Hidden Treasures | Page 6

and after this great 'bulling' movement he
became President of that road. All that was needed now was the
Hudson River road and this he bought outright, becoming President of
the New York Central and Hudson River Rail Road, extending from
New York to Buffalo.
At one time there was a bill to be voted on at Albany; the bill was in
the interest of Harlem; Mr. Vanderbilt was sure it would pass, but
Daniel Drew, his antagonist, who ever fought Harlem or Central as they
were against Erie, caused a counter movement to be made which
defeated the bill. Vanderbilt heard of it, and of course was disappointed
but made no foolish protests with the treacherous 'friends' at the capitol.
In the meantime these people were selling Harlem short for future
delivery, expecting that the stock would "take a tumble" when it
became known that the bill was defeated. As before said Vanderbilt
said nothing, but quietly bought up every scrap of stock there was to be
found loose. The fatal day came but Harlem stood firm. The derelict
Assemblymen were thunderstruck when they had to buy at a greatly
enhanced price, and many of the would-be victors were ruined. In 1873
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad was operated in

connection with the Vanderbilt system, making a Palace Car route from
New York city to Chicago. From New York to Buffalo a quadruple
track, thence a double track.
Among the charities of Mr. Vanderbilt is a gift of three-quarters of a
million to the University in Nashville, Tennessee, which bears his name.
He died in 1877 worth about eighty millions.

AMOS LAWRENCE.
Amos Lawrence was born April 22nd, 1786. He was a weak child,
consequently could not attend school, but his mother did not neglect
him. When only thirteen years old he became a clerk in a country store.
In this store was kept everything in the hardware line, from a plow to a
needle; in the textile line, from a horse-blanket to a pocket
handkerchief; then you could buy the productions usually found in a
vegetable garden,--everything was kept, even to Jamaica rum and drugs
for the sick; a good place, indeed, for a bright, active boy to gain new
ideas. Each country store, in those days, had its bar, and the clerks were
as likely to be called on to mix drinks, as they were to be asked to
measure off dry goods, and it was considered as honorable. Not only
this, but it was customary for clerks to take a drink themselves, but
young Lawrence determined to neither drink nor smoke. True, he liked
the taste of liquor, and enjoyed a quiet smoke, but he argued that such
pleasures, not only eat up profits already earned, but left the system in a
poor condition to earn more. When we consider that he was a mere lad
of thirteen, or at best fourteen, when he had decided upon this
honorable course, and when we think that at least, for the time being,
these luxuries would have cost nothing, we are constrained to say, no
wonder he became a rich man.
If our young men would only save the money they yearly smoke up and
spend for other needless things, we would have clearer headed and
much wealthier men. Our young men all desire to gain wealth and the
highest enjoyments possible in this world, but are not willing to pay for
them. If they would examine the lives of a great many of our most

wealthy and influential men of to-day, they would be surprised to learn
how few even smoke.
If you see a man with a high hat, gaudily dressed, smoking and
seemingly inviting your attention at some horse trot, where he is
making a great display of wealth in the way of bets, you can set it down
as pretty certain that that man is a clerk working for $10 or $15 per
week, or at best, a mere curb-stone broker who will never rise to
anything higher. Real wealth and distinction never invite your attention.
One would hardly take that plain old gentleman, walking along the
street yonder, for other than a country deacon, yet the check of Russell
Sage will be recognized and honored to the amount of millions. Jay
Gould never enjoys himself more than when at home.
We spend as a nation now, every year, NINE HUNDRED MILLIONS
FOR LIQUOR and THREE HUNDRED and FIFTY MILLIONS for
TOBACCO. Total, ONE BILLION, TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY
MILLIONS. One billion, two hundred and fifty millions thrown away.
More than twice what we use for bread and meat. Then look at that vast
waste of unearned wages. Man can't do two things well at one time. In
our large cities we have,