Via Ipse Dixit comes this new meme:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
The nearest book is New York Central Railroad by Brian Solomon with Mike Schafer in the "Railroad Color History" series. The fifth sentence of page 23 is, "Vanderbilt had the sense and resources to improve his property, which clearly set him apart from many of his contemporaries in the financial world."
In keeping with Dodd Harris' example, the context is a discussion of the effects of Cornelius ("The Commodore") Vanderbilt's creation and control of several New York State railroads under the banner of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad. This particular 'road was created in 1869 by Vanderbilt's merger of the New York Central Railroad and the Hudson River Railroad, along with the lease of the New York & Harlem to the NYC&HRR.
Tip of the Wisconsin hat to Ipse Dixit, who got it from Long Story, Short Pier.
Posted by Country Pundit at April 19, 2004 04:09 PM