Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-09-16
Wizard of Railroads Whose Conceptions Were as Wide as
the Continent, Whose Plans COmprehended
Millions Who Organized Systems
Constructive Genius Of the First Order Who was Dr.
rector and President of Many Corporations
Controlled Whatever He Touched
By James A. -Edgerton

There have been few single figures
III the world of finance the mere ru-
NOR of whose illness would radically
affect so many stocks as did that OF
! the late Edward Henry Hartman. On
his recent return from Europe the
great stock exchange in Wall street
! spent nearly one whole day in sus-
pense. Buying and selling were at a
standstil Everything depended up
! on the health of the little man com
ing up the bay. If he should prove to
be on the road to recovery, up would
| go Union Pacific. Central Pacific, New
! York Central and other securities I'm,
der his control. If he were seen to be
in bad way, they would tumble. IN.
til one or the other was definitely
known there was nothing doing.
His arrival satisfied the brokers
that the railroad king was far from
a we'll man. After his retreat to Ar
! den the rumOr was noised about that
he intended virtually to retire On
! this mere breath his stocks were ham
meTed down till Union Pacific fell off
| or 7 points, Southern Pacific, New
| York Central and others sharing in
! the decline. 1t was a striking tribute
! to the mans power, testimonial to
the estimate put upon his financial
mastery of Wall street. There was no
| sentiment in it. There never is in
| these bull and bear raids. They are
as utterly merciless as an earthquake
or cyclone There is not a heart
beat in the whole high finance body,
however many there may be in the
| individuals who compose it. And
when the bears pounded down those
Hartman securities in the days when
| their master lay i'll at Arden they
merely advertised that they had been
| afraid of the man and showed what
they would do when the fear was
even a little abated.
There are many popular miscOncep-
lions concerning Hartman. One is
that he was a man with an abnormaIly
large brain, which Slapped the life
from his understood body. Harriman's
head was not large. 1t was under
rather than over the normal size. 1t
was quite well proportional 10 his
small stature. His body gave the I'M
preston Of slightness, it is true, but it
was no emaciated, except in his last
illness. 1t was why and quick as a
steel spring. He was stopped, as are
most men who think much He was
never a carrfuI dresser and was quite
commonplace in appearance. But the
idea that his brain ate up his body is
a mere flight OF fancy. 1t might be
said as truly of any man who is at
the head of big things in this day OF
gigantic undertakings.
Smartest Coy of His Glass.
Another mistaken notion is that
Mr. Hartman was born in New Jer-
sey. He was born at Hampstead,
Long Island, in the state of New York,
Feb. 25, 1848. He was the fourth
child OF a poor EpiscOpaIian minister
whose salary sometimes amounted to
as much as 5000 a year. 1t was after
the future railroad kings advent that
the family moved to Jersey, settling
in modest portion OF Jersey City
just eff the Hackensack meadows. 1t
was net a promising environment. but
there were rich relations on both sides
Of the house. The lad went to Trim
ity school in New York, walking three
miles each way. He had a reputation.
which still survives, Of having been
the worst boy and the smartest of his
class. At the age CT fourteen he quit
school altogether and entered a bro
kers office. The first year he earned
the magnificent salary of IS a week,
and even this pittance he turned over
to his father.
Friend of Children.
Perhaps the only beings with whom
Edward H. Hartman the man ever
entirely unbent were children. In New
York he was the head of a great
boys institution, a sort of combined
gymnasium, club and debating soct-
ETY., for more than a quarter of a CEN
fury. At Arden he was never so hap
Ply as when he had an automobile
load of little ones and was spinning
about the countryside. To them he
was not thr cold business machine
known to the world He was Pop"
Hartman, their comrade and friend.
Perhaps he was so unreserved with
the children because they did not ask
him leading questions and try to take
away his money. In the country he
was as God made him. In business he
was as Wall street made him. There
is difference here, one that will ap-
pear greater the more it is contem-
plated.
Great Constructive Genius
The best two things about Mr.. Har-
riman We're that he was constructive
and had a national view Of things. He
was not alone q stock manipulation
but a builder History must give him
this credit Il is questionable if we
have had any greater railroad builders
than he The manner in which ne
took the rundown and bankrupt Union
Pacific, went over the ground and saw
he business there was for the line,
coupled with the subsequent couragr
and energy he displayed in pouring
hundreds O. millions into straighten- |
ing and improving the road, showed a
constructive genius of the first order. |
Ruthless ne might have been. yet the /
fart that ne did things, and big things
al that. must be tod 10 his praise. |
The sorry OF Bird gfng Great Salt lake
and d-.a INN q tf7c G2If0y1 500 Il MT ~, /