Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-13
HARTMAN, THE MARVELLOUS
None Left in Railroad Field to Dis
pute Monarch's Sway.
BIG WORK AWAITS HIS RETURN
said to Control One-HnIf the Rail-
road Mileage of n United
States-CharacterIstic Union
Pacific Incident.

When Edward II. Hartman returns to
his desk in the Equitable building. New
York City. after his hunting and fishing
vacation at Lake klamath. Ore, Wall
street thinks that he will have to prepare
for the biggest work of his life. First, u
expects, he will have to take over the Rock
Island. Sooner of later, too, "the street"
believes. he will have to take charge of the
New York Central and 1t considers that It
is a question of time only when he will
control the New York. New Haven g. Hart
ford, and, consequently, all the New Eng
land railroads. A few months ago he saved
the Erie from disaster when j. Pierpont
Morgan was ready to abandon the property.
Just before he started west to hunt bears
he went to the rescue of the Wheeling &
Lake Erie. But for his assistance the road
would have gone into the hands Of a re-
ceiver and the Wabash railroad would
have been dragged down, too. The Wab-
ash is a system of great Importance. Bank
ruptcy for the Wabash-the principal link
in the Gould chain-would mean the up
setting OF the whole railroad fabric and
something of a disturbance in financial
affairs.
To obtain control of one great railroad
used to be the limit OF the ambition OF a
transportation captain. Not so. however,
with Hartman. He thinks no more of
taking over a trunk line than a big mer-
chant does of absorbing a small branch
store, He seemingly is irresistible. To-
day he has no serious rivalry In the rail-
road world. He is the domineht figure In
commercial life. Through the properties
he controls he employs 100000 men,
H-arrImanised Roads.
One-half of the railroad mileage Of the
United States has been Harrimanized, and
IL seems as certain as anything Of this
sort can be called certain that the noXt
ten years will see the bull Of the remain
ing half Hsrrimanized also. He person.
ifies tire great force that is transforming
the railroad situation IN America. WhaI
is startling in this connection is that there
Is no other man in the country who meas
ures up with Hartman or can be consid.
cred as his successor or his rival
No other men loom big in comparison OF
the railroad map, AS a matter OF fac
there never was a time when great rail
road men were so scarce. But that ma,
be explained as only a result Of the evolu
ton in the transportation fields, financ,
taking the place OF service or training f.
the operating branches. The railroad presl
dent TO-DAY ls only Il hliSu manu- VINO get
his orders from the chairman OF the board
just as the conductor gets his orders from
the train dispatcher.
So absolutely has Hartman come to dom
mate the railroad situation that Il has be
come an accepted fact In Wall street tina
II yoa have Hartman with you in you
company you will have NJ trouble. Other
wise there is danger. Making your peac
with him In the railroad world is Tx
making your peace with Morgan used 20 b
In the nnanoial circles, The idea OF build
ing a railrocd line OF any consideTabl
length in any part Of the United state
without his sanction would be rank foil,
No one in the b~arking business would dar
handle a bond issue on a new railroa
proposition opposed by him. lie coul
crush the life out OF AIRY banking hous
hat opposed him and all the bankers kno'