Sublime

Almost from the outset, Hill found his maritime venture, which proved so dissimilar from his railroad experience, a source of unending frustration.

In sum, this key railroad, like its predecessor, would be a predictable target for speculators, would be hastily and poorly constructed far ahead of demand, and would be naturally entangled with the road that did reach northwest from the Twin Cities—the Saint Paul and Pacific (SP&P).

And the New York Central. Where did they think the money was coming from? “Keep the Central our road,” he had told Billy. And what had they done? They had sold their stock and let others manage the railroad, and now the Central, their source of wealth, was gone. And the spending! The wild, extravagant, endless spending. The Commodore had never let

Mr. Pratt was, you might say, a stand-in for me when I was president. He had a great capability for handling large problems with plainness and simplicity. He could get to the point.