Evening star., 1909-09-10
GENIUS FOR BUILDING
Harriman's Greatness AC-
knoWIedged by Press.
HIS DEATH NATIONS LOSS
Estimates of the Character of the
Railway Colossus.
GREAT RAILROAD WELDER
A Man Of Ambition, Resolute Pur-
pose and Tremendous Con-
structive Power.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
The death of Mr.. Hartman is an
event of grave moment in the world OF
railroad affairs. In that sphere of ac-
tivity he was not only conspicuous fig
ure, he was man of the highest force
and competence, of achievement, and of
responsibilities not easily measured. To
say that he was the greatest railroad
man In this country is to say that he
was the worlds greatest railroad man.
He was doubtless the greatest not only
of his own time but of all times since
railroad have been run. To recall upon
the occasion of his death the names Of
those who have been the chief railroad
men In the past is to marshal lesser men
for comparison with him, who lowered
above them all. His capacity in building
up prosperous properties out of bankrupt
railroads was unequafed. So was his
genius in creating great railroad systems
out Of unrelated lines. To cite but one
instance, the rehabilitation of the Union
Pacific railroad offers abundant testi-
mony to his creative power. In railroad
management and operation he was quite
without peer, although we imagine that
in the planning and foreseeing of trans
portation systems of broad, far-reaching
and more than continental scope he was
eQualed, II not surpassed, by Mr.. James
y. Hill. who is the most philosophical Of
all our railroad men.
Harriman's influence.
frOm the New YORK Vr1Dune.
The death of Mr.. Hartman removes
the most important figure Of the Ameri-
can financial world, according to the
common estimate of recent years. There
are others who ranked with him, per-
haps. in power and influence. but they
are generally men older than he was,
whose work was largely completed. Prime
interest attached to Mr. Hartman be-
cause he was just at the height of his
career. He came into power unusually
late In life. Mr.. Harriman's command of
capital proceeded from the recognition
In railroad management. There are in
this country many men of great wealth
no longer In active life and others of
Inherited wealth who were never In active
life Mr.. Hartman enabled such men
IN association with hfmelf to invest their
accumulations with little effort SO as to
make money faster than they other
wise could. The resources thus brought
under his control enabled him to do
his constructive work. And he was al
ways successful in preserving market
for the distribution of properties thus
purchased, for he possessed the confidence
of the investing public In the same de-
gree in which he possessed that of the
great capitalists associated with him.
He gained this strong position by Great
ing wealth not only for himself and his
immediate associates, but for his stock
holders. His judgment was almost in
fallible and his purpose was uniform.
1T is impossible to point to a railroad
which Mr. Hartman wrecked in order to
enrich himself and his associates, or to
name mergers or promotions of his which
turned out to be mere air and water.
Reckless operationsp
From the New York World.
Dead at the age of sixty-one, Edward
III. Hartman was entering upon what
promised to be the most useful period
Of his remarkable career. Slowly and
painfully he had learned the lesson that
no man is SO powerful public opinion
and that even financial autOcracy cannot
forever defy popular sentiment. Had he
learned 1t earlier he might have length
ened his own life and spared his country
much misfortune But that he learned
1t at all and endeavored to profit by 1t is
wholly to his credit.
1T would be impossible to say how much
of the political demagogy of the last
Harriman's operations. Without him
there would have been no Northern Sc
curtties Company, and 1t was the North
ern Securities case that clinched Roose-
velt's nomination for President. Mr.. Har-
riman's reckless stock jobbing operations,
his daring fnfiations of capital and his
part in Equitable corruption. In the loot
ing Of the Alton, in the manipulation Of
SAINT Fish from the Illinois Central. made
his name synonymous with everything
that is popularity detested in Wall street
methods and practices. His audacious
defiance Of both state and national gov
ernment was challenge that no free
people could ignore, and in the inf1amed
condition of public opinion demagogy
found its opportunity.
Constructive Genius.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
Hartman was one Of those men of fore
sight and large grasp who are able to for
ward and direct large movements which
they do not create. He was in a position
Of prominence while certain consultations
were developing. and he aided in their
completion. but they probably would have
taken place without HIM. and the great
system Of which he became the head is
now too highly organized to require his
personal direction. He was q typical ex
ample of the constructive genius that has
built up the great transcontinental rail-
road systems and Of the boundless oppor-
tunities which our active American life
affords, though little personal enjoyment
can have come to him from his extraordi
nary success.
3. 81. Hartman, American.
From the New York Herald.
An astute foreign observer has said that
the successful American is one who spends
the best part Of his life working wholly to
accumulate a fortune and his remaining
years spending 1t IN vain effort to re-
cover his health Mr. Harrfman'S career