The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-20

Mr.. HaWley, s nephewS and also one OF
the trustees, has recently been heard
Mr.. Seymour is about 35 years Of age
He has now for some years been in
the employ of the Niles Bemont-Pon
Manufacturing company. While in that
employment he has gained the conf
dence of the officers of the company.
A quiet, modest-mannered young man,
he nevertheless is very energetic, clear
beaded and has displayed considerable
executive capacity. There were many
persons who were astonished when
they learned that this undemonstra-
tive but energetic clerk was the
nephew of the widely-known Edwin
Hawley, for Mr.. Seymour himself
rarely made any reference to that re-
lationship, although it is known that
he was very. proud of the achievements
and ability of his uncle. He had no
desire to succeed simply because ne
was recognized as the nephew of a
railroad power of whom even greater
things than he had yet accomplished
were expected
It is the presumption that Mr.. Sey-
mour will take active part in the di-
rection of the railroad property with
which his uncle was associated. Those
who have had opportunities to observe
the young man in his business life so
far are confident that he will show him
self equal to the important responsible
ties which are placed upon him.
1t is expected that the fianl settle
ment with the state of New York of
the Inheritance tax levied upon the
estate of E. H. Hartman Will be speed
lily made. A report mas been current
that somewhat careful estimate Oh
the money value of the estate left by
Mr.. Hartman fixes the amount few
weeks after his death at a little under
20 million dollars. That sum is con-
less than the figures named
by Mr.. Hartman just before he salled
for Europe in the summer of 1909. He
said to one of the closest of his bust
ness friends that he had been MAX
ing an inventory of his possessions
and, as near as he could figure it, they
stood for about 80 million dollars.
was this statement which led ms
friends to suspect that Mr.. Hartman
was himself beginning to believe thas |
he was suffering from organic disease,
and was therefore thinking about the
amount of the estate he would be-
queath.
Shortly after Mr.. Harriman's death |
there came the great depreciation au-
tumn in the stock market and it may
be that if an inventory did show, Lated
in the fall of 1908, that the money!
value of his estate was a little under
millions, that figure is to be
explained by the depreciation in the
securities market.
The presumption is that the Harri- |
man estate has increased considerably |
since his death. Almost all of his Sc
curities were handsome income payers |
Mrs. Hartman and the family live |
modestly. Their expenditures must |
be very slight as com pared with their |
income. Therefore it is not unlikely |
that through adding of the income to |
the principal the estate may now be |
as equivalent to hundred
million dollars. That figure is named |
by some of those who have recently |
been discussing Mr.. Harriman's af- |
fairs.
His Bequeathed Reputation.
Mr.. Hartman not only bequeathed |
4 very large fortune to his family, |
out he also bequeathed reputation in |
many respects unmatched as railway |
force. For some time
after his death business men watched |
hose who succeeded him in the man /
lgement of his great railway property. |
rhe wonder was whether they would |
se able to carry out and to direct L
hose properties, as Mr.. Hartman
would have directed them had he
ived
Mr.. Hartman, however, in selecting
lis subordinates was always careful to
make choice of men whose judgment /
he knew would be the same as his
own when important questions arose
or decision. 1t is now the common
that the railway managers
% whom Mr.. Hartman sbequeathed |
his reputation sare~takings good care
IF that bequest They are not expect
I'd to conceive or work out plans SIM
lar to the gigantic ones Mr.. Hartman
lad in mind such as unifying into one
line the New York
Central, the Chicago and Northwest
arn and the Union Pacific interests.
But it is now regarded as certain that
Mr.. Harriman's successors are direct
ng the Union and Southern Pacific
properties fairly well in line
With what his own direction would
nave been had he lived.
HOLLAND.