The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-11-08
400" SCENE OF
RAILWAY BATTLE.
Mrs Fish Is Playing for Vanderbilt and
Astor Support for Her Hus-
band

NEW YORK, Nov. 6.--Tha fight
which Stuyvesant Fish Is making
against Edward II. Hartman and Wall
trail road has become social issue as
well 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 adj
vantage of her every move in the eff
fort to dethrone her In this fight, how
ever. Mrs. Fish has succeeded in rang
ing Oh 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 IL. 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
1t is known that Mrs. Fish is using
MI 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 ut the request Of her husband.
In fact. he is said not to have known
ANYTHING about the matter until after
Ia, ni,r, w
Then lie 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
tcrest not unmiXed with amusement 1t
is n bitter fight indeed from which Stuy-
vesant Fish cannot extract a grain OF
humor, and that grain of humor he 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 Ilar-
riman interests, is not known, but 1t is
thought that a new list of the HOO will
be made and that names of the AstorS
and of the Nanderbits and of their sup
porters i'll this fight will not he among
those present. such a 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 If 1t comes
to this New York society will be shaken
to its very center.
Causes Shifting of States
Although neither Mr.. Fish nor his at
torney, j. Il. Dill, would admit it, it is
almost certain that it is because OF Mrs.
Fishs efforts. that they both placed Mr..
Vanderbilt and Mr.. Aston in the doubt
full list of directors yesterday after hav-
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. II. Harahan
that is, to remind him of past favors
and of friendship which stood by him
in many a hard pinch.
In even a fuller degree Jack" Aston
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.