ittee of that
road had suggested that I might be able to obtain the money and at the
same time get for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company virtual control of
that important Western line. I believe Mr. Pullman came with the
director, or perhaps it was Mr. Pullman himself who first came to me
on the subject.

I took up the matter, and it occurred to me that if the directors of
the Union Pacific Railway would be willing to elect to its board of
directors a few such men as the Pennsylvania Railroad would nominate,
the traffic to be thus obtained for the Pennsylvania would justify
that company in helping the Union Pacific. I went to Philadelphia and
laid the subject before President Thomson. I suggested that if the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company would trust me with securities upon
which the Union Pacific could borrow money in New York, we could
control the Union Pacific in the interests of the Pennsylvania. Among
many marks of Mr. Thomson's confidence this was up to that time the
greatest. He was much more conservative when handling the money of the
railroad company than his own, but the prize offered was too great to
be missed. Even if the six hundred thousand dollars had been lost, it
would not have been a losing investment for his company, and there was
little danger of this because we were ready to hand over to him the
securities which we obtained in return for the loan to the Union
Pacific.

My interview with Mr. Thomson took place at his house in Philadelphia,
and as I rose to go he laid his hand upon my shoulder, saying:

"Remember, Andy, I look to you in this matter. It is you I trust, and
I depend on your holding all the securities you obtain and seeing
that the Pennsylvania Railroad is never in a position where it can
lose a dollar."

I accepted the responsibility, and the result was a triumphant
success. The Union Pacific Company was exceedingly anxious that Mr.
Thomson himself should take the presidency, but this he said was out
of the question. He nominated Mr. Thomas A. Scott, vice-president of
the Pennsylvania Railroad, for the position. Mr. Scott, Mr. Pullman,
and myself were accordingly elected directors of the Union Pacific
Railway Company in 1871.

The securities obtained for the loan consisted of three millions of
the shares of the Union Pacific, which were locked in my safe, with
the option of taking them at a price. As was to be expected, the
accession of the Pennsylvania Railroad party rendered the