The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-13

'#.g.H
NEW YORK. Nov. 12-Henry Willard
,be railroad magnate and financier,
d,ed a, his summer residence, at Dobb's
Ferry, early to-day. Mr.. Willard had
Intended to return.t New York. about
the middle Of last month, but his con-
dItion was then SO precarious that his
physicians advised him to remain at
his country home until he should have
raiucd more strength. A week ago
he caught heavy. cold, and since then
his condition has. been, gradually grow
Ing worse. Two physicians had been
With him constantly for a week. past.
Henry Willard was born in heinrich
H!lsard, in Speyer. Rhenish Bavaria.
on April. Ii, 1885. His ,great-unclt,;
Theodore, Gather of Julius HiIgard.
who became superintendent of the uni.
led States coast survey led a migra-.
lion OF the family connection to Belle
yue, H., In 1886. His father. Gustaye,
was in the judicial service OF the Ba-
yarIan government. and ended judge
Of the supreme court, at Munich.
Set Out for America.
Young Hngard was educated at
schools in zwcibrucken. Phalsbourg and
speyer,, but in October, 1858. broke Off
his university studies and set out for
the United States, intending to join the
colony Of his relatives In Belleville. His
fathers opposition to this step made
him borrow the surname Of a French
scholmaster at Phalsbourg. and he be-
came Henry Willard.
Arriving at Belleville he became a
newspaper reporter. and continued in
the profession until 1868. During
these years he served as legislative
correspondent in Indiana and Illinois,
q political reporter, reporting the Lin
coin Douglass debates. the Chinese
convention which nominated Lincoln,
the Lincoln campaign and later as 4
war correspondent and European
correspondent. The papers he served
in this period were the Cincinnati Com
merclal. the New York Tribune, tile
New York Herald, the Chicago Tribune
and part of the time he was at the
head Of the news bureau at Washing
ton. Early in 1881 Mr.. Willard acquired
the New York Evening Post and the
Nation.
Married Daughter Of Garrison.
In January. 1865. in Boston, he mar
RED Fanny, the only daughter Of VIM.
Lloyd Garrison. In 1868 he was .cho-
sen secretary of the newly founded
Social Science Association, having Its
headquarters in that city, and did not
finally relinqulsh his post until 1871.
!. II was In the latter year that while
on a visit in Europe, Mr.. Willard began
his railroad career. He formed con-
nection with Frankfort and Berlin
bankers. and inS1S73 returned to the
United States. buying for the German
bondholders the property Of the Oregon
6 California Railroad Company, and
the Oregon Steamship Company, being
made resident nylS75. He acted as
one OF the receivers of the Kansas Pa
ciNc Railroad Company. and later
bought UP ire 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 TRANSIT CONT
mental, with which he merged the two
other companies to a so-called blind
pool with the Northern Pacific, being
chosen president. OF the latter COM
pany. Hrt
Repaired His Fortune.
few years later the companies In
which he was interested became so in
volved that there was collapse, in
which Mr.. Willard suffered very heavi-
y. Returning to Germany he formed
new financial relations, which enabled,
him to repair his fortune. and coming
back to this country he started In once
more as capitalist. In 1890 he pur-
chased from Thomas Edison the cleo
tr!cal and manufacturing interests. and
with the Edison Lamp Company, OF
Newark, n. j., and the Edison works
at Schenectady, n. Y. MS a basis, or
ganized the Edison General Electric
Company. OF which he became prcs!-
dent. serving in that capacity for abou,
Two years. In October; 1889, he be-
came chairman of the Northern Pa
c''ic board OF directors. but the panic
Of 1893 again occasIoned the loss OF
most OF his fortune, and led to his
withdrawal from railroad management
Mr. Willard, when he died, was sur
rounded by the members OF his family
including Mrs. Willard and his two
sons Oswald and Harold Willard. He
nae been unconscious for two days. His
'ea'h' 1t Ia said, was caused by cancer
VI The throat. The funeral will take
place Wednesday, .,.Ia