The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-24
Willard RETURNS TO POWER.
The Changes of Fortune Again Bring
Him 10 the Front in Wall Street.

The Changes of Fortune Again Bring
Him 10 the Front in Wall Street.
Fror, the Netc York World
Henry Wizards extraordinary career and
the remarkable vicissitudes of fortune he
has experienced will, in all probability, re-
veal still another change next month, when
he will once more be placed in control of
the Oregon Transcontinental company.
He organized the company in 1881 and was
forced to retire from its control in the
autumn of 1888, when Feverses came thick
and fast upon him. The plan is, as the in
formation came to the World, to elect him
and sufficient number of his friends to
constitute a majority of the board of di-
rectors OF the company, after which these
direc; ors will elect Mr.. Willard President of
the corporation.
For some time past a syndicate has been
quietly working to obtain control of the
stock of this company. Many persons who
have closely watched the course of the
stock market have wondered at the way in
which this stock acted, and surmsed what
was behind it. 1t transpires that the syndi-
cate, acting in the Willard interest, has
been the power behind the throne 1t is
claimed that out of total stock issue of
100000 shares the syndicate holds fully
100000 shares, which it will vote at the
election in the line indicated. Sydney
Dillon, the present President, will
retire, but will be retained in the
Board of Directors in the Willard interest, as
will also w. L. Bull. Who the new men
are who will be elected cannot yet be ascer-
tanned. 1t is also SAID that Mr.. Willard has
arranged to take care of the floating debt
of st, 800, 600 which has hung over the prop
erty as a periodical menace and that,
financially all will move smoothly The
stock transfer books of the company will
close tomorrow, and the transfer books of
the Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
panv Will close on Monday, May 81. 1t is
intlmated that the Willard party have also
succeeded in obtaining a majority of the
stock oil the latter company, aud that at the
election, which will be held shortly after
the Oregon, Transcontinental election, it
will pass into the control of Mr.. Willard,
that gentleman becoming tho President of
both corporations
When reverses Of fortune struck Mr. Viii
lard, compelling him to retire in turn from
both these companies, as well as from his
pet road, the Northern Pacific he went to
Europe. 1t was generally believed he was
a ruined man, and that the end Of his bril-
liant career had been reached. This was in
August 1884 In October, 1886, however,
he returned to this country, apparently
with plenty of means at his command. 1t
was said that he had come back here as the
representative of a powerful and wealthy
German syndicate, to invest and operate
American securities. He opened an office
in the Mills building, rented the magnif-
cent Tiffany house, at the corner of Seventy
second street and Madison avenue, and
once more became familiar figure in New
York life, as well uptown as in downtown
financial circles. He has been reported to
have been interested in several railroad
deals, notably tho Baltimore and Ohio, but
he kept his own counsel and said nothing
Now, however, he comes to the front, and
takes his place at the head of two corpora
tons, of bota Of which he was for two years
the moving spirit.
Wizards career has been, indeed, pic
tlresuue one. He was born at Speyer, on
the Rhine, in 1888, graduated from the
gymnasium there in 1852, and came to this
country in 1858. For awhile he remained
in New York, but in 1854 he went to
Chicago, thence TO st. Louis, and finally
settled down at Belleville, ILL.,, where be had
some relatives. There he commenced to
study law, but desiring to study in a more
active place, he moved to Peoria, and after
ward to Chicago. The law, however, had
no charms for him, and he began writing
for German papers there and here.
Meanwhile he had studied the
English language and, in 1853, he
began his career as newspaper writer in
that tongue, bis contributions being
accepted by several journals. He took an
active part in reporting the famous cam
paign in Illinois between Lincoln and
Douglass and in 1859 was sent by the Gin
cinnati Commercial TO write a series of
articles from the West. In the national
campaign of 1860, when Mr.. Lincoln was
elected President, Mr.. Willard, by reason of
his acquaintance with Mr.. Lincoln, was de-
tailed by Western paper to accompany
him through the campaign. This no did,
and came as far as New York with the
President when he made his memorable
trip to Washington TO assume the reins of
government.
Then Willard became a war correspondent
and represented in the field and at the seat
of government different newspapers In
1864 he went 10 Europe, and returned the
following year, and in 1866 married Miss
Garrison, daughter of William Lloyd GA ri |
son. Then he went to Europe during the
Austro- Prussan war for II New York !
paper. IL was on this trip that he fell in
with some German capitalists who were in
terested IN American securities. They sent |
him over here TO look after their interests.
While acting in this capacity he locked
horns with Jay Gould in tho Kansas Pa
cifc fight. in which no had a second re-
ceiver appointed, and he ultimately con-
ouered, getting for his hackers 81 10 for
their securities, where Mr.. Gould had
originally offered to pay only 4Oc. on the
dollar
This brought Willard to he front, and he
was then sent to look after investments in |
Oregon. He identified himself with North !
western interests, and was phenomenally |
successful until his Northern Pacific ven
ture. which, after he had completed the |
task of building the road, brought ruin
about his head.
In early years, and as q poor, struggling |
bow. cjntending in n new country In the
battle Of life, Mr.. Willard was known under |
the name of Hcinrich Hillegarde; but after !