82 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



they possess, also, in a marked degree, one other char- 

 acteristic of that classic race, the power of organization, 

 and through it of command. They have always deci- 

 ded our Presidential elections ; they have always, in 

 their dull, heavy fashion, regulated our economical 

 policy. Not open to argument, not receptive of ide'as, 

 not given to flashes of brilliant execution, this State 

 none the less knows well what it wants, and knows 

 equally well how to organize to secure it. Its great 

 railroad affords a striking illustration in point. It is 

 probably the most thoroughly organized corporation, 

 that in which each individual is most entirely absorbed 

 in the corporate whole, now in existence. With its 

 president and its four vice-presidents, each of whom de- 

 votes his whole soul to his peculiar province, whether 

 it be to fight a rival line, to develop an inchoate traffic, 

 to manipulate the Legislature, or to operate the road, 

 with this perfect machinery and subordination, there is 

 no reason why the corporation should not assume abso- 

 lute control of all the railroads of Pennsylvania. 



" Such is this great corporation, high in credit in the 

 money-markets of the world, careful withal of its out- 

 ward repute, apparently unbounded in its resources. 

 Organized so long ago as 1831, it had thirty miles of 

 road ready for operation in the succeeding year. Not 

 until 1854, however, was the Pennsylvania Railroad 

 proper completed. It then controlled the line from 

 Harrisburg to Pittsburg, 210 miles, which had cost a 

 little less than $17,000,000, and was represented by 

 about $12,000,000 of stock and $7,000,000 of indebt- 

 edness. This might be considered the starting-point ; 

 $3,500,000 of annual gross earnings on a capital a little 

 less than $20,000,000. For many years its growth 



