Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-17

| want you to start with the feeling that
we can give something of which the pub,
lie will he proud and of which you ana
your officers will be proud"
x
And so the system opened February
% 1908. to be entirely completed about
June / next What more can be added
than the letter that President Roosevelt
wrote to Mr. McAdoo on that happy oc-
casion?
1t reads
FEBRUARY II, 1908.
t'My Dear Nc. McAdoo:
Now that "A beginning is to be made
i'm opening for operation the Hudson tun-
mel SYSTEM | write to express my re-
greet that | cannot be present in person,
and my high appreciation of what you
have accomplished. The tunnelins of the
Hudson river is indeed a notable achieve
ment-one of those achievements of which
all Americans are, as they should be
Justly proud. The tunnel itself ana the
great buildings constructed in connection
Herewith represent work OF extraorhi-
nary magnitude. represent eXtraoruiHdnN
difficulties successfully overcome. Whlie
difficulty and magnitude are even sur
passed by the usefulness of the acilieN
ment The whole system is practically
below tidal water. and this makes IL mu,h
world II is a bigger undertaking man
any Alpine tunnel which has YET bc'n
constructed and its successful cohlle''""
represents the moving OF New JcrS'
bodily three miles nearer to New YORK
y, no;nt of time and immensely increases
the ease of access from one state 10 liir
other. All the engineers and business
men who have taken part III pIlusinS
this great achievement TO 81 c,,n-
conclusion ought TO be most heartily con-
rat,,I.<ad II is the kind of business
achievement which is III the hlshest "
gree creditahle to the American peopr
and for which the American people sliouiu
feel a nd publicly acknowledge thelr nearly
gratitude Sincerely youlf
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
cav Hughes of New York and Coz"
Fort of New Jersey shook hands hhh''
the river where red, white ana vi i
lights denoted the line between th'
states. and then the first train starter
running.
The Hudson tunnel was an accom-
plished fact. A.
William G. McAdoo was born in Ma
riatta ca In 1865. His father was
professor in the University OF lehne9
see The son was graduated from tii"l
institution. and then began the
of law. S., -,
lie never had q real big dream unth
one day he went To Jersey cry ana ~
tho section of tunnel began IN 1919 ~
Col. Haskin. an Ehgiishiiiah. rot
generation great railroad miStd"
b.,a been worried by men with ide@'
for tunnel under the hudson. neE
couldn't see il Iiadnt Haskih hropp''i
81 900 900 al Il New YORK SNhdlcdt'
n,oney and then s. o0o,o0o OF an En-
rIish svndicate's money? liadn 80
bored away in the old tune Tor Hi>
wears only tn have the ihlng cave III
workmen
:. K
William G.. McAdoo did not go to these
railroad finanCierS. however He Wa" q
rifle timid about approaching giants ar
choir sort He had an idea there wers
some game investors who We're not
masking in the Wall street spotlight.
But before he went to ANYBODY he
looked up al the data obtainabie on
that a abandoned tunnel. He found that
:, Goo feet out of a possible o,4oo mad
been bored: also there was franchise
slumberng quarter or century ihe
franchise could be bought for song
and the Shiny old tunnel for a shoe-
string.
somehow the idea began to fascina:e
him He talked the scheme over with
engineers in a casual way. They told
MIN ii was practicable. All he needed
was money Then one day he dropped
into the offices of Harvey Fisk ~ Co.
and talked over his project with Pliny
Fisk and William Nj. Barnum. There is
nothing SNOWY about the banking
methods of Harvey Fisk * Co. They
are rather conservative, and many Of
their clients are millionaires who detest
the Iimelight. McAdoo laid his picture
before them and asked them to exam
inc it carefully. They did. They liked
il. That young man McAdoo certainly
had a convincing way about him. He
was Just their style of a man, too. and
hated brass bands and steam callioDes
Just as they did.
So. assisted by Fisk and Barnum, The
capital was quietly got together. and
the Jersey City and New York Railway
company organized in 1902. and the
franchise the old tunnel and all the
machinery were purchased under fore
closure.
The rest is now history.