my memories of eighty years-第46章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　time　was　36；000；　and　now　it　is　261；000　miles。

My　connection　with　the　New　York　Central　Railroad　covers　practically　the　whole　period　of　railway　construction；　expansion；　and　development　in　the　United　States。　　It　is　a　singular　evidence　of　the　rapidity　of　our　country's　growth　and　of　the　way　which　that　growth　has　steadily　followed　the　rails；　that　all　this　development　of　States；　of　villages　growing　into　cities；　of　scattered　communities　becoming　great　manufacturing　centres；　of　an　internal　commerce　reaching　proportions　where　it　has　greater　volume　than　the　foreign　interchanges　of　the　whole　world；　has　come　about　during　a　period　covered　by　the　official　career　of　a　railroad　man　who　is　still　in　the　service：　an　attorney　in　1866；　a　vice…president　in　1882；　president　in　1885；　chairman　of　the　board　of　directors　in　1899；　and　still　holds　that　office。

There　is　no　such　record　in　the　country　for　continuous　service　with　one　company；　which　during　the　whole　period　has　been　controlled　by　one　family。　　This　service　of　more　than　half　a　century　has　been　in　every　way　satisfactory。　　It　is　a　pleasure　to　see　the　fourth　generation；　inheriting　the　ability　of　the　father；　grandfather；　and　great…grandfather；　still　active　in　the　management。

I　want　to　say　that　in　thus　linking　my　long　relationship　with　the　railroads　to　this　marvellous　development；　I　do　not　claim　to　have　been　better　than　the　railway　officers　who　during　this　time　have　performed　their　duties　to　the　best　of　their　ability。　　I　wish　also　to　pay　tribute　to　the　men　of　original　genius；　of　vision　and　daring；　to　whom　so　much　is　due　in　the　expansion　and　improvement　of　the　American　railway　systems。

Commodore　Vanderbilt　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　our　country　has　produced。　　He　was　endowed　with　wonderful　foresight；　grasp　of　difficult　situations；　ability　to　see　opportunities　before　others；　to　solve　serious　problems；　and　the　courage　of　his　convictions。　　He　had　little　education　or　early　advantages；　but　was　eminently　successful　in　everything　he　undertook。　　As　a　boy　on　Staten　Island　he　foresaw　that　upon　transportation　depended　the　settlement；　growth；　and　prosperity　of　this　nation。　　He　began　with　a　small　boat　running　across　the　harbor　from　Staten　Island　to　New　York。　　Very　early　in　his　career　he　acquired　a　steamboat　and　in　a　few　years　was　master　of　Long　Island　Sound。　　He　then　extended　his　operations　to　the　Hudson　River　and　speedily　acquired　the　dominating　ownership　in　boats　competing　between　New　York　and　Albany。

When　gold　was　discovered　in　California　he　started　a　line　on　the　Atlantic　side　of　the　Isthmus　of　Darien　and　secured　from　the　government　of　Nicaragua　the　privilege　of　crossing　the　Isthmus　for　a　transportation　system　through　its　territory；　and　then　established　a　line　of　steamers　on　the　Pacific　to　San　Francisco。　In　a　short　time　the　old…established　lines；　both　on　the　Atlantic　and　the　Pacific；　were　compelled　to　sell　out　to　him。　　Then　he　entered　the　transatlantic　trade；　with　steamers　to　Europe。

With　that　vision　which　is　a　gift　and　cannot　be　accounted　for；　he　decided　that　the　transportation　work　of　the　future　was　on　land　and　in　railroads。　　He　abandoned　the　sea；　and　his　first　enterprise　was　the　purchase　of　the　New　York　and　Harlem　Railroad；　which　was　only　one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　miles　long。　　The　road　was　bankrupt　and　its　road…bed　and　equipment　going　from　bad　to　worse。　　The　commodore　reconstructed　the　line；　re…equipped　it；　and　by　making　it　serviceable　to　its　territory　increased　its　traffic　and　turned　its　business　from　deficiency　into　profit。　　This　was　in　1864。　The　commodore　became　president；　and　his　son；　William　H。　Vanderbilt；　vice…president。　　He　saw　that　the　extension　of　the　Harlem　was　not　advisable；　and　so　secured　the　Hudson　River　Railroad；　running　from　New　York　to　Albany；　and　became　its　president　in　1865。　　It　was　a　few　months　after　this　when　he　and　his　son　invited　me　to　become　a　member　of　their　staff。

The　station　of　the　Harlem　Railroad　in　the　city　of　New　York　was　at　that　time　at　Fourth　Avenue　and　Twenty…sixth　Street；　and　that　of　the　Hudson　River　Railroad　at　Chambers　Street；　near　the　North　River。

