One-half of the mileage of The Met
y
ninth street is operated by horses? Well.
II IS. Most people in New York wouldn't
believe that
The horses on these lines must be re-
placed with some other motive power. and
the general equipment must be brought
up TO date. But it can be done only by
degrees. The conduit system cannot be
worked on the water front streets, be
cause the cOnduits would fill up, and there
IS nothing else that can be used satisfac-
tOrily
What the Metropolitan Traction com
pany IS looking for is motive power that
can be operated independently in each
car Mr.. Whitney believes that such Il
motive power will yet be perfected.
But this is a problem for others to
solve, he said. Il am out OF il, and shall
keep away from it,
Looking back over your sixty years.
greatest achievement
oh, I don't know he replied L don't
know that have any great achieve
ments. At any rate. / don't like TO talk
about myself. Moreover. [ have been in
three or four different things in nv life
that cannot be compared with one an
other
When a young man he sympathized
with the views OF Samuel J. Tilden and
took the stump under his leadership.
The outcome was his appointment to
the office Of corporation counsel. a place
to which he took with him as assistants
Francis Lyman Stetson. George p. An
dozen others that have attained diStinC-
ton since. Andrews is a justice OF the
supreme court and Lacombe is a justice
of The United States court.
These men cleaned up the legal debris
Of the Tweed regime and then Mr.. Whit
ney sought TO retire from politics But it
was not to be.
9 . <.
The old County Democracy. the strong
est Democratic opponent Tammany ever
had. needed him. 1t sent him as a dele
gate 10 the gUbernatOTial convention that
nominated Grover Cleveland and it was
through Mr.. Whtney's stand that the
domination was made Then came the ma
tional campaign, managed by German and
w nltney, the election of Mr.. Cleveland TO
the presidency and the appointment OF
Mr.. Whitney as secretary of the navy.
But all this is history said Mr.. Whit
ney. You know it as well as I. Let's
talk about something else"
How did you come to be interested in
street railroading?'
That was long time ago: before the
old stage line was taken of Broadway.
A friend OF mine came to me with a sub
ScriptiOn paper TO make up $4,000 as the
capital stock Of a company 10 operate a
street railroad on Broadway below Four
teenth street Several of us subscribed
and an effort was made TO get the fran
chiSe. but Jacob Sharpe heat us out
The street railway proposition still
clung TO Mr.. Whitney. however and he
finally resigned the secretaryship of the
navy to perfect the solution OF it That
solution stands TODAY as the greatest
conceived the idea Of welding all the sur
face roads in New York into one and he
did it.
When he undertook the scheme a per-
c~rr I-,Fe 41,s-
on more than one line. Now one can
ride on all the lines for cents.
BY the transfer system now in vogue,
said Mr. Whitney with more enthusiasm
than he had previously shown. the people
of this city save between 100000 and
100000 annually. New York is a Won
derful place. The more facilities that are
provided for carrying the population the
more are demanded. New York can never
get enough.
The one thing that Mr. Whitney is not
going 70 give up is his racing stable and
his racing interests. This is not a bust
ness with him; ii is purely a pleasure,
although it is estimated that he has more
than 100000 invested in the breeding
and racing Of thoroughbreds.
I love horses he said, and I shall
not give them IN.
Mr.. Whitney went into horse racing
only recently and then under rather Pc
culiar circumstances. During the time
that Mrs. Whitney was i'll so long at
Westbury, after the fatal accident that
befel her in Aiken. s. &. Mr. Whitney
devoted all his time 10 her.
He rarely came TO the city. and when he
did it was only TO hurry back TO his sick
wife
He spent much of his vigil in reading
ard found that books on horses enter
tanned him
They were just light enough TO amuse
him when he sought 10 kill time. and
heavy enough 10 put him always to sleep
when ne was tired. From this practice he
became so interested in horses that he
started a stable which has grown in
three seasons to be the largest on the
turf
Mr. Whitney delights to talk % his
English Derby winner. VOlOdynvs6i; OF
Nasturtium, which may win the same
event this year, although his owner
doubts il; of Hamburg and Meddler and
Yankee and Endurance-by- Right. and all
that galaxy of equine stars which has al
ready made the name Of Whitney known
the world over.
COUNTERFEIT BLANKETS.
Demand Exceeds the Supply of the