We were most anxious to secure both bridges and all the approaches to them, but I found Mr. Garrett decidedly of the opinion that we were quite unable to do so much work in the time specified.  He wished to build the approaches and the short spans in his own shops, and asked me if we would permit him to use our patents.  I replied that we would feel highly honored by the Baltimore and Ohio doing so.  The stamp of approval of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad would be worth ten times the patent fees.  He could use all, and everything, we had.

There was no doubt as to the favorable impression that made upon the great railway magnate.  He was much pleased and, to my utter surprise, took me into his private room and opened up a frank conversation upon matters in general.  He touched especially upon his quarrels with the Pennsylvania Railroad people, with Mr. Thomson and Mr. Scott, the president and vice-president, whom he knew to be my special friends.  This led me to say that I had passed through Philadelphia on my way to see him and had been asked by Mr. Scott where I was going.

“I told him that I was going to visit you to obtain the contracts for your great bridges over the Ohio River.  Mr. Scott said it was not often that I went on a fool’s errand, but that I was certainly on one now; that Mr. Garrett would never think for a moment of giving me his contracts, for every one knew that I was, as a former employee, always friendly to the Pennsylvania Railroad.  Well, I said, we shall build Mr. Garrett’s bridges.”

Mr. Garrett promptly replied that when the interests of his company were at stake it was the best always that won.  His engineers had reported that our plans were the best and that Scott and Thomson would see that he had only one rule—­the interests of his company.  Although he very well knew that I was a Pennsylvania Railroad man, yet he felt it his duty to award us the work.

The negotiation was still unsatisfactory to me, because we were to get all the difficult part of the work—­the great spans of which the risk was then considerable—­while Mr. Garrett was to build all the small and profitable spans at his own shops upon our plans and patents.  I ventured to ask whether he was dividing the work because he honestly believed we could not open his bridges for traffic as soon as his masonry would permit.  He admitted he was.  I told him that he need not have any fear upon that point.

“Mr. Garrett,” I said, “would you consider my personal bond a good security?”

“Certainly,” he said.

“Well, now,” I replied, “bind me!  I know what I am doing.  I will take the risk.  How much of a bond do you want me to give you that your bridges will be opened for traffic at the specified time if you give us the entire contract, provided you get your masonry ready?”

“Well, I would want a hundred thousand dollars from you, young man.”

“All right,” I said, “prepare your bond.  Give us the work.  Our firm is not going to let me lose a hundred thousand dollars.  You know that.”