St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-04
Wizards generous Nature.

Henry Willard, ex-president of the North
ern Pacific road, is coming to this country
again. but he will not sail over the Western
continent in that cloud of glory that marked
| his course four years ago. He went up
like rocket and came down like a stick.
but his name will always be identified wit b
| that mighty bond Of iron that connects the
shore of the great lake with that Of the
Pacific ocean. Willard is kind hearted
man, generous almost to fault. and even
| in DAYS of prosperity, when Fortune was
| Iavishing her warmest smiles on him, he
did not forget his companions Of earlier
| days when he was sharing with them the
structures of adversely. 1t is told OF him
| that when he first landed in New York he
was penniless and began searching for
work. For days he sought employment in
vain, and even his stubborn determination
was nearly overcome with despair. when,
one evening while standing on pier over
looking the East river, his attention was
attracted by a smart-looklng young fellow
who stood near him, conversing with man
who was evidently a captain Of one of the
vessels lying at the wharf. From the fact
that the young fellow was making notes Of
the conversation, Willard jumped at the con-
clusion that he was newspaper reporter
and in his extremity he concluded to ask
him if he couldn't help him to position on
the paper he represented. He had first
class education and had some experience in
newspaper work. He watched the two men
until they separated. when accoSting the
young man he inquired if he was not con-
nected with the press OF that city. de
answered that he was and Willard laid his
case before him and asked him if he couldn't
help him to position in the Office where
he worked. The young man seemed to
take fancy to his German applicant and
taking him to the Office introduced him to
the city editor, who took him on trial. and
so well satisfied was he with his work that
in few days he was made regular mem
Der of the staff. Willard was without money
or friends and the reporter who had helped
him, shared his bed and board with him
until his beneficiary was OIL his feet.
A few years passed and the young men
drifted apart. Wizards star began to
ascend, and finally sat brilliant gem in
the zenith of fame. During these years
the reporter who had been his benefactOr
had kept on in the even tenor Of his ways,
working early and late, with no other ambi-
ton than that his work was well DONE At
last his constitution gave way under the
strain, and he went to a bed of pain from
which he never arose. One day as Willard
was looking over the columns of the daily
papers his eyes fell on name that seemed
familiar to him, and reading the paragraph
he learned that his friend of early days was
lying fatally i'll at his lodgings. Dropping
the paper he hurried to the Office where the
young man had been employed, and learning
his address he drove to his apartments,
which were in a noisy portion of the city,
dark and badly ventilated. The meeting
between the TWO men was touching Viii
lard could not have treated his friend with
with more warmth had he been his brother
He had him removed from his crowded
quarters to his own palatial home, where he
was given the tenderest care. But the
thread of life had been worn too thin to be
strengthened. and one day the common re-
porter passed quietly away in the arms of
the man whom he had helped to make mil
lionaire.