Page:The Wizard of Wall Street and his Wealth.djvu/74

 CHAPTER VI.

GOULD'S ASSAULT UPON ERIE.

The most thrilling, the most discreditable portion of Gould's career, is contained in the ten years following the close of the war of the rebellion. The blackest pages in the history of American railways comprise the chapter relating to the Erie and the most shameful efforts to wreck the fortunes of a thousand men for the aggrandizement of the fortunes of a few, were made in connection with the schemes that resulted in "Black Friday."

Nothing in the Credit Mobilier and the history of the rise of the Pacific railroads equals in downright violation of sacred trusts, in absolute plunder of vast properties, and in wholesale bribery and corruption, the record of Erie. Even Mr. Gould, in his sworn autobiography in that celebrated investigation before the committee on labor and education, while careful to give minute details about other periods of his history, significantly preserved an entire silence as to Erie and "Black Friday"—two incidents in his career which nothing but an effort to conceal could explain his silence regarding. That this is no exaggeration of language, an examination of the facts will show. There is no intention to speak maliciously of Gould. Beside an open