Evening journal., 1914-02-24
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Why Commodore Vanderbilt
Went Into R6iIrOaGinG
By Holland.

The late Charles A. Clark was as
sociated with Commodore Vanderbilt
from the day when the. commodore
abandoned his vocation as "a steam
boat and steamship owner and man
ager 30 that he might take up rail
road construction. ownership and
management. Mr.. Clark served with
three generations of Vanderbilts. the
commodore his son. William a. Van
dtiD.u and the grandsons, the late
Cornelius and William r. Vanderbilt
For many years he was vice-presi-
dent OF the New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad Company,
having authority over the financial
department
Probably no man, excepting
Chauncey NJ. Depew. knew more Of
the inner history Of the Vanderbilt
railroad properties or had more init
mate knowledge of the personal char
acterisucs of the three generations
OF Nanderbilts who were I'm authority
than AIR. Clark. After he retired
from active service, when past eighty
years OF age he was fond of telling
his Friends what some of the personal
characteristics of the commodore and
his son, William II. vanderbilt were.
! once asked Mr.. Clark if he ever
knew what Il was that induced Com
modore Vanderbilt to abandon his
vocation as a steamboat aud steam
ship owner and manager and take up
railroading
"The commodore" Mr.. Clark re-
piled, was siXty-two years of age
when he began his career as a rail-
road man. He hsd at that time.
presume, about fifteen millions, and
that was esteemed i'm the early sixties
very great fortune. Daniel Drew
at that time had probably lust about
as much, and these two men. when
acting together. could make or break
the money market.
"With shch wealth and power as
the commodore had, most men OF that
day would have been content TO ease
up a little. They would have thought
of retirement from active business.
But Commodore Vanderbilt was not
that kind of a man. Had he not
changed his vocation he would have
remained an active and aggressive
steamboat and steamship owner until
he died
led the commodore to think OF the
railroad as his future vocation. But
7 have always had the suspicion that
IL was "a remark made TO him by John
VI. Forbes, of Boston. Forbes, you
remember, had the courage To take
up the Michigan Central Railroad
and complete It just about the time
OF the Mexican war. He was also
NI.n HfHHH %
Burlington system. which for many
years was owned by Boston capital.
Along about 1862 the commodore
met John NJ. Forbes and had long
conversation with him. Forbes at
that time told the commodore that
with the construction of adequate
railroad facilities the great West
would be opened to agriculture and
there would be enormous supplies of
grain TO be moved from the prairies.
to the manufacturing towns and 10
the seaports. II was this. Mr.. Forbes
said. which led him 10 take up the
Burlington railroad plan.
IL know that the commodore had
great admiration for John NJ. Forbes
and ] always suspected that what
Mr. Forbes told him made a profound
Impression on him. He was already
the owner of the Harlem railroad. He
bought that originally as sort of
speculation. He realized that the
neglected and despised Hudson river
railroad whose terminal was Oppo-
site Albany. would be naturally
line over which agricultural products
OF the West would be moved from the
lakes to the seaports.
Understanding this clearly. Il sud
denly occurred TO the commodore
that IL he could cOntral the half dozen
railway lines which connected AL
bany with Buffalo and then could
get control of the bridge over the
Hudson ut Albany. he would secure
a railroad property which would find
ample business offered az BunalO by
the steamers that brought grain from
tho West He was a little ahead Of
his time when he began, but his fore
cast was correct, and IL was inevi-
table that he should afterward plan
the extension of his system from Buff
falo 20 Chicago hy the railroad that
6sirtcd the south shores of Lake
Erie and afterward secure the cOn-
troll OF the Michigan Central Curl
ously enough. the Michigan Central.
which passed into the ownership of
the commodore. and the Lake Shore.
which he secured. were at first strong
competitors. and the Lake shore was
built with the idea Of competing with
the Michigan Central.
"Now. do not know positively
that &C was John M Forbes who IN
spired the cOmuodOre with the idea
of taking ~ the railroad business,
but little things which the commo-
dore said and little Incidents that
came under my observation con-
yinced me that il was that gentleman
who opened the eyes of the commo-
dore TO the opportunities which the
building up Of the West were to Oller
90 railroads tha, had terminals on
the Atlantic seahoard."
Copyright. 1914. by e. J. Edwards.
All rights rohervedl.
tomorrow tr Edwards Will tel
"Why the Surveyors Put Curves into
the New Haven Railroad"