The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-09-18
SIR WILLIAM VAN HORNE DEAD
Said to Be the "HilI and Hartman"
of Canada

OF Canada
Sir William Van Horne, aged ~,
for years prominent in transcontinent
al railroad development in Canada,
died in the Royal Victoria hospital at
Montreal Saturday. Sir William had
been i'll at the hospital for more than
two weeks. He went there on the
operation of abdominal abscess. For
time after the operation was per-
formed there were indications that he
would recover. Grave symptoms,
however, developed early last week,
and since then Sir William has been
gradually failing
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, H., February 5, 1S4S, 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 by pushing the rail
way to completion across the contin-
ent.
All the rest of his active life he was
Of do Of y ID,
Pacific, being vice-president from
1884 to 1888, president from 1883 to
1890 and chairman fthe board of di-
rectors from 1889 to 1910.
Sir William was the son of Cornell
ius Covenhoven Van Horne, who was
lawyer at Joliet, Ill. The death of
his father left young Van Horne to
fight the battle of life when he was
only Is years of age 1t appears he
was fascinated from the first with
the life of a railway man. for his first
job was in the railway yards He
soon afterward became telegraph
operator of the Illinois Central and
his strides ahead in various capaci-
ties with the Michigan Central. rail
way and the Chicago and Alton
brought him up to his first important
executive position as general super
intendent 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 general super
intendent of the Chicago & Alton and
the Chicago, Milwaukee G. st. Paul.
He Superintendent the extension of
the Canadian Pacific to the western
coast and was present at the driving
of the last spike on November Z,
1885. The total mileage which later
came under his control was over
$500 He4Yas said to be the Hill
and Hartman of Canada.
Aside from his fame as a railroad |
Sir William became master
a finance and was often pointed out
rs one of the score of men who form |
ed the foundation of Canadian money.
He was interested as an officer Or |
director of large number of corpora
ions in Canada, the United States |
md Cuba. In the latter place he |
ormed the Cuba railway company |
With a capital Of $S,000000.
He was knighted by Queen Victoria
n recognition of his remarkable
work. in Canada, which included not
MY his railway and industrial in
crest, but semi-public service as gov
rnor of McGill University. the Royal
ictoria hospital and numerous other
Institutions, and notable contribution
D the Canadian store OF art treas
res. The latter, which filled his
lansion in Montreal, included paint
lgs by many of the old masters and
objections of Japanese art objects
ihich altogether represent fortune. |
During the advocacy in 1911 of reci- |
rooity between the United States
nd Canada, Mr.. Van Horne was con-
picuous as one of those who oppos-
d the idea. One of the illustrations |
nth which he drove home his point
'as this: Our trade is $97 per CAPT
a: that of the United States is $33.
n other words the water in our mill |
onds stands at 81, theirs at SO, and |
hey want us to take away the DAM