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About The daily gazette-times. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1909-1921 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1909)
III. H Estimate of the Railroad Mag. nate Back From Europe Made bv His Close Associate, Alexan. der Millar. , What the Great Financier Had i to Say Ipon His Return Re markable Pluck of a Very Sick Man. , EDWAHD H. HARRIMAN, presl dent of the Union Pacific rail road, who recently returned to New York en route to his coun itry home near Arden, N. Y., will go down in Wall street history as the gamest little man that ever lived. He made a tremendous effort when all America was watching his home coming to appear the active, energetic man that he has been all his life, but physical condition told, and three times be was near collapse, while all who saw him wondered at the remarkable courage that held him up through a trying interview with the reporters. Mr. , Harriman explained to the re porters that he was feeling better and that his weakened condition was the result of the severe treatment abroad. Though with trembling steps, he ap peared Jauntily at the rail of the South ern Pacific tug El Toro when she reached , the Erie dock in Jersey City, and waved a welcome to the news paper men waiting to talk with him. "Hurry now," he requested the cam--era men, and he called the members of his family and insisted that they -stand beside him to be photographed. With hands tightly gripping the rail, but. with a smile, he faced the battery of cameras while a dozen or more pic tures were taken, and then rather hur riedly he waved his hand and started for the gangway. He passed without a word through a silent throng, and bis family hurried after him. Reach ing his car, he sank trembling on the nearest couch. Within five minutes he had recov- course these new lines may not pay at first, but they will later." Mr. Harriman said, that attention is going to be paid to existing and new properties. "Time and attention," he said, "are going to be spent in developing our lines and serving the people in the territory tributary to those lines, work ing for the best interest of all, to give them the best at the cheapest price. It is Just as if you were going to buy a suit of clothes. You'd want the best you could get for the money. That is what we are giving to our people. "It is my idea that we should clinch the 6 per cent Southern Pacific is pay ing and make it absolutely safe and sure. I believe the newspapers and the public are now convinced that this was not a speculative move. "Our new lines? They will be in the irrigated territory in Idaho and in Oregon and other places I do not in tend to tell about now." "Didn't Get All My Thoughts." "Are you satisfied with the result of your, trip?" a reporter asked. "Yes, my trip was a success. I have now come home to complete the cure. "My, but what the physicians did to me! - - They took ten pounds off me. Why, the reception the cameras gave me today was nothing. They put the X ray on me; they put me through everything they could think of. They made cinematograph pictures of my stomach. That was funny those six teen pictures but the operation took three pounds off me. They got every- Pf ittiF EDWARD HENRY HARRIMAN AND HIS COUNTRY HOME NEAR ARDEN, 7. Y.- red himself and had sent word to the newspaper men, who had crowded into the forward car of the special train, that he was ' ready to receive them. They returned to Mr. Harriman's car and found him lying on his couch, -still with that cheerful smile of wel come, waiting to talk. "Gentlemen," said Mr. Harriman, what can I tell you?" "Is it true," asked a reporter, "that "you have taken over the Vanderbilt holdings in the New York Central?" . "I wouldn't tell you if I had. There 4s no use in asking me about that mat ter. That certainly is a swift ques tion to start with." "What Is there to the segregation (plan?" put In another reporter. "What segregation plan?" "It has been said you have planned to segregate and divide the assets of the Union Pacific." -"I aim not cognizant of any such ffiazL. I haven't anything on my mind but to go to Arden and take the after cure. It was the original intention of the physicians that I should take it in Europe, but they later decided I should take it here. , "I feared when I came back I would have to deal with ofliceholders rather than with stockholders; that there would not be many stockholders un der the new laws." -'What new laws the corporation tax?" "Yes, that and some state laws." Ho Segregation Hint. ."Now I want to make It clear that I nave nothing In my mind regarding egregation or distribution of assets nr speculation. The only thing I have in, mind is the development and Im provement of lines we -have In .our, .charge and to take advantage of these prosperous times, which "will enable us to work out developments more quick ly than in the past. We have , some .new lines to