The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-10


Edward Henry Hartman. perhaps
the greatest figure in American rail-
reading and finance since the days OF
Jay Gould, was born February Is,
1S4S. in Hampstead. L. l. He was
one of six children and his father
was a country clergyman, with sal
airy of 5000 a year.
The poverty of his father cut short
his school days and at the age Of four
teen, after some home teaching and
two years in a church school. he be-
came an errand boy In a Wall street
office.
That was the business beginning OF
the man who died at the age Of sixty
one, master of nearly 10000 miles of
American railroads.
The boys rise was rapid. He
watched the play of the stock market
and the Keeling ticker tape with those
big, all-seeking eyes, and never an op-
portunity got past him. At the age
of eighteen he was clerk in the brok-
er's office, with share in the prof
it's. He specialized boldly with his
savings, and when he was twenty-five
years old he bought seat on the New
York Stock Exchange and became one
OF its youngest, if not the youngest,
member.
Optimism UnshakabIe.
His spirit was ever militant. his
plans expansive. his optimism unshak-
able. Combined with absolute conf
dence in himself he held to the con-
viction of the great industrial future
Of the United States. and he trained
his growth along this line. He deter
mined that what was good for the
United States should be good for Har-
riman.
He was a wiry young man, with
small body, big head, eyes that caught
and held an adversary, never waver-
ing, genius at figures, with a mind
that grasped and sorted facts so quick
ly that it seemed almost wizardry Ev-
en- as youngster on the Stock Ex-
change there was never moment
when he could be regarded as a cipher
Boldness was the keynote of his at
tacks, but never recklessness He
was quiet, unobtrusive.
Where thought or action sufficed he
used no words. His undertone of
brevity was concise, emphatic, COM
polling. When schoolboy, according
to report, young Hartman could fight
with his fists as well as with his head.
and his generalship made him the
leader. The cruder method Of fighting
he threw aside when the gage of bat
tie was the worlds millions, and he
used his brains.
Aid From His Uncle.
He had one wealthy relative, an un-
Gle, Oliver H. Hartman. His uncle
after the bent of the boys genius had
been clearly established. gave him
help. Young Hartman had a way OF
| ingratiating himself with the old
Knickerbocker families, and he soon
| had many OF them among his custom
ers. It was not all work and no play
in those days, however and Harn
| mans pastime was driving fast
horses.
| At that time old Commodore Van
derbilt, the greatest railroad genius Of
his time, was living and driving his
own fast teams along the Boston road
and other thoroughfares. The young
| ster who. one day, was to own contro
of the old Commodore's New York
| Central, and many other roads beside
had many brush with him and tool
delight in leaving his team behind.
Reins In His Own Hands.
| When he was thirty-six years ole
Hartman got his first chance at rail
reading. He was made a director ir
the Illinois Central and became own
err of a little railroad on Lake Ontar
10, called the Sodus Bay. 1t was
barely an appendix OF a railroad ant
made no money. Hartman whettet
his genius on this line. He reorgan
ICED it and ran it so well that th<
| Pennsylvania Railroad found it more
useful than its rivals and in a shor
time it had become a factor in West
ern transportation and was paying
dividends.
BY the time he had been a director
in the Illinois Central for four years
Hartman owned sufficient stock II
bring about the election of Stuyyesani
Fish as President and himself as Vice
President Twenty years later h<
| was to tear from that same office d
| President. the man whom his powe,
had placed there. but at that time h<
and Fish were friends and allies.
| He sold out his brokerage business
and began to talk Of intellectual
pleasures This consisted. however. c
developing the railroads of the Unite<
States. and he kept up this intellectual
pleasure unf1agingly for twenty years
starving his body. feeding his wonder
ful mind and changing the railroad
map OF America with each recurring
year
Stuyvesant Fish went abroad sool
after Hartman brought about hi
election, and the little vice-presiden
took the rod hands Here ".
a