He was one of those rare characters who can see the drift of things, and was always to be found, so to speak, swimming in the main current where movement was the fastest.

He soon saw, as I did, that the sleeping-car was a positive necessity upon the American continent.

He began to construct a few cars at Chicago and to obtain contracts upon the lines centering there.
The Eastern concern was in no condition to cope with that of an extraordinary man like Mr.Pullman.I soon recognized this, and although the original patents were with the Eastern company and Mr.
Woodruff himself, the original patentee, was a large shareholder, and although we might have obtained damages for infringement of patent after some years of litigation, yet the time lost before this could be done would have been sufficient to make Pullman's the great company of the country.

I therefore earnestly advocated that we should unite with Mr.Pullman, as I had united with him before in the Union Pacific contract.

As the personal relations between Mr.Pullman and some members of the Eastern company were unsatisfactory, it was deemed best that I should undertake the negotiations, being upon friendly footing with both parties.