onds ▁to ▁invest ors ▁there , ▁but ▁met ▁with ▁no ▁success . ▁Per kins ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁board ▁members ▁ple aded ▁with ▁him ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁the ▁rail road ' s ▁presiden cy ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁improve ▁its ▁reputation ▁among ▁invest ors . ▁Per kins ▁agreed ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁and ▁even ▁p led ged ▁to ▁put ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁($ ▁in ▁ ▁dollars ) ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁money ▁into ▁the ▁rail road — but ▁only ▁if ▁his ▁fellow ▁board ▁members ▁agreed ▁to ▁personally ▁guarantee ▁the ▁road ' s ▁deb ts . ▁The ▁board ▁members ▁agreed ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁with ▁their ▁invest ment ▁total ing ▁$ 4 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁($ ▁in ▁ ▁dollars ). ▁The ▁strategy ▁worked , ▁for ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁sell ▁another ▁$ 4 6 9 , 2 0 0 ▁($ ▁in ▁ ▁dollars ) ▁in ▁b onds ▁on ▁September ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 8 5 4 . ▁ ▁With ▁construction ▁tent atively ▁scheduled ▁for ▁completion ▁between ▁Cleveland ▁and ▁Warren ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁Per kins ▁and ▁Tod ▁spent ▁two ▁weeks ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁where ▁they ▁managed ▁to ▁personally ▁borrow ▁$ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁($ ▁in ▁ ▁dollars ) ▁which ▁enabled ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁purchase ▁two ▁locomot ives . ▁The ▁road ▁now ▁had ▁sufficient ▁funds ▁to ▁buy ▁rails ▁to ▁lay ▁track ▁from ▁Cleveland ▁to ▁Young st own ▁and ▁a ▁limited