Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-09-25

the usually sleepy and digni
fed New York offices Of the
Southern and Transcontinent-
nj Railroad company In lower Broad
way.
1t was the regular quarterly meet
Ing of the directors Of the Southern
and Transcontinental Railroad compa-
ny, but 1t was something more than
mere routine that had called out
quorum Of such strength and which
made today's gathering one Of extraor-
binary Importance In the history Of
the road. That the business on hand
was Of the greatest significance was
easily to be inferred from the con-
cerned and anxious expression on the
directors faces and the eagerness of
the employees as they piled each other
with questions.
Suppose the Injunction is sustain
ed:" asked q clerk In whisper. us
not the road rich enough to bear the
loss?"
The man he addressed turned impa-
tently to the Questioner.
''That's all you know about railroad
ing. Don't you understand that this
suit we have lost will be the entering
wedge for hundreds of others? The
very existence Of the road may be at
stake. And between you and me-" he
added In a lower key, with Judge
Rossmore on the bench we never stood
much show. It's Judge Rossmore that
scares 'em, not the injunction. They've
found 1t easy to corrupt most Of the
supreme court judges. but Judge Ross
more Is one too many for them. You
could no more bride him than you
could have bribed Abraham Lincoln"
But the newspapers say that he.
too, has been caught accepting $4,000
worth of stock for that decision he
rendered In the Great Northwestern
case"
Lies! All those stories are lies,"
replied the other emphatically. Then,
looking cautiously around to make
sure no one overheard. he added con-
temptuously: 1.-The big interests fear
him, and they're inventing these lies
to try and inJure him. They might as
we'll try to blow up Gibraltar. The
fact Is the public Is seriously aroused
this time, and the railroads are in a
panic"
It was true. The railroad, which
heretofore had considered itself supe-
rior to law, had found itself checked in
its career Of outlawry and oppression.
The railroad, this modern octopus Of
steam and steel which stretches its
greedy +entacles out over the land. had
at last been brought to book.
John Burkett Ryder, the richest man
In the wOrld-the man whose name had
spread to the farthest corners of the
earth because of his wealth. and whose
money. instead Of being a blessing,
promised to become not only curse
to himself, but a source Of dire peril
to all mankind-was a genius born Of
the railroad age. No other age could
have brought him forth. His peculiar
talents fitted exactly the conditions Of
his time. Attracted early In life to
the newly discovered oil fields Of Penn
sylvania, he became a dealer In the
raw product and later a ref1ner, &C.
quiring with capital, laboriously saved,
first one refinery. then another. The
railroads were cutting each others
throats to secure the freight business
Of the oil men, and John Burkett Ry-
der saw his opportunity. He made
secret overtures to the road, guaran-
teeing a vast amount Of business II he
could get exceptionally low rates, and
the illegal compact was made. His
competitors, undersold In the market,
stood no chance, and one by one they
were crushed out Of existence. Ryder
world called them brigandage. But the
Colossus prospered and slowly built up
the foundations Of the extraordinary
fortune which Is the talk and the won
der of the world today. Master now
Of the Oil situation. Ryder succeeded
in his ambition Of organizing the EN-
pire Trading company, the most pow
erful, the most secretive and the most
wealthy business institution the CON-
mercial world has yet known.
p wn an ~ socssas John Bur
bset Ky63 Wa ssin no4 content. He
was nov . rssh nsn, r,xher by many
millions dhan be had Dreamed b could
ever he, but seif1 he vas unSads6ed.
He became money mad. He waited
to be richer still, to be the richest man
In the world. the richest man the world
had ever known. And the richer he got
the stronger the idea grew upon him
with all the force of n morbid obses-
sion.
Yet this commercial pirate, this Ma
poleon of finance, was not q wholly
bad man. lie had his redeeminy quail
ties, like most bad men. His most pro
nounced weakness. and the one that
had made him the most conspicuous
man of his time, was an entire lack of
moral principle. No honest or honor
able man could have amassed such stu
pendous wealth. In other words. John
Ryder had not been equipped by ma
ture with conscience. He had no
sense of right or wrong or justice
where his own interests We're concern
I'd. He was the prince Of cyclists. On
the other hand. he possessed qualities
which, with some people, count as
virtues. He was pious and regular In
his attendance at church. and, while he
had done but little for charity, he
was known to have encouraged the Civ
Ing Of aims BY members Of bis family,