Great Corporations-
The growth of railroad corpora
tions the past thirty years has been
enormous, lu 1840 the capital of the
largest railroad company in the coun
try was reported at less than four
and a half millions. Ten years later
the capital of no compauy exceeded
ten millions, hut in 1860 the con
struction account ofa single one was
reported at thirty-four millions. To
day tho New York Central or Van
derbilt combination controls 974
miles of track and a nominal stock
of a hundred and twenty-tive mil
lions. The Pennsylvania Ceutral
holds under perpetual loase some 2,-
700 miles of track, and practically
owns property to the value of one
hundred and sixty millions. The
Krio company controls 1,200 miles of
track and stock to the nominal value
of two hundred million dollars. To
these add the Pacific roads, the Chic
ago A Northwestern, tho Milwaukee
A St. Paul, aud the hundred smaller
fry, and wo have a property of the
estimated value of two thousand mil
lions, yielding a gross income of four
hundred millions annually. Shonld
all this enormous property, follow
ing, the tendency towards consolida
tion which is now so manifest, fall
under the control of a single board
ot management, tho power thus crea
ted would be greater, more concentra
ted, and more dangerous than any that
ever existed in this or any other coun
try. In ten years from this time
there ’\iil probably be two new Paci
fic roads, and a multitude of lesser
ones, sufficient to double tho wealth
in this form. By that time there
will doubtless bean aimy of scarcely
less than a million of men under the
pay ami direction ofa few gicat cor
porations. If the managers, of these
combinations s-bould put their wits
together for the purpose of extortion
from the people or for the accomplish
ment of political changes , what might
they not accomplish ? They would
possess in advance what is of the
highest strategic importance—the
great highway,* ot the country be
sides an euormous capital and an ir
.resistible army ot employes
Fr in these facts some unpleasant
possibilities —we will not say pro
babilitics—are Easily perceived. 