Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-11-09
400" SCENE OF
RAILWAY BATTLE.
Mrs Fish Is Playing for Vanderbilt and
Astor Support for Her Hus-
band

NEW YORK, Nov. 6-The fight
which Stuyvesant Fish is making
against Edward II. Hartman and Wall
street for possession of the Illinois Cen
trail road has become a social issue as
we'll as financial.
The stake for which Mrs. Fish and
her friends are playing is the support
of Cornelius Vanderbilt and John Jacob
Astor. both sciOns of society, both with
in the pale of influence of Wall street,
and both Illinois Central directors.
Hard Battle Both Ways.
1t is not to be supposed that Mrs.
Fish is having an easy time, for like
all women successful in society she has
rivals who are ever ready to take add
vantage of her every move in the eff
fort to dethrone her. In this fight, how
ever, Mrs. Fish has succeeded in rang
ing on her side some of the most pow
erful social influences in the City of New
York.
The lines of battle have been drawn,
and it is now the dominant portion OF
society against Wall street, the Stand
ard Oil influence and Edward ii. Harri-
man. None of those who are vitality in
terested in the outcome of the Illinois
Central fight will admit that they are
placing any hope in the efforts which
Mrs Fish is known to be making.
Not Advised by Husband.
If is known that Mrs. Fish is using
all her social strength to line up Astor
and Vanderbilt in the directors meet
ing Wednesday on the side of her huS-
band. The initiative which she is taking
was not at the request OF her husband.
In fact, he is said not to have known
ANYTHING about the matter until after
the campaign was well under way.
Then he at first laughed and told her
she had better not get into the game.
After that he watched the moves which
his wife has been making with keen in
terest, not unmixed with amusement. 1t
is a bitter fight indeed from which Stuy-
vesant Fish cannot extract grain OF
humor, and that grain of humor ne Is
finding in the social turmoil which Mrs.
Fish and her friends are stirring up on
his account. !
Just what Mrs. Fish will do. provided
Astor and Vanderbilt side with the Har-
riman interests, is not known, but it is
thought that new list of the '4OO'' will
be made and that names of the Astors
and of the Vanderbilts and of their sup
porters in this fight will not be among
those present. Such move would be
the most daring social revolution ever
started in the cffete east, but there IS
none who believes that Mrs. Fish would
not dare to take the plunge. Ii 1t comes
to this New York society will be shaken
to it's very center.
Causes Shifting of States.
Although neither Mr.. Fish nor his at
torney, j. B. Dill, would admit it, it is
almost certain that it is because OF Mrs.
Fish's efforts that they both placed Mr..
Vanderbilt and Mr.. Astor in the doubt
full list of directors yesterday after hay
ing previously conceded them to the Har-
riman forces.
In times past Mrs. Fish and Mrs. AS
tor have been social rivals, and it will
be interesting to watch the outcome OF
the present affair.
Mrs Fish is also doing what Mr.. Fish
would not do, even with J. T. Harahan
that is, to remind him of past fayors
and of a friendship which stood by him
in many a hard pinch.
In even a fuller degree Jack Astor
and "Corny" Vanderbilt owe their posi-
tons directly to Stuyvesant Fish. Cor
nelius Vanderbilt is the disinherited son
who was cut off with 100000 where he
might have expected millions.