News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-03
A BLIND POOL.
LITTLE SIX ETCEI OF TIE PRESIDENT
OF THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.

|
OF THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
He Starts out in Life Poor, but Succeeds i
Making His Way Into Il Fortune Throug
Pluck and Cheek.
[ met Henry Willard the other day
says a newspaper correspondent. FL,
looks like just what he is, shrewd, big
idead man, whose biggestidea is Willard
He's about fifty years of age, but i.
good for thirty years yet, in all human
probability.
He was born in little town in Ger
many, in easy circumstances, and after
havin been German student and soldier
and all the rest, his folks wanted hims tc
settle down in Germany and marry a
nice little girl they had picked out for
him.
The girl was nice enough, but Ger
many was too quiet place, and young
Willard didn'tfeel bit like settlin' down.
So he gave his good folks a spasm by
telling 'em he had made up his mind not
to marry, and to go to America. The
old folks tried to coax him to stay, but
he wouldn't be coaxed. He bade his
mother good bye and the girl, took his
fathers blessin' and little of bis fathers
money with him, and came to America.
DHrin' his career as newspaper man
he came across William Lloyd Garrison
and his daughter. The young lady
took fancy to him, and as Willard by
this time had forgotten his German
girl, who, by the way, had got married
herself, he ''settled down" at last and
married Miss Garrison. He then set to
work and dabbIed in stocks so shrewdly
and successfully that he soon got rich,
and not only made money, which is
easy, but kept it, which is harder, and
invested it so as to make q fortune,
which is hardest of all.
AS awell-to-do capitalist and a mar
ried man. he made visit to his native
town and his family, and was introduced
to the man who had married his first
love-with whom he became fast friends.
He also made the acquaintance of leadin'
capitalists at Frankfort, and induced
good many Germans to invest in western
railways in which he was interested.
Among others, the husband of his first
girl invested under his lead, and Willard
took double pains to see this man all
right, both for his own sake and that of
his wife. 1t amt every man who gets "a
chance to make money for woman he |
don't marry.
Willard formed an Oregon company, |
Of which he was the head, and this Ore |
gon company obtained control of the
Northern Pacific, in very skillful and |
larin' fashion. Willard is q great be- |
lever in the one man power, that is in
haviu' one responsible head for every
thin, and lettin' the head have all the |
power, as well as all the responsibility. |
Well, in this Oregon company he was |
the zone man." And he didn't propose
to take any advice or listen to any in
stfuctions from anybody else, but to do
as he thought best. But at
she same time he couldn't do anythin'
without money. And he couldn't get
my money unless the stockholders were
villin' to advance it, and they wouldn't
be ready to advance it unless
hey were consulted as to what they ex-
oected to advance the money for. Here
vas problem. But Willard set to work
md solved it in very simple and bold
mot to say "cheeky''-sublimely
,heeky-way.
He called meetin' of the stockhold
RS. and in few words told 'em he
wanted 'em to advance him eight million
lollars, for purpose which was unwise
ust then to make public, or even to
to anybody, but which in
lis opinion was bound to be a magnif-
,ent investment.
This kind of talk almost took the
,reath, and quite took the starch out of
number of the stockholders. But the
colossal impudence of this request was
N argument in its favor with the rest.
They argued that no man could possibly
SIX for such money if he didn't have a
rood thing to place it in. The very
crecy made tn g thing moro mighty as
veil as mysterious. Besides Willard had
lways been known as a shrewd man,
nd man of good judgment and charac
er. Such q man most people argued
wouldn't ask for eight millions unless he
lad something to do with it. So the
majority of stockholders agreed to Vii
ards idea, and absolutely lent him over,
lot less than, but more than, the eight
million he asked for, thus ''goin' it
hind" to an enormous amount. Willard
banked his friends in few words, and
hen set to work to show that their con-
idence in him had not been misplaced.
md he soon proved it.
In few months it was found out that
he Oregon Company which had not
hitherto amounted to much, had
trough Wizards fine work, got control
f the greater part of the stock of the
Northern Pacific road. This job had
,een done very quietly. The stock had
,een bought, not by the lump at once,
nut gradually lot by lot, in various
James, by various parties. But it all
.ot down to the Oregon Company and
Henry Willard after all.
It was the most tremendous 'blind
'ool" on record, I believe. 1t reads like
fairy story, this asking business men
o lend man eight millions on a mys-
cry, but it is the simple fact.
A Capture.