The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-25
RESUME PROBE
Of HARTMAN
LINES
Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion Took Up Inquiry Again
in New York.
HARTMAN HIMSELF WILL
Be HAULED OVER GOALS
Wall Street Views Inquiry With Mixed
Emotions of Alarm and Relief
Hartman Interests Absolutely Own
U. r., s. p. and Oregon Short Line
and Control Several Other Roads.

AAoA AntcAOetc hDsVlutcly OWu
U. r, s. p. and Oregon Short Line
and Control Several Other Roads.
Associated Press to The Eve.i.x T,-e,.
New York, Feb. 25.-Did the inter-
state commerce commission mean to
hand Edward Henry Hartman lem
on when 1t fixed upon today as the
date for resuming its, Investigation into
the financial operations of the Harri-
man railroad interests? But perhaps
the I. G. G. did not know that today
was Mr.. Harriman's birthday.
1t was just fifty-nine years ago on
February 25, 1S4s, that the man who
now controls over $4,000 miles of rail-
road with a total capitalization of over
$l,7OO,O00,000 first saw the light of day
In the rectory of little church ut
Hampstead, L. l., where his father was
an Episcopalian minister.
Young Hartman entered Wall street
as a clerk in the sixties. In 1870, when
32 years of age, he was able to buy a
seat on the New York stock exchange.
In 1888 he came actively into the rail-
road field. In 1887 he became vice
president Of the Illinois Central rail-
road. The year 1907 finds him in con-
troll not only of the Illinois Central,
but the Union Pacific, Southern Pa
Gifts, Baltimore & Ohio, Chicago & AL
ton, and Kansas City Southern.
And now the interstate Commerce
Commission purposes to find out how
he did it. 1t has already conducted
hearings in Chicago and on the Pacific
coast relative to the tf4i.lc and operat-
ing departments of the Hartman
roads Today the hearing was resumed
in this city with special reference to
the financial methods of the Hartman
corporations.
That the greatest Importance is at
tached to the present stage of the in
vestigation is evidenced by he fact that
Chairman Knapp has brought all the
members of the commission to New
York to take part in the inquiry.
Heretofore it has been deemed suffi-
cient for only one or two of the COM
missioners to conduct a hearing.
1t is expected that the commission
will sit continuously here until the in
vestigation is over. The examination
of Mr. Hartman is to be the first fea-
ture on the program. When his testi-
mony has been obtained that of Jacob
H. Schiff, D. Ogden Mills, William
Rockefeller and other big financiers
will be sought. Several of those whose
testimony is desired are in Europe, and
1T is thought quite likely that they will
find it convenient to remain abroad un-
til the Investigation is concluded
Prominent among the absentees are
James Stillman and Charles A. Pea
body, president of the Mutual Life In
surance company and a director In
both the Union Pacific and Illinois
Central railroads. H. H. Rogers and
Henry c. Fricl will probably be called
upon to tell what they know regarding
the Hartman system of finance. Pres
ident Winchell of the Rock Island,
President FELTON, of the Alton and
number of other railroad executives
are also slated to take the stand as
witnesses.
The Union Pacific is the backbone of
the Hartman system, aand all the SUBJ
sid1ary lines are controlled by it. The
Union Pacific is controlled by an ex-
ecutive committee within the board CT
directors, and the committee in turn is
controlled by the restless, towering
ambitions of Hartman, existing only
to accomplish the will of that supreme
potentate. So much the Investigations
made by the interstate commerce COM
mission have already shown.
But it is not alone because of this
ownership of competing railroads that
the government has crossed swords
with Hartman. The Union Pacific
acting as great banking and holding
concern, has absorbed not only rail-
roads but coal mining companies as
we'll. 1t is now said to control a con-
siderable proportion Of the coal lands
of Utah and Colorado, and fraud is
openly alleged as the means of secur-
ing ownership.
The commission will also investigate
many charges of exorbitant freight
rates and discrimination. 1t is likely
that before the present inquiry is COM
pleted the public will have been afford
ed many sensational revelations in the
methods of conducting a great railroad
system.
e. H. Hartman, President Of the
Union Pacific, was the first witness,
and under examination by Frank B.
Kellogg, began at 1910 o'clock an ex-
PLANTATION Of the financial operations
of his company commencing with the
issue OF $10O.OOO,OO0 convertible bonds
in 1901, for the purchase of stock in
Southern Pacific and Northern Pacific.
HERMAN testified that the purchase
of the Union Pacific in Baltimore &
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