my memories of eighty years-第46节

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The　story　graphically　told　by　one　of　the　oldest　and　ablest　of　railroad　men；　Mr。　Marvin　Hughitt；　for　a　long　time　president　and　now　chairman　of　the　Chicago　and　Northwestern　Railway；　illustrates　what　the　railroad　does　for　the　country。　　Twenty…five　years　ago　the　Northwestern　extended　its　lines　through　Northern　Iowa。　　Mr。　Hughitt　drove　over　the　proposed　extension　on　a　buckboard。　　The　country　was　sparsely　settled　because　the　farmers　could　not　get　their　products　to　market；　and　the　land　was　selling　at　six　dollars　per　acre。

In　a　quarter　of　a　century　prosperous　villages　and　cities　had　grown　up　along　the　line；　and　farms　were　selling　at　over　three　hundred　dollars　per　acre。　　While　this　enormous　profit　from　six　dollars　per　acre　to　over　three　hundred　has　come　to　the　settlers　who　held　on　to　their　farms　because　of　the　possibilities　produced　by　the　railroad；　the　people　whose　capital　built　the　road　must　remain　satisfied　with　a　moderate　return　by　way　of　dividend　and　interest；　and　without　any　enhancement　of　their　capital；　but　those　investors　should　be　protected　by　the　State　and　the　people　to　whom　their　capital　expenditures　have　been　such　an　enormous　benefit。



XIX。　　RECOLLECTIONS　FROM　ABROAD

I　know　of　nothing　more　delightful　for　a　well…read　American　than　to　visit　the　scenes　in　Great　Britain　with　which　he　has　become　familiar　in　his　reading。　　No　matter　how　rapidly　he　may　travel；　if　he　goes　over　the　places　made　memorable　by　Sir　Walter　Scott　in　the　〃Waverley　Novels；〃　and　in　his　poems；　he　will　have　had　impressions；　thrills；　and　educational　results　which　will　be　a　pleasure　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　　The　same　is　true　of　an　ardent　admirer　of　Dickens　or　of　Thackeray；　in　following　the　footsteps　of　their　heroes　and　heroines。　　I　gained　a　liberal　education　and　lived　over　again　the　reading　and　studies　of　a　lifetime　in　my　visits　to　England；　Ireland；　Scotland；　and　Wales。　　I　also　had　much　the　same　experience　of　vivifying　and　spiritualizing　my　library　in　France；　Italy；　Germany；　Belgium；　and　Holland。

London　is　always　most　hospitable　and　socially　the　most　delightful　of　cities。　　While　Mr。　Gladstone　was　prime　minister　and　more　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　than　any　statesman　of　any　country；　a　dinner　was　given　to　him　with　the　special　object　of　having　me　meet　him。　The　ladies　and　gentlemen　at　the　dinner　were　all　people　of　note。　Among　them　were　two　American　bishops。　　The　arrangement　made　by　the　host　and　hostess　was　that　when　the　ladies　left　the　dining…room　I　should　take　the　place　made　vacant　alongside　Mr。　Gladstone；　but　one　of　the　American　bishops；　who　in　his　younger　days　was　a　famous　athlete；　made　a　flying　leap　for　that　chair　and　no　sooner　landed　than　he　at　once　proposed　to　Mr。　Gladstone　this　startling　question：　〃As　the　bishop　of　the　old　Catholic　Church　in　Germany　does　not　recognize　the　authority　of　the　pope；　how　can　he　receive　absolution？〃　and　some　other　abstruse　theological　questions。　　This　at　once　aroused　Mr。　Gladstone；　who；　when　once　started；　was　stopped　with　difficulty；　and　there　was　no　pause　until　the　host　announced　that　the　gentlemen　should　join　the　ladies。　　I　made　it　a　point　at　the　next　dinner　given　for　me　to　meet　Mr。　Gladstone　that　there　should　be　no　American　bishops　present。

At　another　time；　upon　arriving　at　my　hotel　in　London　from　New　York；　I　found　a　note　from　Lord　Rosebery　saying　that　Mr。　Gladstone　was　dining　with　Lady　Rosebery　and　himself　that　evening；　and　there　would　be　no　other　guests；　and　inviting　me　to　come。　　I　arrived　early　and　found　Mr。　Gladstone　already　there。　　While　the　custom　in　London　society　then　was　for　the　guests　to　be　late；　Mr。　Gladstone　was　always　from　fifteen　minutes　to　half　an　hour　in　advance　of　the　time　set　by　his　invitation。　　He　greeted　me　with　great　cordiality；　and　at　once　what　were　known　as　the　Gladstone　tentacles　were　fastened　on　me　for　information。　　It　was　a　peculiarity　with　the　grand　old　man　that　he　extracted　from　a　stranger　practically　all　the　man　knew；　and　the　information　was　immediately　assimilated　in　his　wonderful　mind。　　He　became　undoubtedly　the　best…informed　man　on　more　subjects　than　anybody　in　the　world。

Mr。　Gladstone　said　to　me：　　〃It　has　been　raining　here　for　forty　days。　What　is　the　average　rainfall　in　the　United　States　and　in　New　York？〃　If　there　was　any　subject　about　which　I　knew　less　than　another；　it　was　the　meteorological　conditions　in　America。　　He　then　continued　with　great　glee：　　〃Our　friend；　Lord　Rosebery；　has　everything　and　knows　everything；　so　it　is　almost　impossible　to　find　for　him　something　new。　　Great　books　are　common；　but　I　have　succeeded　in　my　explorations　among　antiquarian　shops　in　discovering　the　most　idiotic　book　that　ever　was　written。　　It　was　by　an　old　lord　mayor　of　London；　who　filled　a　volume　with　his　experiences　in　an　excursion　on　the　Thames；　which　is　the　daily　experience　of　every　Englishman。〃　To　the　disappointment　of　Mr。　Gladstone；　Lord　Rosebery　also　had　that　book。　　The　evening　was　a　memorable　one　for　me。

