Evening journal., 1910-03-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Man Who Was Dead
Already
BY Holland"

This daily series Of anecdotes and Incl
uents tnat throw new, Interesting and fire.
quently dramatic light on famous events
and personalities of the past have been
collected by Mr.. Edwards during near
iorty years OF more or less intimate aC-
quaintance with many of the country's
ecdote or incident is fresh from Mr.. Ed
wards notebook. and, either I'm whole or
IN part, Il constitutes NEW NEWS OF
yesterday. garnered from the men
VINO made the news-the historyl-or from
equally authoritative sources 2 As i'm
portant contributions Of the "IIuman IN
terest sort to American history these
articles have n distinctive value all their
own.
Like all men Of great creative ca
pacity Commodore Vanderbilt was mas
tered by whims at times, and always
governed by his prejudides except in
great matters. Then he could look up
on subject with a perfectly impartial
eye" said to me Captain Frederic c..
Wagner head Of tn ecountry's largest
Masonic Home
''Those who knew the Commodore
WELL" continued Captain Wagner,
LEARNED by bitter experience the prop
er way TO persuade him. the expedient
manner OF advising him. It was easy
enough to approach him, and even to
persuade him. provided his pecullari-
ties Of temperament and a certain pride
I'm his achievements were understood
Otherwise, woe betide the man who stood
in his presencel
Somewhere in the center Of New
York State-I do not now recall exactly
where-there was little railroad which,
In It's construction and operation. well
Illustrated the earlier day Of railway
building and operation before the Com
modore taught the science of merging
railway properties. 1t wax about ff-
teen miles long. II was I'm the owner
ship Of few stockholders. and when
tho road was first constructed and oper-
ated. they were as proud of IL as any
large stockholder in the Pennsylvania
for instance, Is proud Of his partial own
ership in that corporation.
Commodore Vanderbilt's atteation was
called to this little railroad. After hav-
ing looked It over, he realized what its
advantage would be as feeder, in a
small way Of the New York Central sys-
tenn. and he therefore opened negotia-
tions with the stockholders for the pur-
chase OF their property.
But It turned out to be one of the
most difficult Of the small propositions
he had yet been called upon to handle.
He ran up against a local pride in this
little railroad, and also the strong per-
sonal pride which its president had in
Il. Actually, this president acted as il
he were the owner Of a great rival to
the New York Central Finally how
ever. the property passed into the pos
session Of The New York Central sys-
tenn. and after a while issued an order
which practically dissolved the corpora
ton and put its management out Of Of
flee
'The president of the little railroad
was astounded that he should have been
so brusquely treated. He sought an in
terview with the Commodore.
Commodore Vanderbilt he said q
know you have bought our railroad and
have now come to tell you that I am
certain that you cannot get along with
out me- ! make bold to tell you that
you ought TO retain me IN active charge
OF the management OF the railroad. II
you don't you Will find. ! think that
you have made mistake
Now. that was exactly the way not
TO approach the Commodore n the lit
tie railroad president had known his