1850 American Gold Tycoon

In the second half of 1851, a wave of new railroad track construction began in the eastern United States.

Sections of old, inferior track were removed and replaced with new rail that could match the new locomotives.

Not only the three giants in the railway industry did this, but even small railway companies that were struggling to survive had to build new railway tracks.

Forced to accept the industry standards output by the Big Three.

An agreement was reached between Liang Yao's Atlantic Railroad Company and Vanderbilt's Central Railroad Company to allow the lines of the two railroads to be connected.

This is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for other railway companies, including Yinli Railway Company, one of the three giants.

The Atlantic Railway Company and the Central Railway Company originally controlled several very valuable railway routes, such as the New York-Boston, New York-Philadelphia, and Baltimore-Cleveland routes controlled by the Atlantic Railway Company, and the short-distance routes in New York State controlled by the Central Railway Company. The New York-Chicago route is a route of great commercial value.

Atlantic Railway Company and Central Railway Company were already very powerful railway companies. The combination of the two companies was a huge bad news for other railway companies in the industry.

Liang and Vanderbilt were condemned by other railroads after the announcement of the connection.

But it was just a mild condemnation.

The Yinli Railway Company was dissatisfied, but it still did not directly stand up to condemn Liang Yao and Vanderbilt.

If the new track laid by the Yinley Railroad Company from New York to New Haven goes well, it will be completed by the end of next month.

Yinli Railway Company is still waiting for Liang Yao's locomotive factory to supply them with Pioneer locomotives and supporting carriages. There is no need to offend Liang Yao for those small and medium-sized railway companies.

At the end of September 1851, Liang Yao received a reply from President Fillmore. Congress allowed him to recruit an infantry regiment in the name of the Arizona Infantry Regiment, which would be fully responsible for the border defense of the Arizona Territory, guard against Indians, and ensure the safety of American immigrants in the Arizona Territory. .

However, the federal government is financially strapped and cannot provide enough food and salary for the soldiers of the Arizona Infantry Regiment. It can only provide each soldier with a monthly allowance of $5.

Liang Yao has to deal with the remaining expenses, logistics, and even weapons by himself.

Any other army colonel would never accept such harsh conditions.

But Liang Yao accepted that as long as the establishment of the standing infantry regiment could be obtained, the rest were minor and trivial problems.

As long as the soldiers are raised by him and obey his orders, this infantry regiment will be firmly in his hands. In the future, even if the president orders it, he will not be able to mobilize his soldiers without his nod and approval.

The army was his capital to protect himself in the future civil war. Although after the outbreak of the civil war, both the North and the South quickly mobilized and expanded their armies.

However, the gap between veterans and recruits is obvious, especially in the north, where the number of troops is rapidly expanding. In the early days of the war, it did not show a record that matched the national and industrial strength of the north. Instead, it fought on the Virginia battlefield on the eastern front and in the south. Very passive.

In addition to the fact that the generals in the north were not as capable as the south in the early days, the quality of the soldiers was also very important.

The North hurriedly pulled supplies from the street and stuffed a rifle into them to send them to the battlefield. Naturally, they could not expect how strong their combat effectiveness would be.

In the South, in addition to the all-star generals, most of the middle and lower-level officers were small and medium-sized slave owners who had participated in the Mexican-American War or even the Second War of Independence. The soldiers were also veterans of the Mexican-American War and had fought fierce battles with Indian tribes for many years. .

With approval from Congress and documents from the Department of War, Liang Yao sent people to major towns in the southern states to recruit troops and form his Arizona Infantry Regiment.

After the Mexican-American War, the federal government carried out major disarmament, and a large number of active professional soldiers were laid off and sent home.

These soldiers have already undergone formal military training and have actual combat experience. It only takes a short time to recruit these soldiers who are forced to retire and form combat effectiveness.

Of course, the most critical reason is that these southern veterans are of high quality and low price, and are great value for money.

Except for the special case of the California Infantry Regiment, the salary of ordinary soldiers in other American infantry regiments is generally in the range of 7 to 10 US dollars.

Whether the top soldiers receive 7 US dollars or 10 US dollars per month depends on whether the colonel of the infantry regiment has strong financial resources and conscience.

Liang Yao's salary for ordinary soldiers of the Arizona Infantry Regiment is 12 US dollars a month, excluding officers. Although this salary is far inferior to that of the California Infantry Regiment, it can be said to be very generous compared with other army infantry regiments. Enough veterans will soon be recruited.

As for why Liang Yao chose to recruit troops in the southern states, the reason is simple. Compared with the military resources in the north of the United States, the military resources in the south are more abundant in martial arts.

In addition to the Arizona Infantry Regiment, Liang Yao also recruited an artillery company in California, as well as several officers who graduated from West Point Military Academy and Virginia Military Academy in engineering surveying to prepare an engineer company.

Infantryman Liang Yao can train himself into an army in a short period of time, but these technical arms cannot be trained overnight.

The fastest way is to recruit retired veterans directly.

Liang Yao looked at the list of this trip to the east in his hand.

Railways, eastern market, sewing machines, talents, education, purchase of land in Mexico, expedition to Japan, army expansion and recruitment.

These items have been successfully completed, leaving only the last two items.