construct. ,The money is oing back into the roads. It is going Jnto new lines in territory we already erve and Into new territory. Of thing except what I have in here," laughingly tapping his forehead. "They didn't get all my thoughts. "It was interesting and a bit funny about those cinematograph ' pictures. There were sixteen of them, which I have. First they fed me rice and bis muth, so that food moving around in me would give a shadow that could be photographed. The machine ' was insulated and paper placed over it, against which I stood. In fixing the paper they forgot to remove a tack, and every time a plate dropped I got a shock. It scared me for a minute, but 1 didn't mind it much, after all." "Just one question,'' cut in a young, serious appearing man, who had gone on the car with the newspaper men, but whom none of the reporters knew; "just a moment. There is one ques tion," striking an attitude. "I'd like to ask if in hiring men you hire them because of their clothes or" Mr. Harriman led the roar of laugh ter that went up. 'Hardly," he said. "I pay attention to their heads." Millar's Estimate of Harriman. "The biggest, brainiest and most pa triotic American we have today is Ed ward Henry Harriman. He is always interested in everything that interests America."-- This is the estimate of Alexander Millar, secretary of the Harriman lines, who for the last eleven years has been in close and - almost continuous con' tact with Mr. Harriman, and at a time, too, when all of his biggest financial and railroad coups were planned and executed. Mr. Millar, when interviewed the other day at his home in Plainfield, N. J., at first was loath to discuss his chief., , When told it.was the purpose of the interviewer to present a pen picture of. the railroad magnate at work and at play as seen by and Intimately as sociated with him, Mx, Millar relent ed, saying: ' " "That is a different matter, and I am only too glad to do my part toward correcting the impression that must prevail because of the many magazine articles that have been spread broad cast in which Mr. Harriman was pic tured as an ogre, a monster or elsa a huge spider or octopus reaching out his tendrils and enmeshing in his web all that comes within his grasp." Mr. Millar said that he would not attempt to tell of Mr. Harriman's youth. "That has been written hun dreds of times," he said, "and I shall only tell you of those traits I person ally have observed. - "A little more than twelve years ago I was called from the Boston oflice of the Union Pacific and told to report to Mr. Harriman in New York. I had never seen Mr. Harriman up to that time and, in fact, had heard very little of him. I did not know whether I waa to hold myself subject to his orders for a day. a week or a month, but I am still with him, and I look back upon those eleven years with the keenest pleasure, for no man could have been treated with more consideration and kindness than 1 have been.' "If I should be asked to express an opinion as to Mr. Harriman's chief characteristics, or those which have had a direct bearing upon his success, I would say his marvelous head for fig ures, his quick grasp of facts laid be fore him and his faculty for getting at the very kernel of them, his unfailing estimate of men and his insight Into the future. Wizard at Figure. "At figures he is a veritable wizard. Lay before him a maze of figures and estimates and in a flash he will have solved the knottiest of problems and shown precisely where every penny of the sum estimated can be expended to the very best advantage. Just take, for instance, what be has done for the west and northwest! At his direc tion more than $300,000,000 has been spent in the transmissourl country. "What has been the result? That section is booming today as never be fore. The Harriman lines spanning it are among the best equipped roads in the world today, and when 1 say this I do not except the New York Central. Of course other roads and other men have helped wonderfully in the devel opment of that country, but don't lose sight of the fact that Harriman was the. pioneer he blazed the trail. "Go west today and the prosperous farmer, rancher, manufacturer or meri chant will tell you that Harriman primarily, made it possible for others to achieve success, and this because he supplied them with railroad facil ities unsurpassed in any part of the world. "Although educated In Wall street, Mr. Harriman has none of that provincialism-attributed to the New York bred man. He was always in sympa thy with the west and readily grasped its needs. If it was a question of irri gation, be bad his experts on hand to further those ends. If it was stock raising, again his experts were at the disposal of those needing advice, and it is always thus. He is in thorough sympathy with the prosperity of those dependent upon him as well as those from whom his railroads and his inter-: ests draw their, support." Asked as to Mr. Harriman's