Jan. 4, 1877 -Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Great Railraod King, is dead

Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the richest men in America, dies. Read his obituary (05 Jan 1877) in the New York Times at the link below.

http://libproxy.eku.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.eku.edu/docview/93591283?accountid=10628

 What is your opinion of Vanderbilt and other wealthy and powerful businessmen of the time? Do they deserve the wealth they earned through hard work? Or are they robbing and abusing the working people of America?  (Be sure to reference specific facts from the New York Times obituary)