VANDERBILT ESSAYS TO SWALLOW ERIE, AND HAS A NARROW ESCAPE FROM CHOKING.—HE TRIES TO MAKE DREW COMMIT FINANCIAL SUICIDE.—MANIPULATING THE STOCK MARKET AND THE LAW COURTS AT THE SAME TIME.—ATTEMPTS TO “TIE UP” THE HANDS OF DREW.—MANUFACTURING BONDS WITH THE ERIE PAPER MILL AND PRINTING PRESS.—FISK STEALS THE BOOKS AND EVADES THE INJUNCTION.—DREW THROWS FIFTY THOUSAND SHARES ON THE MARKET AND DEFEATS THE COMMODORE.—THE “CORNER” IS BROKEN AND BECOMES A BOOMERANG.—VANDERBILT’S FURY KNOWS NO BOUNDS.—IN HIS RAGE HE APPLIES TO THE COURTS.—THE CLIQUE’S INGLORIOUS FLIGHT TO JERSEY CITY.—DREW CROSSES THE FERRY WITH SEVEN MILLIONS OF VANDERBILT’S MONEY.—THE COMMODORE’S ATTEMPT TO REACH THE REFUGEES.—A DETECTIVE BRIBES A WAITER AT TAYLOR’S HOTEL, WHO DELIVERS THE COMMODORE’S LETTER, WHICH BRINGS DREW TO TERMS.—SENATOR MATTOON GETS “BOODLE” FROM BOTH PARTIES. One of the most interesting episodes connected with the speculative life of Drew, in the somewhat sensational history of Erie affairs, was the interposition of Commodore Vanderbilt in one of the famous deals of the Erie clique. His object was to swallow up the corporation, and it came pretty near swallowing him. He was only saved by the skin of the teeth, after one of the most prolonged and desperate financial struggles of his life. In order to explain clearly the manner in which the Commodore became involved in the Erie matter with Drew and his partners, it will be necessary to take a brief resume of the history of a few of his other prominent deals, more fully dwelt upon elsewhere. In 1860 Harlem stock had sold as low as eight or nine dollars a share. In January, 1863, when Vanderbilt got full control of the property, the stock had advanced to 30, and in July of the same year it had bounded to 92. In August, when the “corner” was effected, it went to the remarkable figure of 179. It was put through a similar operation the succeeding year, and the stock, which sold in January below 90, was settled for in the following June at 285. Drew had been drawn into one of these transactions, and his losses reached nearly a million. Vanderbilt’s prospects with the Harlem property were seriously menaced by the competition of the Hudson River railroad. He bought up the competing line, and thus destroyed the competition. He made this purchase when the stock was at par. He soon manifested his superior power in management, and displayed his skill in the art of “watering,” which he had invented. He had the stock advanced to 180 in a very short time.