method of work. Mr. Millar chuckled and his eyes twinkled as he replied: "Just works, that's all; doesn't seen to have any method, but always ac complishes what he sets out to do." Continuing and waxing serious again. Mr. Millar said: "Nov like all truly great and big men, Mr. Harriman is not what you would call a 'methodical business man.' He comes and goes as he pleases. When living at his Goshen estate his arrival and departure from his oflice do not vary a moment. That might be at tributed to the train service to and from his estate. But when he settles down at his desk everything about him hums and is in action every second. Knows What He Wants. "Mr. Harriman Invariably knows what he wants. That makes it easy for those who must execute his orders. Like a general who has mapped out his policies of offense and defense before entering battle, Mr. Harriman has outlined his course before he takes his seat at his desk. "In the fewest possible words, brief ly, concisely and explicitly, those or ders are issued. Then he awaits re sults. If there is one weak, spot in their execution he Is the first to know it, and then explanations must follow. "The very enthusiasm with - which Mr. Harriman works is an inspiration for his subordinates. We recognize that his capabilities and his capacity are unlimited. In consequence every man about him is inspired with a de sire to do and . to please, and under such conditions and in such an envi ronment, even though a man fails, he at least, has the satisfaction of know ing that he has done his best. Mr. Harriman knows' it, too, and none Is quicker to observe, appreciate and land where due than he. "You ask me if Mr. Harriman plays as hard as he -works? Well, to tell you the truth, I never - saw . him - at play. At one time he was passionately fond of trotting horses. . He still Is, I believe, , but he does not devote as much time to. them now as formerly, "Yachting?' He has a yacht, of course, but I don't think he really careafor life afloat It Is too Inactive to suit a man of his nervous tempera ment" Asked how Mr. Harriman had amused himself while housed for three weeks, at the Semering during an incessant downpour of rain, Mr. Mil lar said "Playing with his children. He gets more pleasure ' out of that than - any thing else In life." DISSDLUTIO NOIIC E The partnershig of Johnson and John son, owners of the Toggery, Corvallis, Oregon, has been this. day dissolved, R. C. Herron having acquired the in terests of J. C. Johnson and B. W. Johnson in the business, which will be hereafter conducted by C. V. Johnson and R. C. Herron, under the firm name of Johnson & Herron. The latter firm assumes and the liabilities of the business. ; ! Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Herron Corvallis, Ore., Sept, 1, 1909 9-3-10t Sister's Academy Opens Sept. 7th - The Academy of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will re-open on ! September 7th. By means of the new addition and the remodeling I of the building the school is now equipped with all modern in-' provements, and with a corps of competent teachers may be de pended upon to dothoroup-h work both in the grades and high school course. For particulars apply to Sister Superior, 225 West Ninth St, Albany, Oregon. 8-19 to 9-19. GEO. W. DENMAN Attorney; at Law CORVALLIS, OREGON Oflice in Fischer building, over Graham & Wortham drug store , KJ ILTHE CO UG H and CURE the LUUGS mf 9R5HS fait 5o&i.oo iVKiy OLDS ! TRIACBOTTU FREE AMD All THROAT AND LUNC TROUBLES GUARANTEED SATSFACTOfiV Uff MONEY f?EFUADD. REST --BOLIP -HECDPEBATE At the Seashore NEWPORT Is, a delightful resort and a happy combination of pleas ure ground possibilities. An n ideal climate diversion of recreation perfect bathing-boating fishing riding-driving, and exploring, make Newport a most charming and popular play ground. Southern Pacific Co. HAS A Special Summer Excursion Rate to Newport of $3.75 From CORVALLIS, OREGON Ask for our booklet "Outings in. Oregon." R. C LINVILLE, Agent, CORVALLIS. ORE. WE M'MURRAY, General Passenger Agent Portland, Oregon TOT? CrrryrrT rT7 rrr a.t rnrr Tenth and Morrison, Portland, Oregon S3 A. P. Armstrong, LL.B., Principal Old in years new in methods, admittedly the high-standard commercial school of the Northwest. Open all the year. More calls for help than we can meet position certain. Class and individual instruction. Bookkeeping from written forms and by office practice. Shorthand that excels in every respect Special penmanship department. Write for illustrated catalogue. Gazette-Ti tnes Biggest and Best Paper in theWUlamette Valley Oregon tate SALEM Forty-eighth Annual Exhibition Will Be Greater Than Ever $35ooo in Premiums and Purses September 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 1909 Grand Showing of Live Stock Racing Program Complete Reduced Rates On All Railroads GOME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS W.F.MATLOCK, President. F. A. WELCH, Secretary.