“Old Bill” Suggests—

The famous “public be dammed” phrase of William E. Vanderbilt two generations ago is said in some financial circles to have been misquoted. As that is the usual claim of a man who lost his temper and said more than he meant, newspaper men, in discussing Wall Street history, have never taken the excuse seriously.

It came to light the other day, however, through Dow, Jones & Co., that a press agent, about a year after the event, told Vanderbilt he thought he could buy or force an admission of journalistic error. Perhaps he couldn’t have made good.

In any case, Vanderbilt said grimly that after standing a year of public clamor he rather liked the show. “Let ‘er rip” was his viewpoint. Somehow we like that.

Personally, we have always respected the devil himself, in a restrained way, because he was at least consistent in sin.

OLD BILL.