Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1900-11-15
HENRY Willard IS DEAD.
The Well-Known Railroad Magnate
and Financier Has Passed
Away.
HIS REAL NAME WAS HEINRICH HILGkRD.
He Changed II, However, To Facili-
tate His Departure From Europe
for the United states, where lie
began His Career rs IA Newspaper
Reporter at BeIlevillc, Ill.

New York, Nov. 12.-Henry Willard,
the railroad magnate and tinancier,
died at his summer residence at
Dobbs Ferry.
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 adj
vised 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 constantly for a week
past.
Henry Wizards Career.
Henry Willard was born Heinrich Hill
gard IN SbeyCT, Ehenish BGvaT ria oo on
0ather of Julius Hilgard, who became
superintendent of the United States coast
survey led a migration of the family con-
Their, Gustav, was in the judicial service
of the Bavartan government, ana ended
judge Of the supreme court at Munich.
Young Higard was educated at schools
I'm Zwcibrucken, Phalsbourg and Speyer,
but in OctcHer, 1858, broke of his uni
vcrsity studies, and set out for the United
States. Intending to join the colony of his
relatives at BelleVille. His fathers oppo'
sition to this step made him borrow the
surname OF French schoolmate at Phals-
burg, and he became Henry Willard.
Arriving at Belleville, he became a news
paper reporter, and continued in the pro-
fession until 1865. During these years he
served as a legislative correspondent in
Indiana and Illinois, a political reporter,
reporting the Lincoln-Douglas debates;
the Chicago convention, which nominated
Lincoln; the Lincoln campaign, and, later,
as a war correspondent. The papers he
served in this period were the Cincinnati
Commercial. the New York Herald, tho
Chicago Tribune, and the New York Trlp-
une. 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 Boston. he married
Garrison In 1868 he was chosen secretary
Of the newly-founded American Social
Sccince association, having its headquar-
ters In that city. and did not finally relin-
quish the post until 1871,
II was In the latter year that. while
on visit TO Europe Mr.. Willard began
ton with Frankfort and Berlin bankers.
and, In 1873 returned to the United States.
buying for the German bondholders the
property OF the Oregon * California Rail-
road Co. and the Oregon Steamship Co.
being made president in 1875 He acted as
one of the receivers Of the Kansas Pacific
ram 'fu O's bili' IdleI poueul UP lHe
bonds Of the road. lie became interested
In the Oregon Steam Navigation Co. and
the Oregon Railway and Navigation Co,
of which he became president. and then
formed the Oregon & Transcontinetal,
with which he merged the two other COM
panies 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 that there was a collapse. in which
Mr.. Willard suffered very heavily. Re-
turning to Germany he formed new finan-
cial relations which enable him to re-
pair his fortune and. coming back to this
country, he started In once moro as a cap
ltalist. In 1890 he purchased. from Thomas
Edison, his electrical manufacturing in
terests. and with the Edison Lamp Co,
of Newark, n. j., and the Edison works,
NJ Schenectady, N. Y, as n basis, organ
lied the Edison General Electric Co. of
which he became president, serving IN
that capacity for about two years. In
October, 1889, he became chairman of the
he panic of 1893 again ocCasioned the loss
nf most of his fortune. and led to his
from railroad management
Mr.. Willard, when he died, was sur
rounded by the members of his fami-
~, including Mrs. Willard and his two
sons. Oswald and Harold Willard. He
had been unconscious for two DAYS.
His death, it is said, was caused by
of the throat. The funeral
will take Dlncp Wednesday