After　a　most　charming　time　and　dinner；　while　Lord　Rosebery　went　off　to　meet　an　engagement　to　speak　at　a　meeting　of　colonial　representatives；　Lady　Rosebery　took　Mr。　Gladstone　and　myself　to　the　opera　at　Covent　Garden。　　There　was　a　critical　debate　on　in　the　House　of　Commons；　and　the　whips　were　running　in　to　inform　him　of　the　progress　of　the　battle　and　to　get　instructions　from　the　great　leader。

During　the　entr'actes　Mr。　Gladstone　most　interestingly　talked　of　his　sixty　years'　experience　of　the　opera。　　He　knew　all　the　great　operas　of　that　period；　and　criticised　with　wonderful　skill　the　composers　and　their　characteristics。　　He　gave　a　word　picture　of　all　the　great　artists　who　had　appeared　on　the　English　stage　and　the　merits　and　demerits　of　each。　　A　stranger　listening　to　him　would　have　said　that　a　veteran　musical　critic；　who　had　devoted　his　life　to　that　and　nothing　else；　was　reminiscing。　　He　said　that　thirty　years　before　the　manager　of　Covent　Garden　had　raised　the　pitch；　that　this　had　become　so　difficult　that　most　of　the　artists；　to　reach　it；　used　the　tremolo；　and　that　the　tremolo　had　taken　away　from　him　the　exquisite　pleasure　which　he　formerly　had　in　listening　to　an　opera。

Mr。　Gladstone　was　at　that　time　the　unquestionable　master　of　the　House　of　Commons　and　its　foremost　orator。　　I　unfortunately　never　heard　him　at　his　best；　but　whether　the　question　was　of　greater　or　lesser　importance；　the　appearance　of　Mr。　Gladstone　at　once　lifted　it　above　ordinary　discussion　to　high　debate。

Mr。　Gladstone　asked　many　questions　about　large　fortunes　in　the　United　States；　was　curious　about　the　methods　of　their　accumulation；　and　whether　they　survived　in　succeeding　generations。　　He　wanted　to　know　all　about　the　reputed　richest　man　among　them。　　I　told　him　I　did　not　know　the　amount　of　his　wealth；　but　that　it　was　at　least　one　hundred　millions　of　dollars。

〃How　invested？〃　he　asked。

I　answered：　　〃All　in　fluid　securities　which　could　be　turned　into　cash　in　a　short　time。〃

He　became　excited　at　that　and　said：　　〃Such　a　man　is　dangerous　not　only　to　his　own　country　but　to　the　world。　　With　that　amount　of　ready　money　he　could　upset　the　exchanges　and　paralyze　the　borrowing　power　of　nations。〃

〃But；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　enormous　fortunes；〃　and　mentioned　the　Duke　of　Westminster。

〃I　know　every　pound　of　Westminster's　wealth；〃　he　said。　　〃It　is　in　lands　which　he　cannot　sell；　and　burdened　with　settlements　of　generations　and　obligations　which　cannot　be　avoided。〃

〃How　about　the　Rothschilds？〃　I　asked。

〃Their　fortunes；〃　he　answered；　〃are　divided　among　the　firms　in　London；　Paris；　Vienna；　and　Frankfort；　and　it　would　be　impossible　for　them　to　be　combined　and　used　to　unsettle　the　markets　of　the　world。　　But　Mr。　…　could　do　this　and　prevent　governments　from　meeting　their　obligations。〃

Mr。　Gladstone　had　no　hostility　to　great　fortunes；　however　large；　unless　so　invested　as　to　be　immediately　available　by　a　single　man　for　speculation。　　But　fortunes　larger　than　that　of　one　hundred　millions　have　since　been　acquired；　and　their　management　is　so　conservative　that　they　are　brakes　and　safeguards　against　unreasoning　panics。　　The　majority　of　them　have　been　used　for　public　benefit。　The　most　conspicuous　instances　are　the　Rockefeller　Foundation；　the　Carnegie　Endowment；　and　the　Frick　Creation。

Henry　Labouchere　told　me　a　delightful　story　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　first　meeting　with　Robert　T。　Lincoln；　when　he　arrived　in　London　as　American　minister。　　Mr。　Lincoln　became　in　a　short　time　after　his　arrival　one　of　the　most　popular　of　the　distinguished　list　of　American　representatives　to　Great　Britain。　　He　was　especially　noted　for　the　charm　of　his　conversation。　　Labouchere　said　that　Mr。　Gladstone　told　him　that　he　was　very　anxious　to　meet　Mr。　Lincoln；　both　because　he　was　the　new　minister　from　the　United　States　and　because　of　his　great　father；　President　Lincoln。　　Labouchere　arranged　for　a　dinner　at　his　house；　which　was　an　hour　in　the　country　from　Mr。　Gladstone's　city　residence。　　Mrs。　Gladstone　made　Mr。　Labouchere　promise；　as　a　condition　for　permitting　her　husband　to　go；　that　Mr。　Gladstone　should　be　back　inside　of　his　home　at　ten　o'clock。

The　dinner　had　no　sooner　started　than　some　question　arose　which　not　only　interested　but　excited　Mr。　Gladstone。　　He　at　once　entered　upon　an　eloquent　monologue　on　the　subject。　　There　was　no　possibility　of　interruption　by　any　one；　and　Mr