Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-28

!.
me I shall fight to keep this property
from the clutches OF the money octopus,
which is represented by Edward II.
Hartman
For years Stuyvesant Fish's personality
Las dominated the great mass of stock
holders on the Illinois Central as no other
stockholders have been dominated. He
has taken more delight in mingling with
the common people" than sitting in the
seats of the mighty. Those who have
watched his comings ard goings have re-
marked the strange coincidence that dur
ing all the years he ruled the road he
mas been found among the people along
his line upon the occasions when Mrs.
Fish has been giving any of her "func-
tins" to the 400" In appearance, Fish
looks like a farmer and he hates show
and cant, and society as society is now
constituted, and he has a firm grip upon
tho higher ideals which have moved men
like Martin Luther to create moral and
worldwide regeneration.
Men Differ Widely
1t would be difficult to find two men in
battle who present wider contrast. Big
and ungairly OF stature, with head like
that of a jungle lion, with a jaw which
should have made Hartman pause be-
stuyvesant Fish Is a man whom men
and women turn around to look at when
he passes.
There is no gathering, social, political
financial or railroad, in which the eye Of
the onlooker would not instinctively turn
first of all to Stuyvesant Fish and ask
who he was. He has one of the most
compelling presences that ever man
was gifted with. and character is written
L. ae,afxr Cor n
years he has been the idol of the ma
jority of Illinois Central stockholders
whom he loved to call his great family"
and whose interests he has cared for.
: His annual meetings have been unique
events in tho railway world, for each year
every stockholder received an annual pass
which entitled him to ride to Chicago
for the purpose of attending; Conse-
uuently a motley crowd of millionaires,
Guch as John Jacob Astor, Cornelius
Var derbilt and Edward n Hartman
have sat down with the "Bilr' Dosiers
and the Ferdinand Coles from the In
terror towns and mingled as equals.
And these days were the red-letter
days in .Stuyvesant Fish's life, as they
have been in the lives of the tillers of the
sell along the line of the Illinois Central.
Mr.. Fish's ambition, if ambition he pos
sessed. was to make the Illinois Central
distinctively the railroad of the people,
and his life's work has been devoted to
It. And now he sees the crunching car
of railway Capitalization driven by Ed
ward H. Hartman ruthlessly, as 1t seems
TO him, grinding to atoms his life work
and d.spellirg his life's dream. Is 1t any
wonder that there is no cry for quarter
in the soul of Stuyvesant Fish?
Puzzles Railroad World
Hartman Is the enigma and the sphinx
of the railroad world. He Is the riddle
that has never been guessed and the puz-
zle that has never been solved. He is
solf-made man, compelling success by
genius that is uncanny from man OF SO
small physical stature. So dim1nutlve
and insignificant is Edward H. Hartman
to look upon that he passes everywhere
where he is known without an inquiring
glance His inner soul has never been
laid bare to the gaze of the public as has
Stuyvesant Fishs. If he has sentiment 1t
has been concealed, if he has considera-
tior for others 1t has been well hidden
and IL he has the good of all mankind at
heart, as he says, he has been woefully
misjudged. And yet there is no question
that in his private home life there Is not
a swe eter character, than Edward H. Har-
riman. With a home life that is ideal
and inspiring in its love and duty, there
may be read side of Hartman of which
the world knows little. 1t would seem a
contradiction too terrible to entertain that
mar whose home is ruled by love and
devotion can have, when 1t comes to deal
ing with the outside world, no sentiment.
While Fish is naturally open-hearted
ard frank, Hartman is by nature retir-
ing and retrospective little given to
bearing his thoughts for the vulgar in
spection. In the killing struggle in which
he has had to make for himself great
name Hartman has been forced to re-
gard every one and everything as pos
sible factor of opposition. 1t has been
rough school, and the difference. in the
methods of the two men is accounted for
by the difference of temperament. Men
whu have worked for Hartman love to
teal, in secret, of his many kindnesses
and Of the many charities which he loves
to do in secret. But they tell of it only
in whispers, for should it come to the
ears of Hartman 1t would mean instant
and severe rebuke. A sidelight was
thrown upon Harriman's character early
In the Illinois Central fight. Upon one
occa sion a newspaper man went to Har-
rimar for an interview. He asked the
press representative why 1t was that the
newspapers showed such hostility and an
t4gonism toward him.
"Do you want frank answer"
IL do was the reply, "for think it is
undeserved."
''It is because you have treated the
newspaper men throughout the country
with contempt and have not even taken
the trouble to be courteous to them"
Learns Lesson Well
Hartman sank into deep thought for a
few moments, when he replied: II pre-
sumo you Will not believe me then when
tell you that 1 am very sorry they feel
this way. l do not feel unfriendly to the
newspapers nor to the newspaper men.
I simply haven't the time to talk with
them. This moment there are three
important directors meetings in session
in my office awaiting my coming. If l
began talking to newspaper men they
would take all OF my time. The inter-
ests represent are toe vast for me to
waste a moment. and when do, take
the time to talk they seem willfully to