Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-10-08
SPHYNXOF THE STREET.
Julius Chambers Throws Light on the
Early Days of Harri-
man.

Hartman was a sphynx of Wall
street until nine years ago. In that spe-
cial line he and Silent Smith divided
honors Mystery was the great card of
each of those men. Personally, my dis
tinct memory of Hartman goes back
70 the fall of 1872. when ! was sent 10
Wall street to succeed Col Warren
Miller of the Tribune. 1t was neces-
sary TO know every prominent broker
6y sight and many of them personally.
My headquarters was at the office of
OSgood Bios. then on Broad street
about where the Blair building stands
today For awhile young Hartman had
an office in that building. He was n
pale, cddayerouS chap in those days
Although in the middle twenties he
looked absolutely boyish. Henry n
Smith, whom | knew very we'll was
tond OF Hartman; from him | first
learned the identity of the young broker
Tying about Broad street, generally bare
headed Rufus Hatch was the bizarre
character of the exchange in those DAYS.
Nobody appeared 10 pay any attention
10 Hartman,
The office of Osborn < Chaplin adj
joined the Osgood. Charles Osg0od was
known TO he a Gould broker and the
dark-halred young broker was often en-
ployed 10y Chaplin as a room trader
meaning, Tor the purchase of shares at
the rate charged by one member who
buys for another. 1t now is So per 100
shares, but | do not recall the figure
III 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 10 won
der who his clients were, but after he
forced the Standard Oil people to take
him into their fold mystery ceased
lie discovered the building million
aires ten years before anybody else and
had helped them to ron "p THAR wealth
That he traded for himself in the most
venturesome fashion was suspected and
is now assured. But he never held
speculative stocks for any length of time.
and would not take Il chance of heavy
loss. He'd get out generally with one
to three points loss, rather than stick for
large gains. When his business en-.
larged and he established branch offices
in this and other cities, Hartman prac-
lcally gave no further service 20 that
portion of his complicated business af-
fairs.
Never but once did / talk with him.
The occasion was the historic one in
which he first gave n public interview.
He recited rather than talked. He an.
| swered all questions as he walked about
the floor of his office in the Equitable
| building, with nervous spring unlike
! any other mans movements. Trusting
| 10 memory rather than notes, l listened
with wonder to this broker who had sud
denly emerged from his chrysalis as a
| great railroad magnate-succesSor OF
| Huntington, rival of Morgan and Hill
Il was stupendouS
The pictures he drew of the future OF
| the Union Pacific seemed stock Job
| ber's canard; every word he uttered has
come true. He indicated the straight.
ening of the road, but when he spoke
of building viaduct across the north
ern end Of the Great Salt LIKE evefs
! nearer saw an attempt to work" pub
licity for selling stock Yet that long
! bridge has been in use for several years
! and is an eliminator of many miles
| When Oakes Ames and DIR. Durant ran
! their line across Nebraska, up the valley
of the North Platte, they kept the land
grant constantly in mind More miles
| Of road, more thousands of acres Of pub
lie lands,
Hartman set 10 work 10 knock those
greedy kinks out of the road. As far
as Cheyenne he added forty bridges and
pulled up the old rails on the crooked
! sections Julius Chambers in Brooklyn
Eagle