The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-09-15
LIFE STORY OF HARTMAN
Began Life Poor and BY Circumstance
and Genius Rose to Position no
Other May Ever Know.

Edward Henry Hartman, who will
go down in history as one of the most
daring stock spectators and greatest
railroad magnate of his time was
born at Hampstead. Long Island,
February 25, 1S4S, the son of the Rev.
Orlando Hartman, Jr., rector of an
Episcopal church in that town, found
ed in 1902. The early life of the fut-
ure man of millions was one of great
poverty. His father was a cultured
but poor man, his mother came from
an old and aristocratic, but equally
impecunious family of New Bruns-
wick, N. J. The Rev. Orlando Har-
riman, Jr., had a large family, con-
sisting of four boys and two girls and
his income was altogether inadequate
to feed, clOthe and educate his chill
dreH.
In 1855, when Edward Henry Har-
riman was but 6 years old, the family
moved to Jersey City. The head of
the family had no regular charge, but
helped out wherever he could. On
May 8, 1895, the Rev. Orlando Harri-
man, Jr., was made rector of St.
Johns at West Hoboken, with a salary
of 5000 year. He remained in
years, until November, 1855. At that
time his salary was 1914 in arrears,
which was compromised at $3.50, pay
able in six months with interest. But
little is known of E. H. Harriman's
life during these years of poverty. The
family lived in a small house on the
meadows and it required no end of in
genuity and economy to make both
ends meet.
Edward H. Hartman received his
early education at the district school
and supplemented it by a two years
course in a boys school under church
auspices, where the sons of clergymen
paid practically nothing for their edu-
cation. Edwards oldest brother, John
Nelson and his younger brother, Will
lam McCurdy, died some years ago
His second brother, Orlando, became a
real estate dealer in Brooklyn. Lily,
one of his sisters, became the wife Of
Charles D. Simmons of Brown Bros
& Co., Of New York and Annie, the
other sister, married Van Rensselaer,,
of the old and aristocratic family of
that name in New York. The father
died in April, 1881, at Jacksonville,
surrounded by all the comforts that
wealth could procure. He was but 68
years old at the time of his death and
had suffered much for nearly 20 years.
Began Career as Clerk.
Edward Henry Hartman began his
career as clerk in a broker Office on
Wall street. He showed no unusual
ability and for many years gave no
promise of his later brilliant develop
ment. Socially he was we'll liked and
those who knew him at that time de-
scribed him as a sociable young man,
always full of fun. He was noted,
however, for q mind of his own. What
he wanted he generally obtained. but
his desires and ambitions were at that
time, at least, neither very sweeping
nor particularly important.
How he obtained his start and the
funds which enabled him to buy a
seat on the New York stock exchange
has never been clearly explained. The
most widely accepted explanation,
however, was to the effect that during
the famous gold corner engineered
by Gould, Fisk, HiInber and others.
Edward H. Hartman plunged with
all his own money and some borrowed
from his brother Orlando and cleared
enough to buy himself in August, 1870,
seat on the New York stock ex-
change.