Chapter 67 Female Role Models
The cost was indeed huge. The capital for registering the United Fruit Company alone was 10 million US dollars. This included shipping, purchasing land for plantations, and building railways. The money for building railways was not something that ordinary capitalists could afford. You can look at the wealth of Vanderbilt and Henry Huntington to see how important railway lines were in this era. Controlling the transportation hub meant making money without doing anything.
Vanderbilt once ordered the closure of the New York railway bridge to warn his opponents who challenged his authority. At that time, there was only one railway bridge in the whole of New York. Vanderbilt closed the railway bridge for one day, which paralyzed the whole of New York. Compared with Vanderbilt, the capitalists of later generations are as pure as newborn babies.
In order to buy land and establish plantations in these small Central American countries, it is absolutely necessary to build railways. There is a saying that wherever the railway is built, the influence of imperialism will extend there. The United Fruit Company wants to control the fruit market in the United States to make money, and it must get back the money it has invested, not to do charity.
"First, buy the land, then build the railway! Then build supporting facilities for the railway, control the port, cut off the sea transportation of other domestic competitors, let Black Gold Company handle the maritime issues, and then we will have the final say on the domestic fruit market." Sheffield looked at a plan still on the table, "Any tropical fruit entering the United States must seek our consent, whether it is bananas, coffee, or sugar cane. For sugar cane, we don't need to ask for it, because we have the final say."
Gail, McHale and the others put their hands on the table, listening to Sheffield's description of a grand plan. If they didn't know who this dancing man was, they would definitely think he was a liar, and what they should think about is sending him to jail.
However, the other party is the only heir of the Sheffield family, so he is naturally not a liar, but a rare young genius, a natural businessman, and a role model with a forward-looking vision.
"United Fruit Company, mainly about union! Your father and I once fought side by side, leaving behind this precious relationship. Only by uniting can we achieve our goals. So I don't want to say something that will spoil the fun, but out of basic business ethics, I still have to say it, as everyone knows!" Sheffield took out a revolver and slapped it on the table, emphasizing, "Texas is a place with simple folk customs, and so are the citizens of the entire South. They hate people who are disloyal, like the Yankees, so shareholders must not betray the interests of the United Fruit Company at any time. The guns must be pointed outward!"
This was the first time Sheffield took on the responsibility alone. Although the old man said that it didn't matter if the heir failed several times, he was afraid that he would repeat the same mistake as Vanderbilt's descendants and indulge in the European life. The Sheffield family already had such a person, and he was still in Paris and didn't come back.
Everyone can say polite words, but Sheffield is not willing to pay tuition several times before getting on the right track. With such a great geographical advantage in hand, he does not believe that he cannot compete with others.
"How could that be? What's so scary about black people? I can tell at a glance that they are black. The Yankees look like us, but they are evil at heart. They are the most hateful." Gale cursed fiercely, glanced at his companions and said, "I believe you think the same."
Actually, I have a dark heart! Sheffield felt a little guilty about his white skin and dark heart, but it lasted for less than a second.
On this day, with the witness of accountants, lawyers and other professionals, the United Fruit Company was established. In the following days, a large amount of funds were injected from various shareholders. The registered capital was 12 million US dollars. Almost at the same time, the confidants of the major shareholders left New Orleans and went to Haiti, Panama, Honduras, Colombia and even Venezuela to conduct inspections to find the most suitable land.
Sheffield did not seek to control the United Fruit Company, but he was still the largest shareholder in the company. He invested $4 million mainly to give a warm hug to the other plantation owners who had just returned.
Railway experts and workers were recruited at the same time. The whole operation was done in one go. Almost everything was prepared to be carried out at the same time. It caused a huge wave in the fruit industry. Of course, outside the fruit industry, no one felt anything was wrong. Even if they heard about it, they didn't take it seriously. Dixie people started to play plantations again? What new news is this? What else can these Southerners do besides farming?
As long as you have a dominant position in any industry, there will be huge profits, but industries also have to be divided into scales. The agricultural products in the South are originally stronger, and not all capital is stubborn and must compete with the Sheffield family in agricultural products.
The heirs' petty quarrels were not as interesting as Mrs. Anna's sending people out to investigate and see if anyone could not stand the sharp drop in agricultural products and wanted to sell their small farms. The old man had always had a strong interest in annexing land and would not miss any opportunity.
Among the various trusts, the founding of the United Fruit Company was not as noticeable. But another event received more extensive coverage than the founding of the United Fruit Company.
That is, Mrs. Anna donated two million dollars in the name of the Sheffield family to build professional police schools in Richmond, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Kansas to train professional police talents, provide scholarships for these future police officers, build a more professional police force, and better manage the community.
This kind of righteous act will naturally be reported by many newspapers that are blinded by greed. These editors who make a living by confusing right and wrong will naturally praise this act after receiving money, and by the way, step on the ills of the United States police system. It seems that if we don't listen to them, my great American destiny will be doomed!
Open any newspaper and you will notice the pages criticizing Britain. In any case, it is not easy to find an American newspaper these days that does not say something about the British.
Sheffield saw reports praising Mrs. Anna's charity. In the reports, Mrs. Lafayette was a strong and intellectual woman. She made great contributions to the post-war recovery of the South, adopted many orphans who appeared in the war, and was a role model and perfect example for women in the United States.
"Did we pay this newspaper too little?" Sheffield felt that this was a bit of a traitor. Was the editor-in-chief of this newspaper a traitor hidden in our camp? Did he move here from the north?
"I must learn from Mrs. Anna in the future!" Anne blurted out a sentence that made Sheffield almost jump up. He lowered his voice and pretended to be affectionate, "Everyone has their own life. You are so smart that you don't need to learn from anyone."
How would Annie know what her grandmother did? How could she live like this with another old lady in the family?
(End of this chapter)
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