The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-12
WILLARD IS DEAD.
Famous Railroad Magnate Dies
in New York.
Was Interested in the Old Kan
sas Pacific.
HE LOST MUCH MONEY.
Panic of 1898 Swept Away His
Fortune.
Son-in-Law of William Lloyd
Garrison.
HE LOST MUCH MONEY.

New York Nov. 12.-Henry Willard,
the railroad magnate and financier, died
at his summer residence at Dobbs Ferry
early today Mr.. Willard had intended
to return to New York about the middle
of last month but his condition was
then so precarious that his physicians
advised him to remain at his country
home until he should have gained more
strength. A week ago he caught heavy
cold and since then his condition had
been gradually growing worse. Two
physicians had been with him constant
~ for a week past.
He had been unconscious for two
days. His death it is said, was caused
by cancer of the throat The funeral will
take place Wednesday,.
Henry Willard was born Heinrich
Hilgard in Speyer, Rhenish Bavaria, on
April II, 1885. His great uncle, Theo-
dOre, father of julius Hilgard, who be-
came superintendent of the United
State coast survey, led a migration of
the family connection to BelleVille, Ill,
in 1885. His father, Gustav, was in the
judicial service of Bavarian government
and ended judge of the supreme court
at Munich.
Young Hilgard was educated at
schools in ZWeibrucken, PhalSbOurg and
Speyer, but in October, 1853, broke off
his university studies and set out for the
United States intending to join the col
Ony of his relatives at Belleville. His
fathers opposition to this step made him
borrow the surname of a French school
mate at Phalsbourg and he became
Henry Willard.
Arriving at Beileville. he became a
newspaper reporter and continued in
the profession until 1868. During these
years he served as a legislative CORE
spondent in Indiana and Illinois, po-
litical reporter, reporting the Lincoln
Douglas debates, the Chicago conven-
ton which nominated Lincoln, the Lin
coin campaign and later as q war COR
Nom
dent. The papers he served in this
period were the Cincinnati Commercial,
the New York Herald, the Chicago
Tribune and the New York Tribune and
part of the time he was at the head of
news bureaus at washington. Early in
1881 Mr.. Willard acquired the New York
Evening Post and the Nation
In January, 1866 in oBston, he mar
ried Fannie, the only daughter Of VIM
Lloyd Garrison. In 1868 he was chosen
secretary of the newly founded American
Social Science association, having its
headquarters in that city and did not
finally relinquish the post until 1871. II
was in the latter year while on a visit
to Europe MIR. Willard began his rail-
road career. He formed connection
with Frankfort and Berlin bankers and
in 1873 returned to the United States,
buying for the German bondholders the
property of the Oregon and California
Railroad company and the Oregon
Steamship company, being made presi-
dent in 1875. He acted as one of the re-
CelVerS OF the Kansas racine railroad
company and later bought up the bonds
of the road He became interested in
the Oregon Steam Navigation company
and the Oregon Railway and Navigation
company of which he became president
and then formed the Oregon and Trans
continental with which he merged the
two other companies to a so-called blind
pool with the Northern Pacific being
chosen president of the latter company.
A few years later the companies in
which he was interested became SO in
volved shat there was q collapse in
which Mr. Willard suffered very heavily.
Returning to Germany he formed finan-
cial relations which enabled him to re-
pair his fortunes and coming back to
this country he started in once more as
a capitalist. In 1890 he purchased from
Thomas Edison his electrical manu-
featuring interests and with the Edison
Lamp company of Newark, N. J., and
the Edison works at Schenectady as
basis organized the Edison General Elec-
trio company of which he became preSi-
dent, serving in that capacity for about
two years. In October, 1889, he became
chairman of the Northern Pacific board
of directors but the panic of 1893 again
occasioned the loss of most of his for
tune and led to his withdrawal from