The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-10-09
THE GREAT NORTHERN.


Tacoma, Portland and other points In the
northwest and, as a result, the people
and the press have become lnhamed over
the projected extension to the coast Of
the great railroad system Of which he is
the head. an Of the towns named, and
more to, are expecting and claiming thu
terminus Of the Great Northern, but a.
yet they are working in the dark. Mr..
Hills engineers have not made a selec-
ton Of a pass across the Cascades, and
the choice is o. liable TO fall on the
Nafcheez as any other pass and perhaps
Z little more so. The anxiety Of the
Northern Pacific 10 control this pass and
the assertions Of the company's officers
that they will commence building from
North Yakima 10 the coast In the early
spring, show that its advantages are rec.
ognised and that they hope to forestall
any other road in making use Of this
vantage ground.
All q the papers on the coast have
been publishing interviews with Mr.. Hill
and they have all drawn comfort from his
remarks, although on every occasion he
has specifically said that he knew moth
inaoi the route Of the road through the
state, as the engineers were working on
the various passes in order 10 get the one
with most economic grades. The 0TsgO-
man, too, has pumped the great man and
has published long column Of how Mr..
HIN looked, his significant smiles when
be said nothing and the nothings which
he said when he talked, but editorially It
publishes a sketch Of Mr.. Hills career
which Is we'll worth reproduction. It is
a. follows:
There are elements Of romance in the
history Of the railroad system, which be-
gan as The 81. Panl & Pacific and ended
as The Great Northern, but which has
been hstler.knOwn through all It's meta
m0rphoses as Jim Hills road' than by
any formal title. It Is barely a dozen
years old. Ten years ago Il began in a
hamlet, the St. Paul Of that day, now a
great railroad center; and ended on the
naked prairie, now the richest wheat re-
gion east Of the Rocky mountains. Il
had just been Taked out Of the ashes Of 4
bankruptcy foreclosure by the wit and
foresight Of the man whose name has
been deeply woven into all its subsequent
history. Hill hadn't much money; he
was running q little steamboat line on
the Red river; hut he had ideas, and
men who had money believed In him
and them. An old northwest trader
helped him buy the road, and lived to
zee his own wealth doubled by the in
vestment. Canadian Pacific sloCkhOld-
eB aided him to borrow money to extend
II 10 Winnipeg. and profted by the tenn
poraEy connection with their then iso-
lated line. Then he and II began to stand
alone, and they have stood alone ever
since. The growth Of the country created
revenue, and the growth Of earnings in
spirsd confidence. Bonds could be sold.
Money could be had, and has never been
lacking since. The line began to be q
system; to sprout and bourgeon and take
new root and push out tendrils and creep
ers, like a squash vine riOting in Oregon
soil. It's main line was paralleled by &
shorter, and a dozen little branches
pushed eout here and there, wherever
there was a fertile district to open OF
potential tFafic 10 malefialize. The Ca
madam paciac connection slouehed olr
and the growing local traffic took II,
place.
"In this second stage Of is entire, ant
frs, Of rs independent existence, u wa
what road. and carried the bulk Of In,
erain a the northwest to the Minneapolis
mills. fattening on the wisely-adiusteC
difference between the cost Of economica
construction and thrifty management ant
TN returns Of annie business. Fatten-
inc isn,t The word: its pourishmeut wenl
inio muscle and growth. The system
cast kbother skin and became a trunl
linz instead of a feeder. One end pushed
east 10 deep water navigation on LAX,
suparior. whence a line Of freight steam.
ereof h own eaye IL closer touch with
ne Atlantic ssaboard than was possibl,
throufh any railroad connection at 81
PAM. The other end pushed westward
m he Missouri river to the Rocky noun.
talnS. leaving the exclusive wheat coun,