The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-01-14

TAHERE was unwonted hustle in
the usually sleepy and digm-
fed .,t'W York Offices of the
Southern and Transcontinent-
al 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 it was something more than
mere routine that had called out a
quorum Of such strength and which
made todays 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 clerk in a whisper. rs
not the road rich enough to bear the
loss?'
The man he addressed turned innpa-
C1eully W lue 4uoSIOueT.
'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 it easy to corrupt most Of the
supreme court judges, but Judge Ross
more Is one too many for them. You
could no more brbe him than you
could have brlbed 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 ues,'
replied the other emphatically. Then,
looking cautiously around to make
sure no one overheard, be 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"
\ 1t 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 it's
greedy tentacles 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 blessing,
promised to become not only a curse
to himself, but source Of dire peril
to all mankind-was 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 reaner, &C.
qu1ring with capital, laboriously saved,
first one refinery, then another: The
railroads were cutting each others
threats to secure the freight business
of the oil men, and John Burkett Ry-
der saw bis opportunity. he made
secret overtures to the road, guaran-
teeing vast amount Of business If 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
called these maneuvers "husiness.' The
world called them brigandage. But the
/. Colossus prospered and slowly built up
1.-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
Y 1n bis ambition Of organizing the EN-
pire Trading company, the most pow
erful, the most seeretive and the most
wealthy business institution tho COR
mercial world has ~: known.
8 Yet with ali tAis sAeeeAs teAH Bur-
7kett Ryder was sill let eaateHt: he
/ was now d fsEa ~ssaA, HeHsE by aHAay