The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-09-12
ONE Of EMPIRE
BUILDERS Of
CANADA DEAD
SIR WILLIAM VAN HORNE, WHO
ROSE FROM FOOT OF LADDER
TO WEALTH AND FAME, PASSED
AWAY YESTERDAY.

Montreal, Canada, Sept. 11.-Sir
William Van Horne died here today
at 2:10 p. m.
Sir William Van Horne rose from
the foot of the ladder to wealth and
fame as one of the so-called empire
builders of Canada. Although he
was born in the United States, in
Will county, ILL.,, Feb. 5. 1S43, and
gained railway experience through
many years connection with railroads
in the central and western United
States, it was after his moving to
Canada and becoming general man
ager of the Canadian Pacific railway
in 1882 that he achieved his most
notable triumph OF pushing the rail
way to completion across the con-
tinent.
All the rest of his active life he
was one of the heads of Tie Canadian
Pacific, being vice-president from
1884 to 1888, president from 1888 to
1889, and chairman of the board of
directors from 1899 to 1910.
Sir William was the son of Cor
nelius Covenhoven Van Horne, who
was lawyer at Joliet, III. The death
of his father lett young Van Horne
to fight the battle of life when he
was only thirteen years of age. 1t
appears that he was fascinated from
the first with the life of a railway
man, for his first job was in the rail
road yards. He soon afterward be-
came a telegraph operator for the
Illinois Central, and his strides ahead
in various capacities with the Michi-
gan Central railway and the Chicago
& Alton brought him up to his first
important executive position as gen
eral superintendent of the st. Louis,
Kansas City and Northern in 1872,
Before going to Canada he also
served as general manager of the
Southern Minnesota railway and gen.
eral superintendent of the Chicago
and Alton and the Chicago, Milwau-
kee and ST. Paul.
He superintended the extension of
the Canadian Pacific to the western
coast, and was present at the driving
of the last spike on November 7,
1885. The total mileage which later
came under his control was over g.
500. He was said to be the Hill and
Hartman" of Canada.
Aside from his fame as a railroad
builder, Sir William became a master
of finance and was often pointed out
as one of the score Of men who
formed the foundation If Canadian
money. He was interested as an Of
fcer or director of large number
of corporations in Canada, the United
States and Cuba. In the latter place
he formed the Cuba Railway company
with capital OF sS,OOO,GOO.
He was knighted by Queen Victoria
in May, 1904, in recognition of his
remarkable work in Canada, which in.
cluded not only his railway and in
dustrial interest, but semi-public ser
vice as a governor of McGill univer'
sity, the Royal Victoria Hospital, and
numerous other institutions, and no
table contribution to the Canadian
store of art treasures. The latter,
which filled his mansion IN Montreal,
included paintings by many of the
old masters and collections of Japan
ese art objects which altogether rep
resent a fortune
During the advocacy in 1911 OF
reciprocity between the United States
and Canada, Mr. Van Horne was con
spicuous as one who opposed the
idea. One of the illustrations with
which he drove home his point was
this:
"Our trade is $97 per capita; that
of the United States is s33. In other
words, the water in our mill pond
stands at 81, theirs at 80, and they
want us to take away the dam"