Collis P. Huntington

"The man who seeks balance has already surrendered to mediocrity."

"I have spent my life proving that commerce, not politics, is the true engine of civilization."

"A man should be remembered not for the money he accumulated, but for the enterprises he established."

"I have found that those who understand history are best equipped to make it."

"The railroad is more than transportation; it is the physical manifestation of American ambition."

"I learned that the greatest advantage comes not from what you know, but from what your competitors do not."

"The man who follows the crowd will never arrive anywhere first."

"I have observed that those who speak most of ethics often practice them least."

"The consolidation of American industry was not inevitable; it was engineered by those bold enough to attempt it."

"A man's true strength is revealed not in his moments of power, but in his moments of loss."

"The man who builds a factory builds a temple; the man who works there worships there."

"I have always believed that the surest way to success is to understand the wants of mankind and supply them."

"The accumulation of money is the root of all great enterprises."

"A man's ambition should match his ability, or he will forever be disappointed."

"The railroad is not merely a means of transportation; it is the circulatory system of commerce."

"Those who wait for perfect conditions will never accomplish anything."

"The true measure of a man is not his wealth, but his contribution to society."

"Business demands both boldness and caution in equal measure."

"Every obstacle is an opportunity in disguise for those with vision."

"The greatest fortunes are built on the foundation of public service."

"I never regretted a single mile of railroad I laid."

"Men of vision do not merely follow trends; they create them."

"Capital without courage is merely rust waiting to happen."

"The strength of a nation lies in the steel of its railroads and the spirit of its entrepreneurs."

"To hesitate in business is to lose ground to those who do not."

"A man's word, once given, is his most valuable asset."

"The future belongs to those who can imagine it and build it."

"Poverty is often the result of poor judgment, not poor fortune."

"I have learned more from failure than from all my successes combined."

"The desert itself becomes fertile when connected by rails and vision."