“A few months later, I received this telegram:—
“‘H. H. VREELAND.
“‘Meet me at Broadway and Seventh Avenue office at two
o’clock to-day.
“WILLIAM C. WHITNEY.’
“I had to take a special engine to do this, but arrived at two o’clock
at the office of the Houston Street, West Street and Pavonia Ferry
Railroad Company, which I then knew, in an indistinct sort of way,
owned a small horse railway in the heart of New York. After finding
that Mr. Whitney was out at lunch, I kicked my heels for a few minutes
outside the gate, and then inquired of a man who was seated inside
in an exceedingly comfortable chair, when Mr. Whitney and his party
were expected, saying, also, that my name was Vreeland, and I had an
appointment at two. He replied: ‘Oh, are you Mr. Vreeland? Well, here
is a letter for you. Mr. Whitney expected to be here at two o’clock,
but is a little late.’ I took my letter and sat down again outside,
thinking that it might possibly contain an appointment for another
hour. It was, however, an appointment of quite a different character.
It read as follows:
“‘MR. H. H. VREELAND.
“‘DEAR SIR:—At a meeting of the stockholders of the Houston
Street, West Street and Pavonia Ferry Railroad Company, held
this day, you were unanimously elected a director of the
company.
“‘At a subsequent meeting of the directors, you were
unanimously elected president and general manager, your
duties to commence immediately.
“‘Yours truly, C. E. WARREN, Secretary.’
“By the time I had recovered from my surprise at learning that I was
no longer a steam-railroad, but a street-railroad man, Mr. Whitney and
other directors came in, and, after spending about five minutes in
introductions, they took up their hats and left, saying, simply, ‘Well,
Vreeland, you are president; now run the road.’ I then set out to learn
what kind of a toy railway it was that had come into my charge.”