The Washington herald., 1907-03-03
HARTMAN AS FIGHTING MAN
Frederick Palmer Gives His First
Impressions Of the Wizard.
Vivid Contrast Between the Wall
street Magnate and Two United
states Senator's.

Ny first glimpse of the real man was
on a voyage. When the ocean is the
Pacific and there are few persons aboard.
you learn your fellow passengers pretty
well; so you did on this occasion, incIud-
ing two United States Senators. Harri-
man spent more time with the engineer
than with them.
we started from Yokohama with the
idea Of beating the record TO San Fran
cisco. \ smooth sea all the way meant
an even chance Of success. This disap-
/ peared for everybody except Hartman
when the first three days were entirely
unpropitious, writes Frederick Palmer, in
Z Golfers. I think that he thought we
must succeed because he himself was
aboard. When some one offered him a
bet Of 5000 TO Sl.0oO that he would fail.
he took II. Then he started out 20 win
the bet with all the zest that he has
shown in obtaining control over new
railroad. Fair weather broke the next
day and continued. We began to feel that
the quiet little man was putting de-
mOniacal energy into the stOkers and into
the very engines. BY the dramatic space
of a few minutes he won. Hartman
never advertised the fact that he save the
s., coo to the engine-rOOm crew. Winning
was the point In mind
On the whole, he was the least OBJ
trusive Of any great millionaire with
whom I have ever come into contact
Whether he is doing a kindness or doing
business, he never uses words where
thought or action viii take their place. I
noticed that when he told a steward to
move lady's chair TO better position
it was in an undertOne Of brevity. The
lady did not know of his thoughtfulness
She would if James J. Hi had been in
Harriman's place. PierpOnt Morgan S
politeness would have had the aplomb Of
4 JOve.
The two Senators were always ready TO
pick up Harrimans handkerchief al
though they are on record as trust-busters
When you cut away their egoism and
gladhandism. the skeleton that remained
consisted merely of a rubber backbone
and floating ribs. On one occasion Seua-
tor n, looking around for an audience.
engaged Hartman in a discussion. of the
rate problem 1t was the encounter Of a
rapier and d pillow full Of words. Besides
Hartman was not arguing; he was telling
us
Senator W. said that he hoped to avoid
the importunate interviews in san Fran
cisco. because he did not want any news
paper glory When he arrived he gra-
ciously distributed a long typewriter
statement and called the reporters boys. q"
He said that he would wait over a day
instead of taking the next mornings
overland limited I found afterward that
he had gone on the Pacific express. he
cause passes are not honored on the
overland.
Meanwhile the king-no fat oyerfed
SNUG, vulgar, easy-going king. but self
made, intense, Argus-eyed, little, efficient
king-had gone aboard the tug waiting
for him and was being shot across the
country by the mighty organization he
controlled-aRd controlled 50 absolutely
perhaps. because Senators are cheap
SO cheap were these two that you could
not withhold your admiration from HarTi-
man as a thoroughbred fighting man.
The contrast made me understand the
point Ct view of the japanese, who be-
ing foreigners, can see Us IN the large
They looked on Hartman as one of the
really great men of America com
maader who is the counterpart Of a Togo
an Oyama, or a KurOki: type Of crea-
tive organizer who has brought to Amer
lea the industrial power which they so
desire 10 emulate. and in the country
where the civilian is supposed TO be Of
lower breed than the official. they gave
the man who had never held Office at
home more hOn0rS than they had ever
paid to any visiting American since
Grant