The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-09-10

) ssss
, recognize the trend of the market,
and quick to reverse his own opin-
ion If he found himself on the
wrong side For then T.. II. Harri-
man did not have enough money to
turn the tide of the market II IL
opposed him, as he did later. Then
he had to be ION the right side,
and win that way. II he wasn't on
the right side" he soon got there.
when he left the floor of the ex-
change each day IL wasn't to go to
play. to relax from the nerve rack
ing events of a strenuous day. as
the other traders did. IL was back
to his Office, where he immersed
himself in a great mass of figures
and stayed there until the midnight
hour.
T.. II. Hartman was studying
railroads; studying them as no man
had studied them before. Morgan
knew the financial ramifications of
every railroad in the land. Jim
Hill knew more about operating
railroads than almost any other llv-
ing man. Edward Hartman knew
more about the financial end than
Morgan. and knew more about the
operating end than HILL Therein
lay his success. No detail was too
minor for the young banker to
master; for by this time he had
opened his own brokerage and bank
ing business under the name of T..
n. Hartman a Co. which today is
regarded as one of the leading finan-
clal institutions In America.
Knew Railroading.
Then Hartman. having convinced
himself he knew everything about
theoretical hailroading that he
could learn. began to work out the
dreams OF all those years: the mas
terry of the railroad world. He did
not want to wreck railroads, like
Jay Gould. for the money he could
make; he didn't want to be a great
railroad builder himself. like "Jim"
Hill. other people could build
roads: Hartman wanted to get them
after they were built. and run them.
not wreck them.
Il DID not take him long to real
ize that money - great sums OF
money-would be needed for the
fulhllmcnt OF his set purpose. He
couldn't buy railroads on promises
So Hartman set about establishing
a credit" He borrowed. and when
his notes were due. he met them
Then he could borrow larger sums
for his credit was good. He inter-
ested silent partners. men with
large sums Of cash at their disposal
who wanted merely to live on their
income. and were willing TO have
someone else 10 look after their in
vestments; milllonaires who were
ready 20 turn over to some banking
house the handling Of their funds
provided they got in return a fixed
income. For years he worked to es-
tablish his credit" until the time
came when Edward H. Hartman was
"the great borrower" of Wall street
with unlimited millions at his CON-
maud. He used other peoples money
10 make money for them and more
for himself
And all the time he dreamed OF
steel rails and wooden ties and buz
zing wires and flying trains--of rail
roads.
The I. &. Fight.
Stuyvesant Fish was interested in
the Illinois Central railroad, OF 1000
miles. making a living" but little
more. Hartman needed Fish, and
he cultivated him. He became
friendly with Fish, but not his friend
Fish In turn. admired the young
banker. and made him a director in
the Illinois Central II was at Iiarri-
mans suggestion; Hartman was
completing his railroad education. He
had theorzed with figures; now he
was putting his theories into practi-
cal application. They were success
full.
In 1887 Fish made himself presi-
dent OF the Illinois Central and pro-
NOTED Hartman TO be HIS vice presi.
dent. Fish realized what there was
in his young vice president, for in
those days man of 40 was not sup
posed to have attained to such high
position. He wasn't supposed to
have fully matured.
Working with Fish. but as the
prime mover. Hartman did not cease
until he saw the /. c. railroad
one OF the most powerful railroads
OF its day. with 5000 miles of track
age and in nourishing condition
inacially.
The Chicago and Alton.
In 1889, while still an unknown
Hartman consumated one of his
most daring railroad deals. The
Chicago and Alton. with hoo miles
nf truck In had phVsical shane was