New-York tribune., 1909-05-20
HENRY II. ROGERS.
Who died yesterday.

y
became too great for even his vast resources. and
he compelled once mere TO appeal TO the pub
lie for money to carry on his railroad project
This time he put out issue Of S17,oooom short
term notes. Part OF the proceeds derived from
their sale used retire the preceding issue
and the remainder was used to complete the con-
structon Of the road
THE vIRGINIAN RAILWAY.
The virgtnan Railway from Deepwater,
W. Va. to Seial's Point. Va, eight miles from
Norfolk. its total length being 443 miles The con-
struction OF the road, which was formerly known
as the DeepWater-T -Tidewater. was begun In 1907
The road is not only the most direct. but also the
lowest grade road from the West Virginia coal
fields tidewater and II is regarded as one or the
best constructed railroads ever built me orldses
will safely accommodate trains hauling four thou
sand tons Of coal II is believed that the earning
power o, the road Will be very great. but 1t has
not been in operation long enough 10 permit any
estimate capabilities in this direction from
actual experience.
The range and variety Of Mr. Rogers's business
interests is indicated IN the list of corporations
with the management OF which he was identhed
He ice-presdent and director OF the stahdaro
oil Company Of New Jersey and president ana
director OF three corporations controlled by or
affiliated with 1t. the National Transit Company,
the New York Transit Company and the Natlcnal
Fuel Gas Company. In the industrial field. out
side Of OIL his chief interests were In copper ne
and at time president OF tle
AmaICamated Copper Company, vice president ana
director OF the Anaconda Copper Mining Company,
a subsidiary or the AmalEauiated, vice-prcS'dent
and director OF The United Metals Selling Company
the selling agent OF the ANA eamated, and drec-
tor or the Tennessee Copper Company
He was : leading figure In the BROOKLYN Union
Gas Company Of which he vice president and
director and he a director and member OF the
finance committee OF the United states steel Cor
poration. His interests in the transportation field
were extensive. he president and director or
the Virginian Railway Company and a director Of
the Union Pacific Rairo5d Company. the Chicago.
Milwaukee & s.. Paul Railway Company and the
Atchlson. Topeka q Santa Re Railway COMPANY
II IS understood also that D." practically controlled
tho transportation system Of Staten Island. being
| president and director of the Richmond Light and
Railroad Company. the Staten Island Midland Rail
| way CompaIv the New Jersey and Staten Island
Ferry Company the staten Island Ferry Company.
/ and also vice president and director Of the At
! lantic Coast Electric Railway COMPANY
In the financial neId Mr.. Rogers was director
| OF the Farmers Loan and Trust Company and the
Guaranty Trust Company. ~ this city. and the Ma
| tional Bank. Of Fairhaven, Mass. and trustee Of
| the Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was also
| a director Of the Atlas Tack Company.
ROGERS THE MAN.
! As 4 man II II. Rogers Is variable as a cha
| meleon SO many and swiftly changing were the
phases OF his character that he was constant sur
| prise even to his oldest associates His manner. in
| a breath would shift from genial attractiveness
| to the bitterest sarcasm. In his kindly moments
| among his friends man was more lovable To
his enemies he was known the most ravenous
wolf ever bred in Wall Street" H. II. Rogers in A
! storm Of rage coud be Withstood by Few.
HIS square jaw and high, full forehead were true
| indices Of the keen intellect and determination
| which made an oil baron out OF n newsboy- In
! his high cheek bones and aquiline nose one critic
! saw the grim ruthlessness OF the North American
| Indian" His eyes in restful moments were deep
| a a cold
hours and appeared black a thunder cloud in
wrath: He was tall straight as an arrow, well
| proportoned and l'the.
| u is related OF Mr.. Rogerss Brooklyn experience
,bat the men in the different Pratt factories came
70 knssv his humors by the twist of his moustache
Both ends up they used TO say in advising each
! other that he was in a mood 10 make trouble for
somebody.
.One end up meant fairly even temper
Both ends down" signifed that the day would
pass pleasantly for the employees
But best TO understand H. H. Rogers. the man
one must 60 to little Fairhaven. Mass, where he
was born sixty-nire years ago. Fairhaven was
his hobby. He made 1t from a little hshing village
into one Of the most attractive show places the
coast However the outside world may char
acterize him. his birthplace has little but praise
There he was known the first citizen genial
kindly. democratic sympathetic villager. who
delighted in nothing more than 10 SIT on neigh
bors doorstep and recall incidents of his poverty
stricken youth
him as .'supremely avaricious,' and have told now
ho created or seized control of corporations simply
,or tho Drrpose Of muctinE other stockholders. In
Eairbayen one may hear entirely different
story There the investigator Of MIR. Rogers Will
learn Of his lavish phianthrOpies, for instance
his giving more than 100000 for the erection of
municipal buildings. the laying out Of streets and
parks and other public improvements TO say moth
ing Of perpetual gifts to the poor and needy. the
! widowed and the orphaned.
He gave 10000 build a town hall. S5o.Go to
| erect the Milicent Rogers Library as monument
n dead daughter $4,000 for a Masonic hall and
s-5 ..o to build the Tabitha Inn. He built million
dollar tack factory develop the towns industries
HIS RELIGION
Fairbaven's first citizen has been characterized
as wholly commercial, material, worldly his one
desire in life having been the accumulation oi
wealth" said George P Tripp, superintendent OF
the Sunday school in the Unitarian Church, which
the fnancier built but such an opinion of him
was all wrong matter OF fact the man was
intensely religious He had often told me he felt
bappiest when sitting und the roof of the sanctu-
ary which he erected IN memory Of his beloved
mother
Mr. Trip. by the way knew the Flrs
ftizen'' ever since the latter's boyhood, and was
chairman of the Fairhaven Board Of Education
when lien" Rogers. as he was then called. was
graduated He handed the future capitalist his
diplonla And in doing" said Mr.. Tripp re-
| Gently in commenting upon Mr. Rogerss rise II
! the world, i thought that particular diploma SC