f the Pullman Car Company to club together and contribute fifty
cents per month apiece for the purpose of investing the proceeds in
land, in view of eventually owning what we would call "The Porters'
Home." Mr. Pullman told me he thought that a good idea, and said if we
succeeded in buying one thousand acres of land, he would erect us a
building on it, and signed a statement to that effect.

I then went to work and communicated with all the divisions of the
Pullman Company, presenting this proposition to the porters of these
different districts, but only succeeded in getting about twenty-five
subscribers, the rest of them refusing to go into such a proposition,
some of them saying all I wanted was to get the money and make away with
it. Inasmuch as this amount was to be sent to the main Pullman office
in Chicago and I was to be there each month to see this money deposited.
Others refused to go into it upon the ground that they were liable to be
discharged from the Pullman service at any time, and many other various
excuses were offered. There were many of the Pullman conductors,
however, who promised to contribute from one to five dollars toward this
enterprise when we were ready to purchase the land.

My object was to have a Home and Hospital, with adjoining farming land,
for the benefit of old and disabled porters who were not able to perform
their duties as Pullman car porters. Had this been accomplished at that
time, we would by now have had a large farm and a house and hospital
connected therewith, and all the porters who are now unable to work
would have had a good home and be cared for the rest of their lives. I
hope to live long enough to yet see this plan become a reality.

At present the American railway leads the world. In no other country
does the traveler find so much comfort, so many conveniences, so much
pleasure, safety and speed as does the dweller in this robust young
country belonging to our Uncle Samuel. At the present time there are in
the United States upwards of two hundred and sixty thousand miles of
railroad open and in operation, not to mention several thousand miles
now building and projected. This immense mileage is divided between over
one thousand different roads, while in 1851 there were only 149
different railroads with a total mileage of 9000 miles. The railroads
today have a capital back of them amounting to over $14,000,000,000, and
they pay their employees wages that foot up over $7,