Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-26

ENNEEN huNA HAAAN NAA @soH
writes Julius amber In the
- Brooklyn Eagle. In that special
IH&iHkAI line he and silent Smith d.
4dEH1W vided honors. Mystery was the
great card Of each Of those men. Person
ally, my distinct memory OF Hartman goes
back to the fall OF 1879, when 1 was sent to
Wall street to succeed Colonel Warren Mil
Ter OF the Tribune. II was necessary to
know every prominent broker by sight and
many Of them personally. MY headquar-
tiers was at the office OF 6sgood Brothers,
then on Broad street, about where the
Blair building stands today. For awhile
young Hartman had an office in that
building. He was a pale, cadaverous chap
la those days. Although in the middle
twentiss he looked absolutely boyish. Henry
N. Smith, whom l knew very well, was
fond Of Hartman. From him 1 first
learned the Identity Of the young broker
nylnR about Broad street, generally bare
headed. Rufus Hatch was the bizarre char
acter OF the exchange In those days. No
body appeared to pay any attention to
Hartman.
The office OF Osborn & Chapin adjUined
the osGoods. Charles Osgood was known
to be a Gould broker. and the dark-haired
young broker was often employed by Chaplin
as a room understanding for the purchase
Of shares at the rate charged by one mem
Der who buys for another. It now is 50
per 100 shares, but l do not recall the fig
ure in those days. Hartman was always
in evidence on the floor. HIS voice was
not suited for trading when the exchange
was in an uproar. People used to wonder
who his clients were, but after he forced
the Standard OIL people to take him into
their fold mystery ceased.
lie discovered the buddln- mnlionaIres
ten years before anybody else and had
helped them to roll up their wealth. That
he traded for himself in the most venture
some fashion was suspected and is now
assured. But he never held speculative
stocks for any length of time, and would
not take a chance OF heavy loss. He would
get out generally with one to three points
loss, rather than stick for large gains.
When his business enlarged and he estab-
lished branch offices in this and other
cities, Hartman practically gave no further
service to that portion Of his complicated
pushes affairs.
Never but once did I talk with him.
The occasion was the historic one in which
he first gave a public interview. He had
captured the Union Pacific and gone over
1t foot by foot and returned TO New York
TO, announce to the editors OF this city that
he was ready to tell what he had seen.
unbosomed himself. He all cues
tions as he walked about the floor Of his
office In the Equitable building, with a.
nervous spring unlike any other mans
movements. Trusting to memory rather
than notes, ] listened with wonder to this
broker who had suddenly emerged from his
chrysalis as q great railroad maEnate-
successor OF Huntington, rival Of Morgan
and Hin. 1t was ~stupendous.
The pictures he drew of the future OF the
Union Pacific seemed a stockholders can.
ard; every word he uttered has come true.
lie indicated the Strengthening OF the road.
but when he spoke Of building a viaduct
across the northern end OF the Great Salt
lake every hearer saw an attempt to
work" publicity for selling stock. Yet
that long bridge has been in use for sew
Feral years and is an eliminator of many
miles. When Cakes Ames and DR.. Durant
ran their line across Nebraska, up the val
ley OF the North Platte they kept the land
grant constantly In mind. More miles OF
road, more thousands OF acres OF public
lands!
Hartman set to work to knock those
greedy kinks out OF tho road. As far az
cheyenne he added forty bridges ana pulled
up the old rails on the crooked sections.