" After that," said the witness, " I had not the heart next day to ask anybody to give me a dinner." He finally went to a quiet place, where nobody could see him, and had a good cry. He then went to his sister's house, where he went up stairs and prayed, after which he felt better. After that he resolved not to go home again, but to go ahead and die in the last ditch. He returned to his task of completing the map and made similar surveys of Delaware and Albany Counties, from which he realized five thousand dollars, which was his first capital.

After the panic of 1857 he came to New York and, owing to the depreciation of values in property, he was able to buy on credit the bonds of the Rutland and Washington Railroad for ten cents on the dollar. He took charge of the railroad and was its president, treasurer and general manager. He conducted the road until its consolidation with the Rensselaer and Saratoga road, when he was able to sell out his interest at a large profit. Subsequently he took a bankrupt friend's interest in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh road and held it till he was able to sell it to advantage. He became a large owner of Union Pacific stock in consequence of a misunderstanding with parties interested and also owing to the illness of Mr. Horace F. Clark in Chicago. The road was then in a bad way, the stock going down to fifteen, and the only thing he could do to save himself was to hold on to what he had, while at the same time he still kept buying. He made up his mind to stick to the road and build it up, and he persevered till it at last paid dividends.