One was the retail business promised to Vandaze, and the other was to acquire steel mills in Pittsburgh and Ohio and transfer some production capacity to California.

Liang Yao asked Yin Lisabai to inform Fan Daze to inspect the retail industry in New York.

As soon as Fan Daze heard that Liang Yao was finally getting involved in the retail industry, he immediately rushed over.

"Thank God, you finally remembered what you promised me in California." Van Daze looked happy.

Although Van Daze is now a well-known millionaire in New York State, his income is still considerable.

But a large part of his income comes from dividends from shares in Staten Gold Mining Company and from opening grocery stores in California.

The New York grocery store that originally started its business has not seen much improvement in recent years and has not grown much. This is a worry in Van Daze's heart.

"The scale of your stores in New York is too small, and the management is too weak. This business model is not suitable for New York. If you don't make changes and continue to stick to the rules, these ten or so stores may be able to barely support it. Sooner or later, they will be eliminated."

Liang Yao carefully analyzed why Fan Daze clearly had good supply channels and had good relationships with suppliers, but he was unable to expand his store.

This is not to be an alarmist statement by Liang Yao. After the American Civil War, the rise of large shopping malls will give small shops in big cities a head-on blow. The life of small shops, even chain small shops, will only become more and more difficult.

"Which business model is suitable for New York?" Fan Daze carefully chewed on what Liang Yao had just said.

"Your grandfather inherited these shops from your father. After your father passed away, you took over these shops from your father." Liang Yao asked.

"Have you ever wondered why your family's grocery store has exactly the same business methods? Why can it grow bigger and bigger in the hands of your grandfather and your father, but not in your hands?"

"I'm also very confused. Like my father and grandfather, I have always been very trustworthy and have a good reputation. Even these shops in New York have been in a state of half-death, barely maintaining operations." Van Daze covered his bald head. , puzzled.

"I seem to understand." Yin Lisabai on the side seemed to understand the reason.

"Tell me about it." Liang Yao motioned to Yin Lisabai to continue.

"Uncle Vandaze, you told me that your stores in San Francisco and Sacramento are doing better than those in New York. I guess this is related to the size of the city.

When New York was in the hands of your grandfather and father, the population was far less than it is today. Forty or fifty years ago, the population of New York was almost the same as that of San Francisco. At that time, there were not many shops in New York, and people tended to go to familiar places. Shops to buy shops.

But today New York is a megacity with a population of more than 700,000. There are dozens or hundreds of shops on every street, and New Yorkers have more choices.

And immigrants who have just moved into New York don’t know that your store is of high quality and low price. "

Yin Lisabai said after sorting out her thoughts.

"The scale of New York is expanding, but your store is still the same. It's strange that it can grow bigger." Liang Yao said to Fan Daze, "Your family has a good reputation in the New York industry, and you have reliable and low-cost supply channels. , these are the capital to become a retail giant."

The word retail giant is full of temptations for Van Daze. Why doesn't he want to become a giant in the industry like Vanderbilt and Liang Yao?

Standing at the top of the industry is the ideal of every aspiring businessman.

"Retail giant," Vandaze muttered.

"As long as you are willing to give up half of your family's shares, I will cooperate with you to build our own retail empire in New York, even Philadelphia and Boston."

Liang Yao put forward his conditions for cooperation. When he was weak, in order to cooperate with Vanderbilt and others to fight against the eastern consortium, he sincerely offered shares in Xiangshan Gold Mining Company.

The Xiangshan Gold Mining Company is still making money every day in a physical sense.

Things have turned around, and now it's his turn to take advantage of these people's shares.

He is a businessman, not a philanthropist. If Fan Daze wants to cooperate with him, he must show sufficient sincerity in cooperation.

The American retail industry is very big. The first generation of retail giant Alexander Turney Stewart began to get involved in the retail industry in 1846. By the time of his death in 1876, he had accumulated a huge fortune of US$80 million.

Ranked sixth on the list of America's richest people, the ones ahead of him are Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Asta, Girard and Carnegie.

At the same time, Stewart was not the only one who ranked among the richest people in the United States in the retail industry. Chicago's retail giant Marshall Field ranked tenth, but this guy not only engaged in retail, but also engaged in real estate.

The well-known American retail giant Walter Sam Moore Wal-Mart also ranked among the top richest people in the United States due to his retail industry, and Wal-Mart ranked fourteenth.

The reason why Liang Yao is willing to cooperate with Fan Daze is because he is interested in the huge retail market in New York and the supply channels and network foundation laid by the three generations of the Fan Daze family in the New York retail industry.

If Van Daze is willing to cooperate, he will get twice the result with half the effort in New York retail.

If you don't want to cooperate, the worst thing you can do is do it yourself, but it will take more time and energy to start from scratch.

"Half of the shares?" After thinking for a long time, Fan Daze made up his mind and said through gritted teeth.

"I am very happy to cooperate with you, but this industry is not just for me, but for the entire Vandaze family. I need to hold a family meeting to make a decision. This is not an excuse for me to refuse. Please give me a day. time.

Even if other members of the Van Daze family are unwilling to take out so many shares in the end, I will leave the family and use my part of the assets to work with you. "