Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-11


and the genius which makes great states
and nations and such cities az Omaha and
kearny out OF raw. material as with the
wand Of the magician. The Platte valley
and the whole state was becoming a land
Of wealth. a garden OF Agriculture rs rich
as the valley Of the Nile-a literal mirage Of
wonders to mankind. And this is Harri-
man-Gouid regime No. g.
The Union Pacific was bankrupted and
fell into the hands OF receivers. II was
finally delivered to a private corporation
on payment Of the government debt OF
s6O.OOO.O00 Financial magrates Of Wall
street turned up their pug noses and hlled
its airs with noisy proclamations Of dis
aster and more receiverships for the Union
Pacific. They did not know and could
not be made to understand the capabilities
OF the agricultural and mineral region Of
the Union Pacific kingdom. But there
was one man who could and did I
mention him with fear and trembling-and
his other name Is r. II. Hartman. He
marked his entrance upon the Union Pa
cihc stage by placing in the hands Of
Horace Burt $9,O00.OO0 with which to prac-
tically reconstruct 1000 miles of road be-
tween Omaha and Ogden as a starter.
One Of the best roadbeds and tracks In
the world one-third OF a double track in
sidings; holes bored through granite noun
tains to shorten distances and reduce
grades that Ne might meet competition
with rival lines. north and south; he did
everything, IN fact to secure maximum
% capacity at minimum Of cost. And
what else did this satanic son Of preacher
da9 The answer is that he has in less
than nine years spent $50,OOOOO0 without
raising rates a fraction Of a cent. for rail-
- IN hfu
great center Of the continent and 500, 10000
west OF the Missouri river for railroad ex-
tensions and betterments which included
the purchase OF heavy steel rails for
a mileage Of 1900 miles. And what
else has this man done to fright the
souls Of fearful adversaries' and to ad-
vance the development Of the central and
mountain states2 Let A. L. Mohler tell
the story whose strong head and hands
have directed the mighty work Of e. H.
Hartman. Let him tell the gruesome tale
Of stricken. destroyed San Francisco, as
only he can tell It, and of what the heroic
Hartman did TO uplift a ruined city Of
100000 people starving. homeless, dying peo'
pie. E. II. Hartman, with the courage
of a lion and the heart Of a Creighton, led
the forced march of succor and relief in
person. ALI the enginery Of his vast rail-
way system and service under the orders
of Vice President Mohler was instantly In
motion to carry supplies OF worlds
contributions free to that terrible scene OF
desolation, restitution, despair and death.
All who sought to return to the east were
brought back free with tender care by the
grand army of railroad men,. Millions were
spent by Hartman In this work for hui
manity. And this IL the Harriman-Gould
regime No. 4.
Since writing the above 1 have read Mr..
Harriman's proclamation for peace and CO.
operation. It contains confession and ad-
mits causes of popular clamor among
the people. He openly says that II is in
part due to his own mistakes of policy and
abuses by railroads, and makes open over
lures for future frank cooperation with
the government and the people. Colonel
| Hepburn evidently sees in this attitude of
Mr.. Hartman an abject surrender and a
| cry for quarter. This sentiment will be
shared by President Roosevelt, who, have
/ reason to think, is much more alarmed
about consequences of the present agita-
ton than Mr.. Hartman Is and by nine
tenths of the newspapers OF the country.
Mr.. Harriman's main trouble is that In the
Titanic battle for control OF railroads ne
has become enormously T, h by his genius
| for manipulation in the world of high
finance He is the Jay Gould of this great
| epoch and must take the consequences
/ But this 1 say, E. H. Hartman, J. J. Hill,
A. B. stickney and other great railroad
| men have added hundreds of millions to
| the wealth of this Missouri empire
| in the last ten years, and have advanced
beyond any mans power to estimate, Its
| growth, development and welfare, without
! doing the least harm to any interest. What
/ their subordinates may have done in deal
lngs with shippers individually ] may not
know, nor do 1 care. for the purposes OF
this argument. But this is what / say
these mighty men, through their managers
IN the last twenty years have reduced
freight rates in the whole country from
g. and cents per ton per mile on the
long haul TO 7-10 Of cent per ton per mile
So far as Nebraska, Omaha, Lincoln
Kearny and all other towns are concerned
and so far as every farmer and owner Of
land and property in our larger towns are
concerned these great RAILROADS have mad'
everybody rich and nobody but drones. duh
iards and bankrupt politicians poor Per
sonal wrongs and injustice have beer
done to individuals in the INFINITE details
OF traffic. and the invasion into politics
ana dmDlOOu 10 cOuIFoi, dTlslnB largely II
railroad rivalry, have been a mistake anS
a wrong to which much of popular senti
ment is due. But 80 far as practical rs
suits are concerned these railroads are tn,
breath and bread OF life TO every man. wo
man and child in this state and city
/ want TO say to MIR. Easterlfng tina
without railroads Bellevue. not Omaha
depending on Missouri river commerce
would have been a town now of about thu
size OF Hamburger, Ia. and Council Bluff
would have been another Westport. Mo
Omaha would have been a suburb o
Council BUNS, with one blacksmith shop
a postoffice. and a single country store
Lincoln would have been a farm, kearn!
would never have been known. and Re,
Cloud and the buffalo would have washes
their feet in Cherry creek. where grea
Denver now astonishes the world. LAM
in Douglas county might now be wortl
perhaps from IS 20 Sl0 and near Omnha'
crossroads pOstofice $40. on account o
Council Bluffs a market for early vege
tables. Without railroads my old per
sonal friend, Red Cloud. and the buffal
and antelope, would be now. and for fron
nifty TO l0O years hence. the sole ownef
and occupants OF their old haunts iron
! Al n-fe