1850 American Gold Tycoon

"There's a telegram from the boss, asking you to report back to the group headquarters in California." Garrett said to Zeiss.

"You have accumulated enough work experience at Atlantic Railway Company, and now you have the ability to return to the boss and become the boss's right-hand man."

Zeiss worked as Garrett's assistant for one year, and Garrett was very satisfied with Zeiss' work ability and attitude.

The boss is also very discerning and very accurate in judging people.

Since Garrett entered the business world, the two assistants he has been most satisfied with are Carnegie and Zeiss.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to exercise."

When he learned that Liang Yao asked him to report back to the group headquarters in California, Zeiss was ecstatic, but he still controlled his emotions well and expressed his gratitude to Garrett.

Over the past year, Garrett has taken great care of Zeiss' work and life. Zeiss is also very grateful to Garrett for his appreciation and care.

"Your work ability is very strong, and your future will be brighter when you return to the boss. This time when I go back, I have a few things to tell you. To be precise, I want to ask for your help." Garrett made his posture more clear. Low, it didn't sound like he was talking to a subordinate.

"If you have any questions, just tell me directly. We are all members of the same group. If you say you are helping, you are thinking outside the box." Zeiss said very politely.

"This is my party application. I want to join the Civic Party. Please hand it to the boss and show him my determination to join the party." Garrett handed the party application wrapped in an envelope to Zeiss.

Maryland is a Democratic constituency and the traditional sphere of influence of the Democratic Party. To be honest, if Garrett wants to enter politics, the Democratic Party is a good choice.

It’s just that the Democratic Party in 1856 was really unpopular.

The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 led to differences between the North and the South on the issue of slavery.

This law allowed newly formed states to decide whether to implement slavery according to their own wishes. This resulted in internal disunity between the Southern Democratic Party and the Northern Democratic Party, laying the foundation for the weakening of the Democratic Party in the coming decades.

Although the Southern Democratic Party and the Northern Democratic Party were both democratic parties, due to the fundamental conflict of ideologies, interests and so-called beliefs, in 1856 the Southern Democratic Party and the Northern Democratic Party were actually two political parties with completely different properties.

Of course, the decline of the Democratic Party also provides a golden opportunity for the rise of the Republican Party.

Frustrated, many Democrats in northern districts, including those in Maryland, chose to leave the dead and fragmented Democratic Party and join the nascent Republican Party.

The joining of these old Democratic Party politicians quickly strengthened the power of the Republican Party.

This is why it was only reorganized in 1854. By the 1860 election, Republican presidential candidate Lincoln could easily defeat Democratic candidate Stephen A. Douglas.

Of course, there are reasons for Lincoln's outstanding personal ability and charisma, but the rapid growth and rise of the Republican Party is also a reason that cannot be ignored.

Without a strong political party endorsing a candidate, it will be difficult for a candidate to gain a foothold in the political arena, no matter how capable he is.

Therefore, Garrett felt that joining the Democratic Party at this time was really not a wise choice.

"Understood, sir." Zeiss nodded and took the envelope handed over by Garrett.

"One more thing." Garrett said, "I heard that the Gade-German Railway project has been put on the agenda. The Texas Railway Company is relatively weak, and the Gade-German Railway project is very difficult, no less than Pacific Railroad.”

"You want Atlantic Railway Company to participate in the construction of the eastern section of the Garde Railway?" Zeiss guessed.

"Yes, it is impossible to exclude the Texas Railway Company from the Gade Railway, but I want the Atlantic Railway Company and the Texas Railway Company to jointly be responsible for the construction of the eastern section of the Gade Railway." Gary Te said.

Garrett is an ambitious and ambitious man.

He was unwilling to accept that the Atlantic Railroad was ranked among the second-tier railroad companies in the United States.

The Atlantic Railroad Company needed a super project like the Pacific Railroad Company to prove its strength.

Perhaps the Atlantic Railway Company cannot reach the heights of the California Railway Company, but it is still possible to squeeze into the first echelon.

"I can explain this to the boss. As for whether it can succeed, it still depends on the boss's attitude. I can't guarantee that it will be successful." Zeiss thought for a while and agreed.

"Thank you Zeiss." Garrett patted Zeiss on the shoulder and said with some reluctance.

"Mr. Lincoln, the chief counsel of the Atlantic Railroad Company, will go to California to resign to his boss in person after his speech in Illinois. You should go there with Mr. Lincoln then."

"Mr. Lincoln is resigning?" Zeiss was very surprised, and then said with regret.

"Mr. Lincoln's resignation is a great loss to Atlantic."

Atlantic Railway Company is mainly responsible for the railway business in the eastern region of the American Group. Unlike the west, which has a large amount of unclaimed land, the eastern part has an early development time and a high degree of development, and the land along the railway line is all owned land.

Moreover, land property rights in some areas are relatively confusing. In the past four years, Atlantic Railway Company has been involved in numerous lawsuits over land disputes.

Fortunately, the Atlantic Railway Company had a trump card like Lincoln. Lincoln's winning rate was as high as over 90%, and the Atlantic Railway Company won the vast majority of land lawsuits, saving the company a lot of costs.

Garrett has privately calculated that over more than four years, Atlantic Railroad paid the Lincoln team as much as $260,000 in related expenses. The annual consulting fee alone is as high as $24,000. The Lincoln Lawyers team also won the title of the most expensive legal team in the United States.

Although Lincoln's legal team was expensive, the money was well spent for the Atlantic Railroad. The cost saved by Lincoln's legal team for the Atlantic Railroad was several times their salary.

As Zeiss noted, Lincoln's departure was a huge loss to the Atlantic Railroad.

"Everyone has his own ambitions. Mr. Lincoln's ambitions are lofty. The profession of lawyer can no longer satisfy Mr. Lincoln's demands." When he mentioned Lincoln, Garrett's face was filled with admiration.

Zeiss looked at Garrett. He had been Garrett's assistant for more than a year. There were only two people who could make Garrett admire him.

One is Lincoln, and the other is their boss, Liang Yao.

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In late April 1856, Springfield, the capital of Illinois, also known as Springfield.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the square of this small town with a permanent population of just over 8,000 people.

However, this day is not a special local festival or celebration.

Just because a young congressman from Yinzhou was going to give a speech in Springfield City, people from neighboring areas came to listen to the young congressman's speech.

The speech was held in an open square in downtown Springfield. The weather was not kind and it rained at an untimely time.

The rain was not heavy, and there were no special rain shelter facilities in the open square.

But the cold rain did not dampen people's enthusiasm for listening to the speech.

People from all walks of life and from all over the world gathered around the makeshift podium.

There are gentlemen in elegant dresses, workers and shop assistants in simple work clothes, farmers in shabby coats, and even children and women, with hope and expectation shining in their eyes.

In the midst of everyone's attention, Lincoln walked out of the Yinzhou Statehouse wearing a starched gray double-breasted coat.

"Mr. Lincoln! It's Mr. Lincoln!"

"Mr. Lincoln is here!"

Lincoln's appearance caused a commotion, with excited cheers and roars resounding from the crowd.

The huge roar of the crowd almost overturned the makeshift podium.

Amid cheers, Lincoln, who was unusually tall and thin, stepped onto the podium with steady steps. Behind him was the Star-Spangled Banner fluttering stubbornly in the wind in the rain.

Under the Stars and Stripes, Lincoln extended his arms to the crowd. His eyes were firm and his face was solemn.

"for freedom!"

Lincoln's sonorous and powerful voice resounded through the sky and spread throughout the square, as if to convey his thoughts and spirit to the hearts of every listener.

"For the United States!"

The audience responded enthusiastically.