Page:The Wizard of Wall Street and his Wealth.djvu/169

 Texas, Louisiana and the Indian Territory, and we go into Mexico."

"Are there other railroad enterprises that you are connected with?"

"I am director in various roads, but I put my whole strength into this system. I don't like to scatter around."

"What you do you do well, or try to?"

"I certainly try to do all things well."

"What other business enterprises of the country have you now or formerly had connection with?"

"I am a director in the Chicago and Northwestern road, Chicago and Rock Island, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, New York and New England and a good many other small roads."

Mr. Gould's Southwestern system, of which he speaks in terms so glowing, was composed of the Missouri Pacific, that was the main stem, and grafted onto it was the Wabash, of which an account has already been given; the Missouri, Kansas and Texas; the St. Louis and Iron Mountain, and the Texas Pacific. The directors of all the roads were substantially the same, Mr. Gould being the president, and his son George, Russell Sage, A. L. Hopkins and others of his intimate associates being the directors. The most striking feature about the management of these roads is that while all the others were driven into bankruptcy, or to the verge of it, the Missouri Pacific was made a big dividend-paying property. Mr. Gould attributed this to the comparatively small indebtedness of the Missouri Pacific,