E. H. HARRIMAN.

 

            MY acquaintance with Mr. Harriman was limited to a few meetings in social gatherings where little save polite nothings were spoken. Hence there is nothing before me save his personal appearance and the impression his work made.

            He was small of stature with a kindly but shrewd face ; but as one looked at him and heard him greeting the people around him, he carried the impression that even in that moment grades and curves and other difficulties were being overcome in his mind and possibly purposes were taking form.

            With him such meetings were put down merely as a general might receive a flag of truce they had no bearing upon the plans of his campaign.

            He had many of the elements of a great soldier. He knew when to mass his forces around a base; he knew when to break away from his base, divide his command; how to make rapid marches and when to concentrate at a given point, which necessarily included a knowledge of what was opposing him and how, if at all, it would seek to intercept his march.

            To me his face showed a fixity of purpose which, when reached, it would be almost impossible to turn aside, and a silent patience which would hold a post until the garrison starved.

            But he kept masked that other something which may be termed a subtle sagacity which must have been lighted by an artist's imagination, which enabled him to see instantly that a transformation was due and then in his mind picture what that transformation would bring.

            The old Central Pacific Railroad Company always treated the region between Reno and Ogden as worthless, and the road across it merely as a bridge, over which the through business was to pass, the freights and fares on which must not only cover the cost and profits, but in addition must meet the expenses of operating the whole line.

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            Then, too, its object seemed to be to subordinate all business to the building up of San Francisco.

            The Union Pacific Company seemed impressed by a like idea except, with it, the thought apparently was to minister to Omaha. Neither company ever realized the wealth of the empire it possessed, and neither ever handled its road as a common carrier.

            The result was that when the bonds finally fell due they gave up their property, which they had permitted to depreciate in value until it consisted of little more than a streak of rusty steel and a right-of-way.

            Then Mr. Harriman appeared upon the scene. He seemed to take in at a glance the resources along the route of roads, seemed to hear "the first low wash of waves where soon would roll a human sea ;" seemed to note what was being done in the mines, and what mines, especially base metal mines, were to transportation companies who had their patronage ; to see the wonders wrought when the desert was touched with moisture.

            He rightly estimated that the great Central route terminating on the Bay of San Francisco must always be of vast concernment to the world; just as readily and swiftly he reasoned that the road to be effective must be placed in as perfect a condition as possible ; that unnecessary grades and curves must be eliminated, knowing that speed and safety must always be chief factors in operating railroads.

            It may be said that any business man would have reasoned the same way, yet some very shrewd men on both ends of the line had possessed the road for thirty years and had not reasoned that way, but apparently had thought that the true theory was to exact everything possible from the road and its patrons and to do as little as possible for the road.

            That Mr. Harriman reached his conclusions quickly was clear enough by what he did, but that his conclusions, once formed, were fixed with him was made evident some years later when, in a trial in court, the fact was brought out that on his first coming West he began to purchase and put away the stock of the roads, sure that after awhile they would advance in value. We think it would be impossible to find a parallel to his work

344 AS I REMEMBER THEM.

in recreating the old Central and Union Pacific and the Oregon Short Line roads.

            What Mr. Harriman did for the roads along their entire length resulted in making certain for all time that San Francisco was to be the foremost city on the west coast of the United States. The old companies worked for a special object, Mr. Harriman for an absolute result.

            As he did not fail to grasp the wealth of the desert, neither did he fail to realize what California would be when eastern methods were adopted on her lands. An empire as great in area as all New England, New York and New Jersey combined, with soft climate and marvelous soil, up to his day penetrated by only two railroads, and defended by a mighty rampart of mountains.

            He noted that the east was occupied; that in addition to the natural increase of the people, half a million foreigners were pouring into the country annually, and that they must have employment ; that failing to find it east, they must go west. So he improved his roads and built additions and with serene trust that in the end both his judgment would be vindicated, and the money expended would be returned. His methods of overcoming physical obstructions were seen in the building of the Lucin Cutoff and the driving back of the Colorado within her banks.

            In the early days of the construction of the Panama canal, when the difficulties of the undertaking were being much discussed, the magnitude of the work was referred to in Mr. Harriman's presence, when he said: "If such an obstruction should come in the path of a well-organized railroad company, there would be no noise made about it; the company would just go to work and overcome it."

            His ability to command needed funds to carry on his work is a theme for financiers to discuss. The public only saw that when they were needed they were forthcoming, and that all his promises were made good. He was a general in marshaling both his forces and his finances; he was a statesman in foreseeing the effects that would follow certain causes, and

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there was a poet's rhythm in the harmony of his work from inception to conclusion.

            He had, too, the faculty of drawing men to him. All his lieutenants were devoted to him.

            He sprang into the arena pitted against financial gladiators and industrial kings ; he was unknown to the financial world ; in a few brief years his summons came to give up his work, but in those few years he accomplished more than any other man ever did along the same lines in a period so brief.

            Contemplating his work one wonders what would have been could he have retained his strength for another decade. What he really accomplished was but preliminary work. Who can estimate what achievement he held in contemplation ?

            His name will outlive all the friction of the future. It still clings to the roads he manipulated ; they continue to be "The Harriman" roads; indeed his name was one to conjure by and his work seemed to be ever smiled upon by that angel called Success.