In　a　few　years　William　H。　Vanderbilt　purchased　the　ground　for　the　Harlem　Railroad　Company；　where　is　now　located　the　Grand　Central　Terminal；　and　by　the　acquisition　by　the　New　York　Central　and　Hudson　River　Railroad　of　the　Harlem　Railroad　the　trains　of　the　New　York　Central　were　brought　around　into　the　Grand　Central　Station。

In　1867；　two　years　after　Mr。　Vanderbilt　had　acquired　the　Hudson　River　Railroad；　he　secured　the　control　of　the　New　York　Central；　which　ran　from　Albany　to　Buffalo。　　This　control　was　continued　through　the　Lake　Shore　on　one　side　of　the　lakes　and　the　Michigan　Central　on　the　other　to　Chicago。　　Subsequently　the　Vanderbilt　System　was　extended　to　Cincinnati　and　St。　Louis。　　It　was　thus　in　immediate　connection　with　the　West　and　Northwest　centering　in　Chicago；　and　the　Southwest　at　Cincinnati　and　St。　Louis。　By　close　connection　and　affiliation　with　the　Chicago　and　Northwestern　Railway　Company；　the　Vanderbilt　system　was　extended　beyond　to　Mississippi。　　I　became　director　in　the　New　York　Central　in　1874　and　in　the　Chicago　and　Northwestern　in　1877。

It　has　been　my　good　fortune　to　meet　with　more　or　less　intimacy　many　of　the　remarkable　men　in　every　department　of　life；　but　I　think　Commodore　Vanderbilt　was　the　most　original。　　I　had　been　well　acquainted　for　some　years　both　with　the　commodore　and　his　son；　William　H。　　When　I　became　attorney　my　relations　were　more　intimate　than　those　usually　existing。　　I　was　in　daily　consultation　with　the　commodore　during　the　ten　years　prior　to　his　death；　and　with　his　son　from　1866　to　1885；　when　he　died。

The　commodore　was　constantly；　because　of　his　wealth　and　power；　importuned　by　people　who　wished　to　interest　him　in　their　schemes。　Most　of　the　great　and　progressive　enterprises　of　his　time　were　presented　to　him。　　He　would　listen　patiently；　ask　a　few　questions；　and　in　a　short　time　grasp　the　whole　subject。　　Then　with　wonderful　quickness　and　unerring　judgment　he　would　render　his　decision。　No　one　knew　by　what　process　he　arrived　at　these　conclusions。　They　seemed　to　be　the　results　as　much　of　inspiration　as　of　insight。

The　Civil　War　closed　in　1865；　and　one　of　its　lessons　had　been　the　necessity　for　more　railroads。　　The　country　had　discovered　that　without　transportation　its　vast　and　fertile　territories　could　neither　be　populated　nor　made　productive。　　Every　mile　of　railroad　carried　settlers；　opened　farms　and　increased　the　national　resources　and　wealth。　　The　economical　and　critical　conditions　of　the　country；　owing　to　the　expansion　of　the　currency　and　banking　conditions；　facilitated　and　encouraged　vast　schemes　of　railroad　construction。　This　and　a　wild　speculation　resulted　in　the　panic　of　1873。　　Nearly　the　whole　country　went　bankrupt。　　The　recovery　was　rapid；　and　the　constructive　talent　of　the　Republic　saw　that　the　restoration　of　credit　and　prosperity　must　be　led　by　railway　solvency。　　In　August；　1874；　Commodore　Vanderbilt　invited　the　representatives　of　the　other　and　competitive　lines　to　a　conference　at　Saratoga。　　Owing；　however；　to　the　jealousies　and　hostilities　of　the　period；　only　the　New　York　Central；　the　Pennsylvania；　and　the　Erie　railways　were　represented。

The　eastern　railway　situation　was　then　dominated　by　Commodore　Vanderbilt；　Colonel　Thomas　A。　Scott；　of　the　Pennsylvania；　and　John　W。　Garrett；　of　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio。　　Both　Scott　and　Garrett　were　original　men　and　empire　builders。　　There　was　neither　governmental　nor　State　regulation。　　The　head　of　a　railway　system　had　practically　unlimited　power　in　the　operation　of　his　road。　The　people　were　so　anxious　for　the　construction　of　railways　that　they　offered　every　possible　inducement　to　capital。　　The　result　was　a　great　deal　of　unprofitable　construction　and　immense　losses　to　the　promoters。

These　able　men　saw　that　there　was　no　possibility　of　railway　construction；　operation；　and　efficiency；　with　a　continuance　of　unrestricted　competition。　　It　has　taken　from　1874　until　1920　to　educate　the　railway　men；　the　shippers；　and　the　government　to　a　realization　of　the　fact　that　transportation　facilities　required　for　the　public　necessities　can　only　be　had　by　the　freest　operations　and　the　strictest　government　regulations；　that　the　solution　of　the　pr