Arizona republican., 1909-09-10
EDWARD H. HARTMAN.


 ward H. Hartman should have been able to look forward to many years of physical energy. He was at the height of his mental powers, and that the physical machine broke down is attributable to but one thing. what ever the technical name of his ailment may be, and this one thing is-Over- work
 If fifteen years more could have been given him he might have counted with reasonable certainty upon real izing the ambition of his life: to be the controlling factor in every trans continental line. For, with the un- limited millions of the Standard Oil people at his command in the railroad field, it would have been a mere matter of time coupled with the dis appearance of his older rivals, Hill and Morgan. As it is. he leaves record which is without parallel in financial history. It was. of course, part of the incomparable Rockefeller genius to choose such lieutenant Napoleon said something to the effect that his success was due to his marshals-but Hartman would have made a commanding place for him. self in the world, if there had been no Rockefeller.
 Like all really great men. Hartman was exceedingly simple and demo- cratic in his manners. The busiest of men. he had to exclude bores; but men who could succeed in reaching his presence found him so unassum- ing that it was difficult at first sight to appreciate that the undersized man before them was one of the very There are hundreds of obscure station agents and employees of the Hartman lines-and other railroad lines-who assume a greater importance than did the ruler of a railroad empire who died yesterday afternoon
 On account of leaving a far-reach- ing program uncompleted, Hartman will not be remembered as railroad builder like James J. Hill. He pre- ferred to take lines already con structed and bring them from con dition of dilapidation and loss to one power. Here in Arizona we have an example of his policy, fin the Southern Pacific. Money which might have sufficed for another line of similar quality was expended by him in plac- ing the Southern Pacific road and equipment in such condition that 1t today ranks with the best railroads of the world. The Union Pacific, and in fact, every other line that came under his control, was treated the same way. And. as already indicated he was perfecting a vast scheme of
 
 by the way, had an important part.
 Speaking of the southwest, it Is in- teresting to recall that he regarded work accomplished here at our doors as his greatest. A year or two ago, when asked by a reporter to state what he regarded as the biggest achievement of his career. he promptly and sen- cautiously replied Stopping the Colo rado river" meaning thereby the turn ing of the Colorado from the Salton sea, which was done under the engi- neering direction of Col. Epes Ran dOlph, an Arizona man.
 It is sincerely to be hoped that Arizona will not have other than sentimental causes to regret his death that his untimely taking off will not lead to any material modification of his plans for building in this section. The public is so accustomed to hear ing but one side of the story-to hearing nothing but denunciation of railroad managers and owners by demagogues-that it is only when they die that there is something like adequate appreciation of the useful ness of the men who are willing to risk their money in railway construc- tion through the deserts.