The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-10-11
Bly,.
GEORGE
CARY
ECGLEST0N

fact" continued Duncan. 1T slowly
dawned upon my mind that you put
me forward in your conferences with
them because you valued my sugges-
tons and my initiative more than you
did theirs. Thinking of that, came
at last to the conclusion that I must,
in fact, be superior to these men in
those qualities that originate, execute,
achieve; otherwise, with your genius
for affairs, you would have suppressed
me and listened to them"
Again Hallam chuckled.
'Then another thought occurred to
me. The only reason why they can
execute plans that I conceive, while l
cannot, is that they have considerable
money of their own and command Of
much greater sums not their own,
while I have neither They have the
tools and the materials; have neither.
The clumsiest mechanic who has tools
and materials to work with can do
things that the most skillful mechanic
who has neither tools nor materials
cannot do.
81 have decided, therefore, to possess
myself of tools and materials in order
that I may make myself a master
workman and do my part in the great
nation building enterprises Of the time
and country"
"Would you mind explaining what
you mean by that?" interrupted Hal
lam.
"What is going on here in the west
does not impress you in the same way
In which it impresses me-" said Dun
can. "You men of affairs are just now
beginning to do the very greatest work
of nation building that has ever been
done since time began, but you are so
close to your work that you do not
appreciate its colossal proportions. You
have no perspective. In that have the
advantage Of you. May go on and set
forth the whole of my thought?'
Eyes; certainly. want to hear. Go
on"
"Well, then, let me explain and Illus
trate. A little while ago, in going over
your accounts, I discovered that the
cotton and grain you shipped from
Cairo to New York must be five times
transferred from one car to another.
That entailed enormous and needless
expense in addition to the delay. A
few weeks ago suggested to confer
ence of railroad nabobs at your house
that you should organize line of
through freight cars, which should be
loaded at Cairo, St. Louis, Chicago or
anywhere else in the west and hauled
through to New York, Boston or any
where else in the east without breaking
obvious that you put hundred thou
sand dollars into the line, and the rail-
road magnates made specially good
terms for the hauling Of the car. You
expect and will get dividends from
your investment. The railroad men see
profit for their companies in the oper-
alton of the line. That is all that you
and they foresee Of advantage. In my
view that is the very smallest part of
the natter
"How do you mean?"
'Why, taking cotton as a basis OF
reckoning, this through line system of
transportation, owned Independently
Of the railroads, will make an impor-
tant saving in the cost of raw mate
terials to the owners of New England
mills. They will run more spindles
and set more looms a-going than they
would have done without the through
lines cheapening of raw material.
They will pay better wages and reap
larger profits. They will produce more
goods, and they will sell them at a
| smaller price. The farmer in the west
will pay less for his cotton goods and
| get more for his grain because of the
| through lines cheapening of transport
tation. He and his wife and his chill
dren will dress better at less cost than
| they otherwise could do. Bear in mind
that the lines cars will carry other
things than cotton. The people of the
east will get their breadstuffs and their
| bacon and their beef far cheaper be-
cause Of it's existence than they other
| wise could.
Nov, again, little while ago you
were in Washington. You found it
| necessary to execute certain papers
and to file them in Chicot county, Ark,
before certain fixed date. You or
dered me by telegraph to prepare the
papers and bring them to you in Wash
| ington in the speediest way possible in
order that l might carry them within
the time limit to their destination. I
started for Washington within five
minutes by the quickest possible route,
preparing the papers on the train.
had to change cars five times between
Cairo and Washington and seven times
more between Washington and Mem
phis. All that will presently be chang
ed. The railroads of this country. to-
gether with the new ones now build
ing, will presently be consolidated into
great systems. Transportation, both
as to freight and as to passengers, is
now done at retail, and the cost is
enormous. 1t will. after a while, be
done at wholesale and at proportion
ate reduction in cost.
"Now, the thought that is in nv