St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-11-12

was engaged in general merchandising.
commission, storage and forwarding.
The house pushed business extensively.
and spread it over wide territory with
remarkable enterprise. The first line
of steamers on the Red River of the
North was placed there by this CON-
pany. Mr Wilder remained with the
Burbank company for seven years, and
afterwards was with Claiming Seabury
in the wholesale grocery business for
year. Since then he has been conduct
ing business on his own account, but
has been associated with various men of
prominent business ability and with
various corporations in various enter
prises. For the last quarter of GEN.
tury, he has had as his chief associate
in business, Col. John L. Mer-
riam. For many years they were
engaged together in government con-
tracing and transportation. Mr.. Will
der. in connection with John 81. H.Charles.
of Sioux City. To-, placed line of steam
ers on. the Missouri and Yellowstone
rivers. He was largely interested as
a post trader at Forts Keogh and Custer
for years. He had large interests in
merchandising and outfitting houses at
Miles City, in Montana. At the time of
his death he had large holdings in sew
eral banks, insurance companies. trust
companies and manufacturing interests
in this city and elsewhere. He had
large amount of stock in the Montana
National bank. at Helena. While he
hnl in r>Fo
banks, he gave much of his time to his
interests in the Merchants National
and the First National banks, of this
city. He had large land and cattle in
terests in Montana and also heavy rail-
road interests.
As a Railroad Builder.
Mr.. Wilder was prominent in the con-
struction of several railroads. He took
very active interest in building the
Sioux City & st. Paul road, which is
now part OF the Omaha system; also the
st. Paul, Saltwater Il Taylor's Falls
road, and the Hudson 81 River Fails
road. Associated with him ia building
the Sioux City IL 81. Paul road were
Col. John r. Merriam, E. F. Drake, J,
G. Burbank, Capt. Russell Blakely, ,Hor-
ace and j. E. Thompson, Gen. II. H.
Sibley, G. Fl. Bigelow, Senator w. D.
Washburn and the Harrisons-the three
later being Minneapolis men, and the
others being st. Paul men. Mr.. Wilder
was vice president of this road before it
became part Of the Omaha system, and
after company had been formed. con-
solidating the old Sioux City & St. Paul
road that ran from LemarS to St. James
ana which had lease of the Illinois
Central from Sioux City to Lemars, and
branch from Heren Lake to Wood
stock. Then there was also taken into
the system the WorthingtoR & Sioux
Falls road, running between those two
cities, which incladed a branch from
Sioux Fails to Salem, Luverne and
Doom. The old Sioux City & st. Paul
road extended from st. Paul to St,
James, and all of these roads were COM
bined under the new company, of which
Mr.. Wilder was vice president. The
consolidation was made Oct. /. 1879.
The new company purchased the st.
Paul, Saltwater & Taylor's Falls road,
which Mr.. Wilder helped to build.
This latter company had. in addition to
the line from st. Paul to Saltwater,
bfanch extending from Saltwater,
connecting with the main line at the
drawbridge over the st. Croix river by
way Of South saltwater. and another
branch line from Saltwater junction to
the st. Croix FLYER. The purchase of
80
]. 1850. The company in the same year