ory-teller, and among them I remember this
one: At one time he was general manager of the Baltimore and Ohio
under John W. Garrett. In order to raise money for his projected
extensions, Garrett had gone to Europe. The times were financially
very difficult. Johns Hopkins, the famous philanthropist, died.
His immortal monument is the Johns Hopkins University and Medical
School. Everybody in Baltimore attended the funeral. Among the
leading persons present was another John King, a banker, who was
Hopkins's executor. A messenger-boy rushed in with a cable for
John King, and handed it to John King, the executor, who sat at
the head of the mourners. He read it and then passed it along
so that each one could read it until it reached John King, of the
Baltimore and Ohio, who sat at the foot of the line. The cable
read as follows: "Present my sympathies to the family and my high
appreciation of Mr. Johns Hopkins, and borrow from the executor
all you can at five per cent. Garrett."

Commodore Vanderbilt was succeeded in the presidency by his son,
William H. Vanderbilt, who was then past forty years old and had
been a successful farmer on Staten Island. He was active in
neighborhood affairs and in politics. This brought him in close
contact with the people and was of invaluable benefit to him when
he became president of a great railroad corporation. He also
acquired familiarity in railway management as a director of one
on Staten Island.

Mr. William H. Vanderbilt was a man of great ability, and his
education made him in many ways an abler man than his father
for the new conditions he had to meet. But, like many a capable
son of a famous father, he did not receive the credit which was
due him because of the overshadowing reputation of the commodore.
Nevertheless, on several occasions he exhibited the highest
executive qualities.

One of the great questions of the time was the duty of railroads
to the cities in which they terminated, and the decision of the
roads south of New York to have lower rates to Philadelphia and
Baltimore. New York felt so secure in the strength of its unrivalled
harbor and superior shipping facilities that the merchants and
financiers were not alarmed. Very soon, however, there was such
a diversion of freight from New York as to threaten very seriously
its export trade and the superiority of its port. The commercial
leaders of the city called upon Mr. Vanderbilt, who after the
confe