Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-05-21
h. h. ROGERS, OIL
AND RAIL KING,
DIES SUDDENLY
REAL HEAD CT ROCKEFELLER IN
TERESTS SUCCUMBS TO SECOND
STROKE OF APOPLEXY.
END or AN UNUSUAL CAREER.
Rise from Newsboy to One of Worlds
Greatest Financiers Reads Like
Arabian Nights Tale.
WEALTH ESTIMATED AT s1oo, 900

NEW YORK, May 19.-H. II. Rog-
ers, the Standard Oil capitalist died sud
denly at his home, 3 East Seventy
eighth street, about Z o'clock this morn
ing. He arose about 6, and about $50
began TO feel i'll, complaining of numb
ness and nausea. Before anything could
be done he sank and died. He went on
Friday last to his country place at Fair
Haven, Mass, and returned yesterday.
Mr.. Rogers was for many years one
of the most prominent financiers Of the
country. He took a leading part in all
of the enterprises undertaken by the
Standard Oil group OF capitalists, was
vice-president of the Standard Oil com
pany, and was the active spirit in the
organization of the AmaIgamated Cop
per company, of which he was president
up to the time of his death. He also
was interested in a number of railways,
serving as a member of the board of di-
rectors Of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fee, the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul,
and the Union Pacific.
Surprise to Wall Street
The news of his death came as a sur
prise to Wall street. Mr.. Rogers was at
the office of the Standard Oil company
yesterday and appeared to be in good
spirits. His health had been failing
somewhat for several years past and he
had curtailed his financial operations to
some extent on that account but he con-
tinued to perform the duties of vice
president of the Standard Oil company.
The death of Mr.. Rogers follows close
,ly upon the completion of the great rail
way project to the accomplishment of
which the energies of his later years, his
genius for organization and a very con-
siderable portion of his private fortune
was devoted. This was the building of
the Virginia railway, line which opened
up rich bItuminOuS coal country in
West Virginia, extending 443 miles from
Deep Water, w. Va, to tidewater ter
minal at Sewall's Point, Va. This road
was distinctly an individual undertaking
of Mr. Rogers and he personally bore the
greater part of the cost of its construc-
ton, which has been estimated at $40
100000. Mr.. Rogers had embarked on
his venture some time prior to the finan-
cial panic of 1907, which checked SINH
Lar, undertakings by some of the large
",
the work of building this line went on
to its finish, mainly because of the ener-
gy and faith which MIR. Rogers applied
to the achievement of his purpose
Opened a Few Weeks Ago.
Early in April, only a few weeks ago.
the road was opened to traffic and Mr..
Rogers invited some of his friends from
New York to visit the new line and wit
ness the arrival of the first train load of
coal at SewalPs Point Gov. Swanson of
Virginia, United States senators, mem
bers of Congress, and several hundred
business men of Virginia and West Vir-
ginia were guests of Mr.. Rogers and
shared with him in celebrating the sue
cecsful termination of his labor of build
ing a railroad which was to be almost
his personal and individual property.
The opening of the road was a success
and after receiving the congratulations
of the officials and business men of Vir-
ginia upon his splendid courage which
had carried the work to its finish in the
face of great financial obstacles, MIR.
Rogers returned to his home i'll New
York to enjoy the satisfaction which
comes to any man upon the accomplish
ment of the greatest achievement of any
active business life.
His death coming so soon after the
end of this work and before he saw the
fruit of his labor in the development
Oh the StcllOil StINeu 10y Ills ROAD is re-
garded by his friends and associates
among New York fnanciers as a regret
table ending of a brilliant career in
the business and financial world.
Mr.. Rogers rose as he usually did
about ) o'clock this morning. At 6
O'Clock he complained Of feeling i'll and
Il physician was summoned His heart
action was weak and it was apparent
that he was suffering from a stroke of
apopleXy.
This was the second illness of this ma
ture suffered by Mr.. Rogers, the first
having occurred in July, 1907, IN spite
of all that could be done for him this
morning Mr.. Rogers sank rapidly and
the end came peacefully at 7 o'clock.
Following the seizure of apoplexy in
1907, Mr.. Rogers began putting his af-
fairs in order and he has been out of
the stock market entirely for months
His interests III all of the CORPORATIONS
with which he had been identified have
been placed in other hands during the
past year. This step was taken in or
der to safeguard his properties in the
event Of sudden death.
Real Standard Oil Master.
Henry H. Rogers was the executive
vice president of the Standard Oil COM
pany, and was frequently called the real
master of Standard OIL" 1t has been
said by many that it was he. and not
John D. Rockefeller, who evolved the
idea of an oil monopoly. However this
might be, it is certain that after the re-
tirement of Mr.. Rockefeller from active
business the conduct of the affairs of
the Standard Oil company and its great
allied interests was absolutely i'll the
hands of Mr.. Rogers.
Mr.. Rogers began his career as news
boy in the town of New Bedford, Mass.
and was born not far away in the village