The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-28
Observation-Disclosures
A Visit to Seattle by the Fa-
nous Financier.
HIS EXAMINATION OF THE CITY.
Something Of the Romantic Career OF
the Great Railroad Builder-Be-
lief in Electricity.

left the East soma weeks ago in a private car,
ard reached Tacoma few days since. with
Ms. Willard, Superintendent q. ". DICKINSON,
Of the Northern Pacific, and Mr.. Paul Schulze,
OF Tacoma, the land agent OF the company, he
came to Seattle yesterday in a special train
made I'D OF his own car and Mr.. SchulZe's. He
was met at the station By his nephew, Mt 7. H.
Tyndale, and Mrs. Tyndale and & committee
from the Chamber OF Commerce, consisting OF
President Jacob FuTth. Mr. A. Il. Brookes, M
John II. AcGrgw and Dr.. z. c. KilOourne. Is
corted by the committee the visitors spent the
morning in driving and walking about the city,
which Mr.. Willard had not seen since TWO days
after the great fire OF June 6, 1859. AZ o'clock
they had luncheon as guests OF the Chamber OF
Commerce. At the table were Mr.. and Mrs.
Willard, Nj and Mrs. Tyadale, Mr.. schulze, Ar.
Furth, Mr.. Broozes, Mr.. Percy ". Rochester,
Mr McGraw aud Postmaster Griffith Davies
After luncheon Mr. Willard called on Hon.
A A. Denny and then looked after some OF his
private affairs 10 this city lie - interested II
the Seattle General Electric Company autsev-
eTal other enterprises here. Mrs Willard and
Mrs. Tyndale made 4 tip 70 Lake Washington
and took q sail with senator and Mrs. Watson
G. Squire, Mr. Schulze. Mr.. Furth and Mr..
Rochester. At $50 Mr.. Willard and Mr. Dickin-
son went north over the Seattle, Lake shore
Eastern, and Mr. Schulze returned 10 Tacoma.
Mr. Willard wiz be back to the city tonight and
be may remain day or two
When Dir. Willard drove about the streets Of
the city, be was Of course surprised at the mar
vicious transformation wrought during the Two
years since ne was last here-or since his first
visit in 1850. To POST lSTELLIGEScER reporter
he expressed great qualification al the growth
and development OF the city.
10 speaking Of railroad matters he said: 81
know Of no changes or extensions to be under
taken Immediately by the Northern Pacific. I
have been somewhat misquoted declaring
that electricity is TO come in at once as mo-
tive power Tor passenger trains on the railroads
OF the country.
"The fact is that am a great believer in cleo
tricity and 10 set a limit 70 the applications of
electrical power is almost impossible. expect
that within ten years trains on roads over
which there IS heavy passenger traffic
viii be impelled by electricity. That is,
electrical trains viii be running between New
YORK and Boston. New York and Philadelphia,
Philadelphia and New YORK, etc. | believe that
before long electricity Will be found the cheap
est motive power for such traffic, though the
running Of freight trains by that power is not
quite So certain.
~ am interested in the subject, and intend
20 try some experiments in running trains by
electricity: but OF course no system would be
introduced in a long line like the Northern
Pacific until there had been very thor
Ough tests over shorter distances.
expect that electrical trains viii be running
between here and Tacoma before they will run
myself build electrical road between here
and Tacoma-not tomorrow or next week, but
some day"
Mr.. Willard, who has always been strong
friend of Seattle, is a tall. well-built man, with
gray hair aud moustache, and dark eyes. His
face shows lines of great frmness, especially in
the strong acquiline nose and tightly closed
lips. His career has been romantic one. lie
began as a penniless emigraut, rose to high rank
rs a correspondent, was Frustrated, rose again,
and has now repeated the experience In tinan-
CNring.
