The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-11-19

| his own shoulder.
AlliaOns answer consisted of one
word.
Consolidation" be said.
There was q moment OF silence,
while these men absorbed that simple
idea, and glanced speculatively. not at
Allison, but At each other. They were
kings. these heads Of mighty corpora.
tons. whose emissaries carried their
Hoyereignties into the farthest corners
OF the earth. Like friendly kings. they
had helped each other in the protec-
ton OF their several domains; but this
was another matter.
That's large proposition. Ed"
stated Vance. very thoaghtfully. All
sense Of leyity had gone from this
! meeting They had come, as they
thought. TO promote large mutual In
terest. but not 10 weld Frankenstein.
Il did not understand your project TO
| be 40 comprehensive. tancied your
idea tssbe that the various companies
/ represented here. with Chisholm as
! financial controller. should take a mu-
tual interest In the support of the At
llantIc-pacislc. for the parpose OF con-
solldating the railroad interests Of the
country under one management. there
BY serving our own transportation
needs"
! Very well put. Vance" approved
Taylor. smoothing his pointed mus
tache.
THAT is a mere logical development
! OF the railroad situation" returned Al
| lison. III had not cemented this d.
| rect route, someone would have made
the consolidation you mention within
ten years. for the entire railroad stu.
alton has been disorganized since the
| death OF three big men In that field ,
! and the scattered holdings would be.
and are. an easy prey for anyone vital.
| ly Interested enough to invade the In.
dustry. | have no such minor propo-
sition In mind. propose. with the
| Atlantic Pacific as nucleus, to. first.
"a have said. bring the financial ter
minals OF every mile OF railroad In the
United States into one central office.
With this | then propose TO combine
the National Dairy Products consolida-
ton. the Standard Cereal company.
tho Amalgamated Metals Constructive
company, the Union Fuel. American
Textiles, the United States SRQplies.
and the stupendous financial
swayed by the banks tributary
Majestic Trust company. propd
weld these gigantic concerns into Ne
corporation. which shall be the might.
est organization the world has ever
known beginning with the control Of
transportation, II win control all food.
all apparel. all construction materials.
all fuel, From the shoes ON his feet
to the roof over his head. every man
In tho United States Of America. from
laborer TO president, shall pay tribute
To the International Transportation
company. Gentlemen, II have
dreamed big, It Is because have deal,
with men who deal only In large
dreams. What propose Is MI empire
greater than that ever swayed by any
monarch IN history. We eight men,
who are here III this room, can build
that empire With n scratch OF pen
aud can hold II against the assaults
OF tho world"
His voice rang as he finished. and
Rabbit looked at him In wonder. Al
lison had always been strong man
but now, in this second youth. he was
an Antaeus springins fresh from the
earth, There Was u moments hull, and
then a nasal voice drawled into the
silence
Allison" It was the voice OF old
Joseph G. Clark. who had built the
Standard Cereal company out OF one
wheat elevator. who Is to be the mon
arch Of your new empire"
For just moment Allison looked
about him Vastly different as these
men were. from the tull-beardcd Hav
erman 10 the smooth. shaver old 10
seph G. Clark. there was some one ex
pression which was the same In ever,
man. and that expression eas mas
terry, These men. BY the sheer force
OF their personality. BY the sheer dom!
nance OF their Wills, by the sheer yirii
ity OF their purposes, by the sheer dog
ged persistence which balss st no OBJ
stacle Snd hesstates at no foe. had
fought and strangled and throttled
their way TO the top until they stood
head aud shoulders above all the
strong men Of their respective do
mains, safe from protest or dispute
Of sovereignty. hsrause none has riaer
strong enough to do them battle, They
were the undefeated champions Of
their classes. and the lie Of ever,
man In that group was an epic! Who
was to be monarch Of the new empire
Alison answered that question al
svsply as he had the others
@rhe best man" he said.
There had been seven big men In
America. Now there were eight. They
all recognized that.
"ot course" went OF Allison. my
proposition does not assume that any
man here will begin by relinquishins
control Of his own particular branch
Of the International Transportation