Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-12
Noted Financier and Railroad Mag
nate Passes Away.
HAD BEEN UNCONSCIOUS TWO DAYS
He Caught a Heavy Cold Two
Weeks Ago.
SIX ETCH OF HIS CAREER

NEW YORK, November 12.-Henry VII
lard. the railroad magnate and financier,
died at his summer residence at Dobb's
Ferry early today Mr.. Willard had intend
ed to return to New York about the middle
of last month. burt his condition was then
so precarious that his physicians advised
him to remain at his country home until
he should have gained more strength
week ago he caught 4 heavy cold. and
since then his condition had been gradually
growing worse. Two physicians had been
with him constantly for week past.
Henry Willard was born Heinrich Higard
in Speyer, Rhenish Bavaria, on April H.
1s:'5. His great Uncle Theodor Cather of
julius Hilsard, who became superintendent
Of the United States coast survey led a
migration of the family connection to Belle
vile, ILL.,, in 1875. His father. Gustav. was
in the judicial service of the Bavarian gov
eminent and at the time of his death was
juGge of The supreme court at Munich.
Emigrates to America.
Young Hilgard was educated at schools
in Zwebrucken. Phalsbourg and Speyer,
but in October 1853. broke off his univer-
s!ty studies, and set out for the United
States, intending to JOIN the colony Of his
relatives at Beleville. His fathers oppo-
name of French schoomate at Phals-
bcurg, and he became Henry Willard.
Arriving at Belleville he became news
paper reporter and continued In the pro-
fession until 1868. During these years he
served legislative correspondent in
Indiana and Illinois; a political reporter,
reporting the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the
Chicago convention, which nominated Lin
coln the Lincoln campaign and later as n
war correspondent and a European corre-
spondent. 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
a Washington. Early in 1881 Mr.. Willard
acquired the New York Evening Post and
the Nation.
In January. 1866 in Boston. he married
Fanny, the only daughter of VIM. Lloyd
Garrison. In 1858 he was chosen secre-
tary of the newly founded American Social
Science Association. having its headquar-
ters in that city. and did not finally relln-
quish the post till 1871.
ReginninE of His Railroad Career.
1t was in the latter year that while on
a visit to Europe Mr.. Willard began his
railroad career. He formed a 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 Com
pany and the Oregon Steamship Company.
being made president in 1915. He acted as
one of the receivers of the Kansas facifc
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 FORM
ed the Oregon and Transcontinental with
which he merged the two other companies
to a so-called blind pool with the Northern
Pacific, being chosen president of the lat
ter company.
A few years later the companies in which
he was interested became so involved that
there was collapse in which Mr.. Willard
suffered very heavily. Returning to Ger
many, he formed new financial relations
which enabled him to repair his fortune.
and, coming back to this country, he start
ed in once more as a capitalist. In 1880 he
purchased from Thomas Edison his cleo
trical manufacturing interests, and, with
the Edison Lamp Company of Newark. n.
j., and the Edison works at Schenectady,
N. Y, as basis, organized the Edison
became president, serving in that capacity
for about two years.
In Another Panic.
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 fortune and led to his with
drawal from railroad management .
Mr.. Willard, when he died, surround
ed by the members of his family. including
Mrs. Willard and his two sons Oswald and
Harold Willard. He had been unconscious
caused by cancer of the throat. The fu-
r1,in faly