The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09

been completed or is in process of com
have been able to compass the stu
pendous plan of c. z. Huntington,
whereby a true transcontinental rail-
way system with its eastern terminal
at the city which Mr.. Huntington crea-
ted at Newport News and its western
terminal somewhere on the California
coast was contemplated, is a matter of
doubt. At all events, had Mr.. Hawiey
transcontinental line he would never
theless have done nothing more than
learn the lesson which Mr.. Huntington
taught.
The New Development.
It has been observed that since the
death of Mr.. Hawley railway mana
gers have spoken of the later tendency
in the world of larger railway affairs
which is the strengthening of north
and south lines, the perfecting of lines
in Texas-due to an understanding of
what the opening of the Panama canal
to navigation really means to American
commerce. No longer do the managers
of transcOntinental lines fear the COM
petition of the Panama canal, for they
are convinced that the greater the COM
merce carried through that canal, orig
mating or terminating on the Atlantic
or on the Pacific coast, tLa greater will
be the local traffic offered to the rail-
roads WliCl have terminals at any or
the gulf ports and terminals upon the
Pacific coast. The new Canadian rail-
way whose Pacific terminal is just be-
low the southern boundary of Alaska
is being constructed partly with the ex-
pectation that it will carry large traf-
fic to the Pacific port, there to be
transferred to steamships which Will
make use of the Panama canal There
are some reasons for believing that Mr..
years convinced that the more import
ant railway work to be done by him
was the perfecting of the north and
south lines, stretching from the gulf to
Minneapolis.
something of an Enigma.
Personally Mr.. Hawley was a man of
mystery. at least in many aspects. One
of his most intimate and possibly the
best trusted of his friends (none OF whom
was greatly trusted, in speaking to the
writer of Mr.. Hawley a few weeks after
the death OF Mr.. Hartman, said, Keep
your eye upon him" Exactly what was
meant by that remark was not clear, but
it has been certain that for two years
this and other financial friends have
kept friendly, encouraging and sympa-
thetic eyes upon Mr.. HaWley and yet al
ways have kept their eyes upon him,
watching him almost furtively. His
philosophy of business life was that
silence is golden and that no man is to
be completely trusted, and he was able
to maintain that business attitude while
still cherishing upon purely personal
and social side a few warm friendships.
lutte secretiveness. explains why there are
so many conjectuTes as to the amount OF
his estate. The most frequent guess
xes the amount a about thirty millions,
and should this be found by the state au-
thorities approximately correct, then it
will be said of Mr.. Hawley that he &C
cumulated about as large a fortune as
Mr. Huntington did. 1t may be that the
Hawley estate will meet with an ex-
perience similar to that which was the
good fortune of the Huntington estate.
When Mr.. Huntington died the inventory
Of his estate fixed the amount at little
under thirty millions, but by reason OF
the appreciation of the market value of
many Of the securities held by the estate
it was found within two or three years
to have increased to about thirty-eight
millions
Unless Mr. Hawley has made very
large requests to philanthropic or edu-
cational institutions the state of New
York should receive one Of the largest Of
recent inheritance taxes.
One of the comments frequently heard
since Mr. Hawley's death Is that, like
Mr. Hartman, he earned his riches at
the expense of his life. But Hawley's
business was his life; his work was his
recreation. And in achievement and
success he found the personal gratf1ca-
ton similar to that which other men dis
cover in the contemplation of works of
art or in the accumulation of almost
priceless treasures worked by the Won
derful artists of antiquity
HOLLAND