The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-09-12

the Helena depot. Even here we were
made happy by the absence of trans
portation to the town, and all seemed to
enjoy the bracing air as they took the
dusty road for a morning constitutional
The RIVER PRESS representative is
under obligations to Mr.. Harpin Davis
who, with party of lady and gentle
men friends, had gone over the evening
previous, for description OF the spot
and the incidents of the early morning
previous to the arrival of the Helena
train.
Henry Willard
The glamour of romance surrounds the
financial career of this extraordinary
man. Henry Willard was born in Spey-
er, the capital of Rhenish Bavaria, in
1886. His father sat upon the supreme
bench Of that kingdom. He was edu-
Gated at the university, and like most of
the university students in Germany,
was somewhat erratic in his youth. He
first came to Belleville, ILL.,, where some
of his relatives still live He studied
law; like Carl Schurz. hesoon adopted
journalism as a profession. His first con-
spicuous task was an engagement to
report the celebrated LincolnDouglass
political discussion. In 1859 he went to
Colorado, to write about the new gold
discoveries for the Cincinnati CONNER
ciat. In 1860 he was doing political COR
respondence for the New York Herald,
and at that time sustaining confidential
relations with Mr.. Lincoln. He subse-
quently became conspicuous as a war
correspondent. For two years, from
1868 to 1870, he was secretary of the
American Social Science association.
In person, Mr.. Willard is tall and Of
robust physique. His blue eyes, brown
hair, expansive forehead and fresh, ge-
nial face, mark the good humor and
frankness of the man. He lives on Mad
ison avenue, New York, and hasa coun-
try house at Dobb's Ferry. His wife is
a daughter of the late VIM. Lloyd Gar
rison, the great champion of the anti
slavery movement.
While in Germany, in 1874, events oc-
Cured which first brought him in con-
nection with railway affairs The
German bondholders Of certain Ameri-
can railway securities, which had de-
faulted in their interest, sent him to the
United States as their representative In
these financial transactions, connected
with the Kansas Pacific, he met and sue
cessfully encountered Jay Gould. Sub
sequently, in a vessel fitted out by John
Roach, he went around the cape to Or
egon to look after the interests Of the
same friends in the budding railways of
that region. He soon mastered the pro-
jects and possibilities of these distant
provinces, and became himself largely
interested in the development Of eastern
Oregon and Washington territory. He
shortly became president of the consol-
idated railway and navigation companies
on the Pacific coast, where he made both
reputation and money.
His success grappled to him as with
hooks of steel the capitalists who had
been enriched by his genius. In this
field of activity, in the prosecution of
the interest Of his own company, he en-
countered the Northern Pacific, which
was now entering the domain where he
was established. The first speck of war
arose out of the determination of the
Northern Pacific to build line to Port
land, on the north side of the Columbia
river, and thus crowd out Wizards COM
pany, which had proposed to constructa
line on the south side of the river. At
ter fruitless attempts at a compromise of
their difficulties, Willard came to New
York and conceived the idea of quietly
purchasing, in open market, a controll-
ing interest in the Northern Pacific.
He thereupon organized the celebrated
s'blind pool" This was daring scheme
in which his friends were asked to place
millions of money in his hands for an
unknown purpose. No receipt was CIV
en-. Confidence, perfect trust, was the
only basis Of the transaction. It is with
out a parallel in the history of financial
operations, and bespeaks the implicit
trust of his friends in his ability and in
tegrity. Eight millions of dollars were
thus put into "blind pool" Northern
Pacific stock was quietly bought, and
ere the directory was aware the controll-
ing interest of the line was in the hands
of its reputed enemies. It was supposed
that the Willard coalition only intended3
to minify the great .transcontineI
highway and use it simply as a
for their Oregon properties.
deur of the purpose was not u
Stood Alarmed at the sitl
did Billings write Willard
pistol to the breast of the
cific at Ainsworth or
thus far and no farthe1
AS measure Of 81
determined to issu.
stock, to the origir -
in order still to r,
There was origin
ital stock. In
agreed to clasf
600 preferres
and S49, ,00Q