The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-17
Henry Wizards Enthusiasm
Over Electric Railroads.
THE SWIFT SHIP PROBLEM.
what VIII Become OF the National
Banks:-John sherman Thinks
Their Days Are Numbered.

/ tenth century, ysE such distraction g
only incidental aad momentaTy. Henry
Willard. for instance. IS taking great inte--
est in politics. yet he has not been es-
teemed q politician. snd certainly has not
been regarded by his associates as hereto
fore especially mindful OF political de-
velopments. When he IS in New York
city he Is hidden for six hours q day IN his
inner room IN the Mills building. and the
greatest 6nanciers of Wall street meet
him. II Is impossible TO get into Mr..
Wizards presence except by appointment,
not because he IS reserved or hermIl4ike.
but because his business moments are very
precious.
Nj Wizards interest in recent political
developments vas manifest when he sent
3 cheek for $4,000 70 certain politicians
who are also business men. who had in
conteG plasion one OF the most significant
and important poli.ica! movements that
has occurred in New York state for forty
years. Moreover, he invited certain able
nnanciers who are for the moment poll
tici2ns, 70 accompany him III his private
CT 10 one OF The national conventions.
Yet this interest was subordinate 20
another which mas absorbed with faScI-
mating spell the business energies or Mr..
Willard for several years. On the very day
Of the excursion, which he was 10 make
with his fellow hnancie-s TO the national
convention. Mr.. Willard stood II the
presence of some Of the great
est CAPITALISTS in this country, and
spoke 10 them with enthusiasm OF expert
rsntS and research which, n his opinion,
were speedily 20 revoluIionize the railway
business Of this country. He told them
that !. had been demonstrated 10 his salts
faction that il vas possible 10 attach an
electric motor 10 railway trains running
upon standard railways. that is TO say
upon those which are already IN use, and
thar these motors would be able 10 Graw
these trains with safety 81 speed even
greater than that maintained by some OF
the fastest express trains in the country
and az less cost Mr. Willard said thar the
company of which be is president hsd
secured the rights TO use either one
OF the TWO systems lately developed
IN Germany, or both OF these
systems One OF them conducts
electric power something after the trolley
system. or by VIVA. IS called the overhead
method, and Il IS the opinion OF the ables.
experts that some such method IS the
overhead will ultimately De employed on
al surface railways. But Mr.. Willard be-
came very eloquent and spoke with such
earnestaess that the brsiny men who
heard him were compelled 10 share his en-
thas!asm OF q later system By which the
electric power is furnished from under
meath. Mr.. Willard did nos go into tech
meal explanation OF the system. but he
declared that in his opinion within q year
some OF the railroads OF the West. espe-
cially those whieh will De heavily Is xed TO
convey passengers and freight TO the
Worlds fair. Will employ shis system.
This utrerance is not the prophecy of >
dreamer o. visionary: IL Was \ business
speech 20 business men for business pur-
poses. and some of those who hesrd *
command millions Of capital which they
are ready 70 invest in electric railwavs as
soon as II IS demonstrated that they are
not experimental.
II is delight 10 hear Mr.. Willard tsIk
about the future Of electricity IS q motive
power, both stationary and for traffic. He
IS 50 thoroughly convinced tina. we are
upon the threshold Of revolution almost
as stupendous as thar which followed the
deve&opE1ent OF the railway locomotive
that he does seem almost Ike dreamer
visionary. narrator 0. fairy and Aladiin-
Ike tales when he tells those things which
are N his mind respecting the mastery 81
this force for commercial purposes
In this direction some Of the a-ainiese
men nov employed IN the field OF eleo-
trical development are concentrating their
best energies NJ Frank J. Srragus in
recent address has spoken with the
suthoriGy OF an expert with more tech
nical accuracy and with greater scientific
precision than characterized Mr.. Wizards
remarks 20 the milionairss- Mr.. Sp-aSue
Il 49, - rgNA - 49, -
from steam 10 electricity upon our rsig-
ways Is not only poss5 Die. b1. probable
He Is not sure whether The best svsre-,
Viii prove 20 be ThaI o. which an electric
motor IS attached 10 the head OF 4 train
as steam locomotives are or whether i
wlA Dc found thai single cars contain
ing motor VIII serve the commercial
purpose more p-oE,ably. Experiment
n NJ >p-SgGss opinion, VIII determine
THIS question. INST as experiment aeveI-
oDed the railway system ron - crude
beginning - IT. p-essn enormous growth
an scientific and accurate determination
There = PROBABLY nothing IN the Isrya ~
sclsnnnc woES commercially directed
" Atcn - greatly interests the greater carl
tallsts Sn1 the elecTE5c exnerrS IS This s7,a-
1sCt q the substitution 81 ecr-iefsy TO-
sean 1pon oUr railways. NJ. Wizard :
the -l-Ss II this coGniry. perhaps. fornss II
and IN s business gav. 70 commit a So.
20 ne development O; the elecsrousorsv,
ara L Sse views wnich he ho ls are "a.
lied before he twen.ls1h century or,enx
III hons u c2getal a-e likely - oe found
invested u = ctrle railways Willard -Oas
even iu-taer than mos enthusiasts for ne
: Of the op-Hfea thss % the year lqssl a
majority 81 The railways n the ry,,sct-v
wt.t asTs discarded t2= locomotive ana
substituted the elsct-o-otjve Tor il.
wsAr THz 6EEAr EAxxEzs AzE TALKING
Aso-E
The sb.est bankers n The country h.vs
been =. king g-ca. deal so- the Mss. w,
O. saree weeks aSoGs the speech recently
made ~ Joan Sherman n The Ue;,s1
SAFES Senate. Great As Is the sa,e-as, ~
bankers = tie po-lLcsl movement: % .ha
: me, tAeT are Ia more concerned IN ths
suggestion o. prophecy made by Nr.Sse--
m2a- II thar sp@ach the senator ,3a,ae~a.s
u % - bis opinion tA9: he rq-3ana3
banSlng system Is doomed. ana TIA, 81
soo3 IS tAe goveTnmens has csncegi~.}
Eas bonds anon whlcn th5s system -exts
TIE oAl1o22- banks T2l 80 o.. Of sxls.-
snce.
S<-ne o. sAe men who were bankers ~
z1l.lty . hen the national banking s~S-s-,,
was organized are So. ssvsag IN New NJ
and soTae o. them sxnecs 70 i've sa7r
enough - see a. the national banks -
render EAslr Charters Mr.. John Thc-pv.
SOP. = 20 was one ~ The Crigln2.ors 81 "a
national BANKING syste1a and sA0 or-ar,.
lEe1 the t-Ss nAtlo12( bznk under The -
recently died. c3t he tod the xritA- -
months before ms csz-h taal ne <v.-sr,
coGid nos DC preserved. because. N 49,
opinion. ne American peoDse ~lil nsv~-