Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-09-14
his eyes on the intrenched wealth as

yet undeyelOped.
He became friendly-but not a
friend-with Stuyvesant Fish, who
had admired his ability, and had him
made director of the Illinois Cen
trail, then struggling road of 1000
miles. Till 1887, when Fish became
president and Hartman vice-presi-
dent, the broker was completing his
education" He worked with Fish in
building the 1. G. to a powerful cor
poration operating nearly 5000 miles
of trackage.
Fish was content to build up the
Illinois Central, but his vice president
was looking far beyond. He had his
eyes on the west first. His opportuni-
ty came in 1889 in the purchase Of
the Chicago & Alton. This meant
deal Of $45,0OO,OO0 in cash-a thing
unthinkable
Harrlman's First Big Job.
But Hartman, "the great borrow
err" went down into Wall ST., got the
money and bought the Alton, paying
$42.000,000 in cold cash for it. 1t was
q staggering deal, an eye-opener to
older financiers. But Hartman went
farther He issued millions in bonds
to develop the road, sold the bonds
to himself and his friends, cleared
$30,000,000 on this deal, thus making
the Alton cost him only about nine
millions.
Union Pacific was Harriman's next
venture. This road, built with gov
eminent help, which, to state 1t mild
ly, was most generous, had gone to
seed. 1t owed the government $751;
100000, and couldn't pay. The gov
eminent had foreclosed, and was op-
Grating 1t under a receivership. Har-
riman, the borrower, got $5S,00O,OOO
and bought the road
Now he turned south. Hartman
wanted the Central Pacific, which ran
from Ogden into Frisco. President
Huntington laughed at him, Of course.
So Hartman started another company
to build parallel line. Huntington
died before this plan could be carried
through, but the bluff worked with
his estate, and Hartman Immediately
took over the s. P. and the G. P.
The Big Fight With Hill.
This added 5000 miles to the Har-
riman ownership at one stroke and
Hartman became a national figure.
Then came the Northern Pacific
Burlington-Grea Northern merger
Hartman took the offensive by 60
ing after the Northern Pacific. The
result was one of the greatest rail-
road fights Wall st. ever saw. 1t was
Morgan and Hill on one side-a COM
binatfon to daunt anyone, but Harri-
man-and the lone broker and his
powerful backing, which believed in
him, on the other.
Wall st. saw the Northern Pacific
stocks hammered up to 200, 300, 400,
800, 1000 share. Great fortunes
were wiped out. In that pitiless strug-
gle millionaires toppled and fell. 1t
was Jacob H. Schiff, of Kuhn, Loeb &
Co., Harriman's most effective back
ers, who on his knees begged the mas
ter raider to lay off.
Picking Railroads Like Apples.
The Santa Fe was another rich road
waiting for someone to grab it off.
1t was Independent in policy, being
run from the general offices instead
of a stock ticker, and Hill, the Goulds
and the Rock Island people all covet-
ed it. But again Hartman got away
with the prize. securing control in
1906.
1t was in the same year that he
got half interest in the San Pedro
line, the road Senator Clark put in
from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.
Even such keen Judge of men as
Stuyvesant Fish, ruling the Illinois
Central, was yet to be deceived by
Harrimans foxy tactics. Fish, ben.
efactor Of the wizard, had put him in
the practical end Of the railroad game
Fish's pride was the Illinois Central.
Hartman, though personally friendly
to Fish, reached out for control, and
of course, got It, Fish was deposed
after as stormy an internal fight as
ever was waged in a roads inner cir
cles.
Fighting to the last ditch, Fish quit
game. Harrimans man, ]. T. Hara-
han, Fish's former aid, was made the
president of the road.
Scored by Roosevelt.
When ex-President Roosevelt was
writing voluminous things about male
factors of great welth, Mr.. Hartman
had "hunch" that the president was
saying things about him.
Hartman had raised large sum
for the republican campaign in New
York in 1904, the year Roosevelt ran
for president for himself. When the
} trough rider" was making his hardest
cracks at rich malefactors, suddenly
there appeared publication num-
Der of stolen letters, correspondence
between Hartman and Roosevelt in
1904, in which the president put him
self and Hartman in the ranks of
practical men,"
Harriman's health began to fail in
1908. In the spring Of 1909 he went
; to the southwest on health trip,
, and, returning in no better condition,
soon left for Europe. There he ex-
| perienced little relief, and returned
to the United States late in August.
WarbIers Win Strike.
Chicago, Sept. 1O.-Declaring that
Nod 4,.s1x on