Heinrich Hilgard (such was his baptismal
nance was born in Speyer. Rhenish Bavaria. in
1882, and his father was then and long alter
wards presiding judge OF the district court of
Zweibrucken. He had a good German educa-
ton and went through French college in Lor-
raine, where he was somewhat noted as an ath-
lete The revolution OF 1SiS in Germany made
HIM radical, and IN 1888 he followed his exied
relatives to America His uncles had been com
PEELED TO leave Germany at the close OF the
troubles of 1StS-49, and Heinrich worked aud
walked his way 10 their location in Illinois. At
this time he Americanized his name 70 Henry
Willard. Why is not we'll known, but il is
alleged that he did not care TO have it known that
the son of bis honorable father was a common
laborer.
He soon mastered the English language, then
wrote for German papers and studied law in
Chicago. He travelled with Abraham Lincoln
curing MS celebrated DEBATE with Douglas,
porting for German papers, and thus formed a
close acquaintance with the great emancipation
Then he went to Colorado and wrote a series of
letters so entertaining that they were published
in book form. His nexteXperlence WAS defeat
He reported the proceedings Of the stormy ses-
sion OF that winter Of the Indiana legislature
with such appalling accuracy, reproducing
speeches with phonetic faithfuness, that the
enraged members ordered his expulsion from
the press gallery.
In 1860 he renewed his acquaintance with
Abraham Lincoln, reported the campaign in
Illinois, accompanied the new president to
Washington and remained there as a cores
poudeUt As war correspondent he remained
long with General Buell.. and some time with
General Burnside, and then soon after began 10
figure as fnaucer His first venture was with
Horace White and 4 q. Hi ia the formation
az newspaper syndicate, which was probably
the first OF the kind now 80 numerous soon
after the war Mr.. Willard married daughter of
the noted William Lloyd Garrison, ana for a
wedding tour took her with h.m TO Germany
where he reported the Aus,ro- PTussan war of
l-r6
And :his was the be-iuuiu-o % his big opers-
tons, for he succeeded In convincing the Ger
man bankers that they could not do better than
g. put some OF their money in far West Amerl-
een railways. IN is.4, after reporting The
Franco. Fru-SIaD wa-, he completed the arrange
men,s with German bankers which eventually
maic him one uf the klucs of finance IL l.
stated THAI they gave him coatrol Of 100000
20 invest ia America. but Nj Willard himself
never gives The details Of his affairs Tor the
press. A; any raJe, rs rise began then, and
aitey lS7S was pheuomeaaly rapid.
As receiver Of the kansas Pacific ne beat Jaw
Gould in fight tie latter forced upon him. and
soon after perfected She combination hy which
ne became master OF the Northern "a.
che railroad. In ln79 Nj Willard
visited Oregon IS the representative of tie
German houdholderS of the Oregon & Cal.
lf1rnIa Railroad Com pauy. which had fefaultsi
o. rs bonds Il was here that the tide which
comes in the affairs OF men vas taken 81 the
flood by MIR. Willard. sud led on To fortune
through a career 81 vic.ssitudss Amos, without
parallel, even in This country of lightning
chances. he sew the great possibilities Of this
region II property developed in connection with
The iaeo existing Lines 81 trans p0r;ation both
y water Sad rail FINDING himself financially
strong enough % carry out his great scheme o:
development of the northwest continent
with lie help oI friends he acquired
control q the Oregon Steamship Com
pa8y and the Oregon steam Naylra.
ton eompsny. Mr. Willard became president ~
thess companies and tho thin edge Of the
wedge which was soon ~ put him into control
Of hundred OF millions Of property and land u
this section OF the country was thus driven in
That wedge u Was which finally Cu.r15nstea IN
the driving Of smother wedge in she >haps nj a
golden bo,t which Celebrated the competition Of
The main line of the Northern Psc.ne Af-
Willard had long had his ewes GA this p~oDe-ty
u was necessary 30 his plans part OF his great
sCherne-out the condition Ee sought was re-
iccted and all overtures failed. HIS financial
strength, however, was BY this time very CREST
and he conceived the ldea OF tie celebrated
"b.ind pool" over $2a.oo4oo) cash was put