The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-08-28
CHARACTERISTICS Of COILS p. HUNTINGTON
Ind "reminiscences Of THE NAN.
Written Republican,
Written for The Republican,

lox- What salary do you GET asked
/ Huntington fz.Ssriy-
Dsvlin told aim
That Is : damned sight more than
received when was your age" said
| Huntington
/ During the same interview Deviir
asked Mr.. Huntington where he was
/ educated
| I never vas educated and TO NY
want OF education l attribute what
little success l have had in lie"
At the last dinner given by Hunting
ton 10 the employees of the Southern
Pacific system in San Francisco Hunt
ington deprecated education He said
that the trouble with America was
that it had too much education and lot
enough practical knowledge. Lots OF
truth in that
The satire OF the man was whitening
and il frequently approached bias
phemy. ! was present in San Fran
cisco as q reporter when Huntington
was being examined by the state board
of railroad commissioners on the
freight rate for grain in the San Joa-
Quin valley. During the proceed
ings Huntington made such men as
William Hinton and n VI. La Rue.
members of the commission, appear
ridiculous.
Huntington, with an air OF great in
jury, told what he had done for Cali
fornia: If there is anything that gives
me pain" said he, 1t is the thought
that the people of California do not ap-
preciate my services-the herculean
task that | have done for them Prior
to the building Of the railroad. land
could be purchased anywhere in th
state for 90 cents an acre. II was dear
at that figure. Now the same land
can't be bought for less than $50 TO $500
an acre. | am sorry, very sorry, for
the people of California that they do
not appreciate my services. Ii causes
me heartache and misgivings. Ii God
doesn't have a higher opinion OF me
that the people Of California, l am
sorry for God too,'
b. U. Steinman. ex-mayor OF Sacra
mento, once asked Mr. Huntington
about his sOn-in-law, Prince Hatzfeldt.
Here is the answer, told to me by Mr.
Steinman himself:
He is a damn scalawag. 1t costs
more to run him than it does the poll
tics of this state. He pretends to be
sporty, yet he invariably gets on the
wrong card. Why, he couldn't pick
winner at race track in a month"
l have stated that Mr.. Huntington
was an orator. As speaker he was
very deliberate. He weighed we'll his
words, and unlike some Honolulu law
yers, never spoke unless he had some
thing to say. His address delivered at
the Galveston banquet against the Mic
aragua canal bill reminds. ME of a
speech by Edmund Burke Observe
how Huntington timed his remarks.
By his wonderful tact at manipulation
he had the friends Of the measure in
Congress fighting each other. The time
was propitious for Knockout blow
Huntington saw it and he delivered it
at the Galveston banquet.
In my judgment there is nothing in
American literature, was going to say
English literature, that approaches
Huntingtonis letters to Cotton In those
letters Coils P. Huntington will live
long after he is forgotten as q railroad
builder and constructor Of ships.
Huntington's letters are classics Mac
auleys essays are far more graceful,
but for profound characterization, deep
insight into motives which govern
men, keen analysis of the human mind,
Macauley's essays. when compared to
the Huntington letters to Cotton, are
words, mere words and nothing but
words.
Huntington believed with Walpole
that every man had his price. He was
the skilful manipulation of men. He
used them as an artisan does his tools.
When he had no further use for man
he cast him aside to consort with some
one else that could be of service. There
were only two men prominently in pub
lie life in California that resisted the
power OF his mighty influence and his
Establishments = Newton Booth and
Morris NJ. Estee.
Huntington, outside of Cotton, never
made confident Of any man, not even
his nephew, H. E Huntington. who
will probably succeed him as president
OF the Southern Pacific system. He
used man, paid him and east him
aside when his services ended.
The death Of Huntington assures, in
my Judgment, an early appropriation
for the building OF the Nicaragua ca
nal. Had he lived the canal would
never have been built.
Huntington, on his last trip to Cali
fornia. declared that he would live, re-
all Of his faculties. long after
reaching 100 years. Was il this chal-
lenge to God that caused his removal
in the Adirondacks on August 18th?
Perhaps so.
VOLCANO MARSHALL.
Honolulu. August q, 1900.