Real Prince Charming Saved University of Oregon in 1883 By Sam Frear Emerald lliDortrr Fairy tales, soap operas, and Hollywood movies have told with almost monotonous repetition the story of a Prince Charming who wins the heroine’s undying love by entering the scene at just the proper (and last possible) mo ment to remove the conniving villain and save the day for all. In reality, however, Prince Charmings are few and very far between. It is rare when history records occurrences that even re motely resemble the fantasies prepared for the fairy tale, soap opera and movie set. But the rare exceptions do oc cur, and Oregon can point to its role in the career of Henry Vil lard, once a penniless immigrant ■whose life made reality of ideal ized success stories and who hu manized the fairy tales by an ac tual rescue. Villard's rescue did not con sist of slaying a ferocious dragon or saving a young princess from the jaws of death, but it con tained some of the same elements —he saved the University of Ore gon, when it was a young insti tution in a young state, from the hands of receivers by providing desperately needed money when it was on the verge of closing its doors. Born in Bavaria Villard was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1835. Eighteen years later, when what is now the state of Washington was carved out of the Oregon Territory, he ar rived in New York with only a few dollars in his pocket and started out on a career that ulti mately led him to millions. His first job was with a Ger man-American newspaper in New York City, but in five years he had risen to cover the Lincoln Douglas debate of 1858 for sev eral English language newspa pers in the East. And two years later he was covering the Re publican convention that nom inated Abraham Lincoln for pres ident of the United States, and later was a correspondent during the Civil War. Villard first returned to Eu rope in 1866 to cover the Austro Prussian war for the New York Tribune. But he got there after the war was over and after a year’s stay on the continent he went back to New York. But he was soon to return to Europe be cause of his health. In the next few years he made several trips to Germany. Germans Want Help On one of these Villard was approached by a group of Ger man stockholders who wanted his assistance, as an American, Stock Market Climbs Record Average High NEW YORK (AP)—The stock market rolled up a new record high mark Tuesday with an ad vance featured by strength in steels, railroads, and chemicals. The Associated Press average of 60 stocks was up $1.30 at $163.30, highest level the aver age has ever reached. The prev ious peak was March 4 when it touched $162.60. Gains ran to around 4 points at the outside while losses went to between 2 and 3 points. The railroad component of the average reached a new high since 1929 of $133 with a gain of $1.60. The industrials were up $1.50 while utilities gained 20 cents. The market was not particu larly broad with 1228 individual issues traded of which 627 ad vanced and 360 declined. Ninety nine new highs for the year were scored, and there were 15 new lows. Volume came to 2,779,000 shares, compared with 2,680,000 shares traded Monday. in some financial dealings they ! had with the Oregon and Cali fornia Railroad company. Agreeing to represent the in vestors, Villard returned to the United States and immediately came out to the west coast to check on the dividend status of the railroad. In 1873 and the succeeding years he managed to rise in the organizational struc ture of the railroad and eventu ally he reorganized it to link with the Central Pacific railroad in California. His dealings with the Oregon and California Railroad revealed his talents as a financier, and Villard came to Oregon, hoping to build a railroad that would link it with the east coast. But the government had already granted the right to build a Co lumbia River route east to the Northern Pacific Railroad. Spending most of his time in New York, Villard worked not only in raising finances to pro mote an Oregon railroad ven ture, but in the recruitment of immigrants for the young state. First Monopoly Formed He returned to Oregon in 1879 with some five million dollars he had riased from eastern invest ors to buy* the Oregon Steam Navigation company. And to gether with the Oregon and Cali fornia railroad, he formed the Oregon Railroad and Navigation company, the first monopoly in the state. Through various financial ma nipulations Villard managed to squeeze the Northern Pacific out of its exclusive rights in the Columbia River development of a railway to the east. In 1881 he pooled his interest in the ORNC with the Northern Pacific and formed a holding company, the Oregon and Transcontinental, to handle the financial arrange ments of the merger. Two years after taking con trol of the Northern Pacific Vil lard pushed it to completion of its 2000 mile eastward run. In Gold Springs, Mont., in 1883, Villard drove in the golden spike that symbolized the completion. Immediately after this, how Campus Briefs ^ The YWCA cabinet will meet today noon at Gerlinger hall. Members who are unable to attend should contact either Eileen Lindblad, executive sec retary, or Germaine LaMarche, president. • Canoe Fete committee chair men will meet in the Student Union at 6:30 tonight. Budget reports must be turned in at the meeting, according to Len Cal vert, finance chairman. 0 Helen Bersie/ George Port er, Susan Walcott, Jean Paulus, John Wells, Richard Crew and Thomas Montgomery were con fined to the infirmary Tuesday for medical attention. 0 Freshmen may now get “Skull and Dagger’’ petitions on the third floor of the Student Union. A picture of the applicant must accompany the petition. 0 Young Democrats will meet tonight in the Student Union at 7, according to Bob Biggs, presi dent. 0 The Oregon Alpine club will meet tonight at 6:30 in the Stu dent Union. Gut?(/m ft SELL fr THRU THE WANTADS 1 ever, Villard lost a good part of his fortune when the railroad ran into financial difficulties, and he returned east again to raise more capital. He went back to Europe for this and he managed to interest German investors In his far west ern railroad. By 1889 Villard was back in Oregon with his standing as Director of the Northern Pa cific regained. He held this po sition until 1893 when the rail road again went into the hands of receivers. Prince Charming Arrives It was in 1883, the year of his success with the Northern Pa cific, that Villard had a chance to play his role of the Prince Charming that saved a destitute maiden. That year he received a plea for financial assistance from the Board of Regents of the Uni versity of Oregon. At that time the school re ceived little support from the state government, or from the public, and it “was so embar rassed by indebtedness that it probably would have been obliged to close its door had not Mr. Vil lard come to its relief by paying its floating debts.” Deady hall was the only build ing on the campus, crowded and over-used. And it was this sole physical asset of the University that would have been sacrificed to pay for a $7000 indebtedness. But Villard paid the floating debt in response to the plea, and in May of 1883 offered an ad | ditional $50,000 to the Univer sity if the state would levy a tax that would be sufficient for maintenance of the University “on a modern scale.” This was done and Villard's gift was used to build a nucleus of a library, to hire additional instructors, and to pay for schol arships. It was this timely gift that literally rescued the University from bankruptcy. The University used the financier’s last trip to Oregon in the summer of 1899 to express its profound gratifica tion in "a most pleasing recep tion given to him at Eugene City at the State University of Ore gon.” It was on this last trip that the former immigrant, journalist, 1 editor, teacher, banker and rail j road financier was able to see | the fruits of his labors. In spite of all his dreams while building with the Northern Pacific, Vil lard was totally unprepared for the tremendous growth of the state, a growth in which he was in a large part responsible. Emerald.. Want Ads TELEPHONE 3-1511 - EXT. 211 • EMERALD OIFICE-Ind FLOOR ALLEN HALL RATES: 4 Conti por Word Flrit Iniertlon, 2 Conti por Word Thereafter. SUMMER EMPLOYMENT Earn $75 per week during summer. Part time work also available during bal ance of school year. Car necessary. Cash summer scholarships. Write Mr. Ar nold, P.O. Box 542, Eugene, for personal Interview. 4~4tf Get 1955 high-compression performance from your old er Plymouth with this spe cial aluminum finned head. Adds gas mileage, power. Simple to Install. Costs $55, will sell for $25. Phone Ve neta 2896. I need three persons of high caliber to work with com pany opening new officso in this area. Work from 4 till 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. 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