The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-06-30
(NeW York Letter.l

N'S" ~ 1NNNNAt
A strange life story is that OF old
Henry Hart, father of the Third Ave-
nue. street car line, New York" the
downfall of which a short time since
supposedly buried his millions in the
wreck and left him as destitute, save
in experience, as he was on coming
from London to this country a steer
age passenger fourscore years Ago..
But within a week the railroad stock
has taken a rise md his capital has
gained over 81 LOO, 900. There are
prospects of still greater gains and
Mr.. Hart will come out, it is said, a
big winner.
Fol decades Mr.. Hart has led a her.
mit's life and has become known as
one of New York's most eccentric mil
lionaires. He is 80 years of age. For
the past half century he has been as
devoted to the interests of his road
as a mother to her first-born child.
and has watched the property grow
with the town. From an old stage
line he developed a system that now
spreads it's steel lines through two
counties and carries a hundred million
people a year. This was his life's
work, the concrete product of his en-
ergy.
Mr.. Hart is a little old man, scarce
ly more than foul feet in stature. He
wears a bunchy white beard on his
chin that gives length to his sharp
lined, impenetrable face. HIS hair Is
gone, except for heavy curly white
locks over his ears; his mouth is
broad, with thin, determined lips, and
about his mouth are half laughing
lines that accentuate the sharpness
and size of his aquiline nose. His
partly closed almond eyes have a mis-
c~hievous, gnomic stare, and while they
follow you about, you feel that they
give no consciousness of your pres
ence. A strange old mana reminder
Of old New York, the mystery OF
whose hermit life, even by the few
who have been near him all these
years, has never been quite pene-
trated.
Every day he makes his appearance
in a saloon on Park row and never
does he fail to attract attention. Men
who know who he is whisper to their
companions the little mans name. He
seems to notice nobody, although he
mutters sharply to any one standing
neal him, emphasizing his unintelligi-
gle remarks by a vigorous, nervous
pounding of his cane upon the floor
To the proprietor he mutters a few
words which are received very re.
spectfully, and the old man pounds his
cant harder than ever. Then he goes
over to the long counter where are
spread out tn. meats and appetizers 0.
the "free lunch" and taking, with
many mutterings, as much as his
hands will hold, he goes to the street
both hands full Of sandwiches. Wait
ing for him at the curb Is a barouch'
that was old and dilapidated year
ago. The horses drawing 1t are oil
horse car animals; the driver is a reli'
of the Third avenues horse car days
Rambling up the narrow, noisy thor
oughfare the odd vehicle goes, ant
pedestrians turn and stare at the littl,
man sitting crouched up in the bacl
seat. His eyes are on the tracks clos
by, and he mutters necessarily as tn
cars jangle up and down past him.
Early in the century Hart came t.
this country and located in New Yorl
just as the first horse car road in tn,
world was started there. Stage line
were in operation several years later