The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-06-13
4 Few Of The Great Masnates Personal
Characteristics.
Is RELATED BY RAILROAD MEN
Generous I'm q moneyed Way, He
Knows No Friendship fn Business.
Puts officials In High Places and
Then Beheads Them.

can people rs the most interesting man In
financial circles in the east. He is in
teresting from the fact that he is yet to .
large extent an unknown quantity and,
- far as the people of the west are CON
csrned, the personnel OF his associates in
his late ventures is unknown. But the
ability which he exercised in the construc-
ton Of the Great Northern railroad dem.
onstrates that he is remarkable man.
Mr.. Hill is an cratic man; he Is q
peculiar genius. He is one OF a million
and it is well, perhaps, that it is so. II
an erratic providence should create half
dozen such beings in the same age it is
very probable they would enter into q
compact against the rest Of humanity and
would soon hold and control everything
of merchantable value in the known
world, for Mr.. Hill knows what he wants
and has faculty Of generally getting il.
1t is related of him that be was black
smiths son in little Canadian town and
while his father shoed horses and repair
ed wagons Little Jimmie" was around
the rsighborhood buying half-starved
native horses for IS or "a head, fattening
them up and selling them for $25 and $50
head. In this way he laid the founda-
ton for great fortune that is said to be
something over SIC, 0OO, 600 at the present
time. But Mr.. Hill is different from most
men who have sprung from nothing to
affiuence. He is Of the people in his per-
sonality still, and believes that it is char
acter and stability, not title or birth, that
makes the man.
Many characteristic stories have been
told OF Mr.. Hill by railroad men who have
had dealings with him. Ii he takes a
fancy to O man and considers that his
practical knowledge entities HIM to pro-
motion the appointment is made without
more ado, but il the official makes mis-
take, ever so slight or trivial, off goes his
Official head in manner that is almost
brutal. He looks at everything in bust
ness way and regards men as chess
player does the figures before him-senti
ment or friendship having little weight
with him. If he thinks that by sacrific-
ing man he can strengthen his game the
sacrifice is made Immediately.
There is not another railroad in this
country that has one supreme ruler like
the potentate who presides over the des-
tiny Of the Great Northern. Not only
does Mr.. Hill dictate the policy of the
road, but he looks after the details as
well, every little crossings difficulty that
arises, or controversies OF like nature, re-
ceiving his personal attention. The
subordinates report these matters to their
superiors and these officials condense and
report to Mr.. Hill, so that he thus gets
everything in q crystalized form, and then
he occasionally goes over the road and
sees things as they are with his own eyes,
He is neither proud nor naughty and does
not hesitate to hold conversations with
section bosses or station agents IL there 10
any information he desires. A we'll
known railroad man, who was at one time
connected with the Great Northern said .
"Mr. Hill ia the most cratic man
ever met. He is also the most original
in his system OF dealing with men and In
testing the values of his employees. When
he appoints man to high Office he
sticks him full OF peacock feathers and of
course this makes the fellow proud and,
thus adorned, he struts about as if Solo
mon in all his glory was never arrayed
like him. This is just what Hill has been
looking for and TO break him OF the swell
head-for If there Is anything under the
sun he hates it is man with a swelled
head-he sneaks around and slyly pulls
out the feathers one at time. 1t is not
long before the fellow finds out that be
has lost bis treasures as well as almost
everything else to hope for and he takes a
tumble, Gains down and attends to BUSH
ness in matter of fact way. If be don't
take a tumble Hill fires him and another
candidate for railway honors is put
through the same mill, with few slight
variations
A good story is related OF subordinate
official at st. Paul who was offered posi-
ton on competing line at an increase Of
salary. but being satisfied with his posi-
ton and the treatment he was accorded
he declined to leave the employ OF the
Great Northern, Some days later the fact
came to Mr.. Hills notice and he is quot
cd as declaring:
"Why, the d-n fool must be crazy
Offered job on a good road at an in
creased salary and wouldn't go? He
must be crazyl He cannot hold his jot
here, for he will be forging notes next
Why, il he had come to me and told me
about it would have met the raise ant
made it an inducement to stay, for
thought he was level-headed man with
bright future. But there is something
wrong with him and he will have to 20 =
And the unfortunate fellows love fol
the road was the cause of his dismissal
Bot then Mr.. Hill thinks 3 man has NJ
business falling in love with Eis job.
So common has become Mr.. Hill'i
reputation for removing officials on Sigh
pretext that at the present time few first
class men, not really knowing how much
Of the current stories to believe, take nj
chances when their services are solicited