The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-11

the September American Magazine.
His article is entitled "Hill Against
Hartman" and is the history of the
ten-year struggle for the railroad SUI
pIemacy Of the West. The following
Is an account Of the successive steps
Hartman has made in becoming the
master of more railroads than any
other living man."
I'm fear of impending defeat. no
doubt. Hartman turned to the South.
toward Huntington. who was getting
old. When Huntington died, the
Southern Pacific would fall into the
hands of someone. Why not his
Meantime 1t would not be amiss to be
sitting complacently upon the door.
step next door, ready to move in; so
Hartman bought the Union Pacific
and connected with the Huntington
lines at Ogden.
Another year or two wore out the
slender thread of life to which Mr..
Huntington hung, and over the fresh
earth of his grave Mr.. Hartman
marched to the control of the South
ern Pacific monopoly.
1.-The general uneasy feeling of the
year which ushered in this century
reached the silent, shrewd, careful
old watcher on the northern prairies.
Hill had been tempted east of Chi
cago and had frst pitched his tent
upon the Baltimore & Ohio, falling
back subsequently upon Erie. from
which outpost he still watched the
progress of the new movement.
Mr.. Hills syndicate. the Northern
Securities Company. managed (not
own) two long thin strands Of rail-
way from the headwaters Of the Mis-
s.ssippi to the Pacific. and then con-
'"o!cd the oriental trade, together
with the westward movement of cot
on. Part Of its supremacy depend
ed upon the continued friendliness of
allies that bridged the gap between
;r. Paul and Chicago. If either of his
friendly connections, the st. Paul, or
he Burlington Il omit the two i'm
po5sibles. the Northwestern and the
treat Westerly should fall into
stranger hands. of what avail the
oriental trade?
Prevention of such a disaster took
the form of adding one of those roads
the ST. Paul or the Burliagton-to
the holdings Of the Hill syndicate,
and after that central government
for the three roads, the Northern Sc
cuIities Company.
But in the meantime Hartman
was stirring: at the beginning it was
only a skirmish, a feint. Hartman.
sure of his ground because he knew
that his following, the Standard Oil
syndicate, controlled the st Paul, led
Hill into a prolonged debate with his
associates as to whether he should
tako over the Burlington at 5000 or
the st. Paul at 1912 per share. What
remnant of his boyhOod ingenious
ness ever convinced. Hill that the ST.
Paul was really for sale, to him, no
one can tell. While he was fuctuat-
ing between the two properties, Har-
riman executed a flank movement
and appeared in Hills rear. gaining
a position perilously near to the con-
troll of the Northern Pacific.
Hills outposts on the Erie were
called in Che hypothecated his stock
and never reclaimed it) and all his
fighting force was marshaled around
the Twin cities. To lose Northern
Pacific meant an enemy encampeC
under ones tent flaps. The opposing
forces forgot other issues and went
down to Wall street to fight 1t out
What happened--the unmasking Of
Harriman's fighting force by the dis
closure of the Standard Oil syndicate
~ HIS UdSh, tie luSIOH VI all the Op-
posing coteries around Hill, a corn.
err and Northern Pacific stock sold
at $1,000 per share, panic in the
money centres, and then a compro-
mise-is all too we'll known to need
more complete detailing.
when the compromise was reach
ed in New York. Hartman limped
back home, the Standard Oil syndi-
cate let it be known they could not
sell the St. Paul to Mr.. Hills combi-
nation and the latter took peaceable
possession of the alternative, the Bur-
lington. There was Harriman's blum
der and ne saw 1t long ago. If, in
stead Of trying to capture Northern
Pacific. which was almost impossible
to acquire, he had taken the Burling-