The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1900-08-24
country. Starting for California with
81 200, while waiting on the isthmus for

In buying and selling merchandise, and
landed in California with 5000. 1t IL
almost impossible to do justice to his early
career in California, whore he steadily
continued the amusement Of wealth
through sagacious business operations
His partnership with Mark Hopkins
made them both rich, but greater oppor.
tunities were awaiting him and he did
not fall to take advantage Of them.
The necessity to California of overland
railroad communication forcibly struck
Mr. Huntington, as we'll as many others
In 1861, and though confronted with al.
most insurmountable obstacles, this In.
domitable man and bis associates pro.
ceeded to push their enterprise through
to successful conclusion. Thus began
the construction Of the Southern Pacific
railroad from San Francisco eastward
I through Los Angeles, Arizona, New
Mexico and Texas. Huntington and his
associates did not stop until they had a
continuous line Of track from Portland,
Ore, to New Orleans, 5000 miles in
length. Branches were built from time
to time, until at the end of 1896 a total
had been reached Of over 5000 miles OF
track and 26 corporations had been
merged In one great parent organization
known as the Southern Pacific Company,
OF which he WAS the head.
Aside from this, Mr. Huntington's rail-
road enterprises In the last decade are
almost too numerous to mention. Nota-
BILE among them, however, is his taking
hold Of and completing the Chesapeake
and Ohio. His shipbullding interests
were also large. Practical education was
one Of his hobbies and the well-known
Huntington Industrial Works at Hamp-
ton, Va, are an example of his practical
belief that the hand should be educated
% well as the ear.
Mr. Huntington made many public
gifts In the course of bis career. His
only remembrance of the place of his
birth was the construction of the hand
some Congregational chapel in Harwin-
ton. He built and endowed the library
and reading room In the town of West
chester, N. Y, at cost Of 800, 900. He
has given largely toward the support
and extension Of the school for negroes
established by Gen Armstrong at Hamp-
ton, Va.
In an interview in the Hartford Times
Hon T. 8. Gold of West Cornwall had
this to say Of Mr. Huntington and his first
wife: ''Mr Huntington's first wife,
Elizabeth T. Stoddard, belonged in Corn
wall, and was a woman of great force of
character. In speaking Of her this morn
ing, MI Gold said she was a great help
to the noted railroad manager in his en-
terprises, and that she passed over the
railroad routes of the Huntington system
across the continent on horseback with
her husband before the tracks were laid.
She was the frat woman to 60 across on
these lines after the completion of the
roads. Mrs Huntington died in 1883. Up
to that time the railroad magnate was a
regular visitor In Cornwall. But he was
not in the old town after that date except
at rare intervals. When the father of
Mrs Huntington, Mr. Stoddard, died, Mr.
visited the town and WAS at
The funeral. He was on the most cordial
terms with the men whom he knew in the
town and was singularly approachable
when with them.
Some years ago when the Congrega-
tional church in Cornwall built a new
chapel 1t was decided to solicit $1,000
from Mr. Huntington towards the project.
Tho pastor Of the church, Rev Newton
Fitch, and Secretary Gold, were selected
TO visit the millionaire in New York and
ask him for the amount as contribution
TO the old church. They found him at
bis home in the metropolis and were re.
ceived by him in the most affable way.
The interview lasted half an hour. After
telling their GRAND, Mr. Huntington said
be would be glad to give the 81, 900
towards the chapel. It was to be the las:
thousand dollars Of the amount required. |
BE told them that they were to 60 back |
and raise what they could and he would |
add the sum asked for afterwards. The
meeting was one OF delightful memories.
Rev Mr. Fitch, who was son-in-law Of |
Monroe Of Oberlin, o.