lt controlled most of the Hudson River shipping. He made himself and Gibbons a fortune. In 1829 he decided to start his own company and he met his biggest rival, Daniel Drew. Vanderbilt eliminated all his competition by lowering his prices to a mere 12 and 1/2 cent apiece. Next he challenged the Hudson River Association in the Albany trade and they paid him to go elsewhere. Vanderbilt continued to improve his businesses and his boats, adding luxury and comfort to all his boats, he launched the largest steamboat ever in existence in 1846 and it was named for him. By 1840 his company had more than 100 steamboats and more employees than any other company in the United States at the time. By the time he was 40, Vanderbilt's fortune exceeded 500,000 dollars, but he was still looking for new opportunities. During the 1849 gold rush, Vanderbilt offered an overland route across t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Association Albany, Steamship Railroad, Central Railroad, Hudson River, Transit Company, Thomas Gibbons, Drew Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University, York Harlem, York Chicago, hudson river, central railroad,
Approximate Word count = 594
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)