The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-10-08

the Bank Of Montreal, and finally the
control of the road was secured, although
the negotiations continued through five
years. BY 1879 the new Management had
completed the road to st. Vincent. and
the company was now reorganized as the
st. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba, with
Mr.. Stephen as president and Mr.. Hill as
general manager. Mr.. Hill became vice.,
president in 1882 and president year
later, which post he now holds. In 1880
Canadian Pacific, but three years later
cut loose, so that he could devote all his
time to his own road, which grew stead
lily and finally absorbed the Great North
ern.
Mr.. Hill became president of the Great
Northern in $780, The growth from $50
the original mileage-to 4,5OO miles,
is only one indication of the splendid ex-
ecutive ability of Mr.. HILL The Great
Northern reaches from Lake Superior to
Puget Sound. Its grades have been re-
duced to the lowest possible limit to in
talization has been kept down to a mini
mum.
The management of the Great North
ern railroad from the time that James ].
Hill became identified with it has been a
model for railroad men all over the coun-
try. In 1893 and 1894, when railroads
were having hard time, only three of
the Western roads stood up under the
strain. They were the Canadian Pacific,
the Southern Pacific and the Great
Northern. Behind the Canadian Pacific
stood the government of Canada; behind
the Southern Pacific stood the personal
credit of its few owners; behind the
Great Northern stood James J. HILL It
was in this time, more, perhaps, than
any other. that Mr.. Hill showed his Won
derful power of management.
While richer roads and roads that
passed through far better and more
densely populated territory were falling,
Great Northern stock stood at par. The
Northern Pacific, which had practically
all the through business, and as re-
source strip of land 10 miles wide on
each side of its tracks from the great
lakes to the Pacific, fell by the wayside,
while the Great Northern, which paral-
leled the Northern Pacific, had no gov
ernment land grant whatever, still lived
and prospered. What was the secret Of
the apparent miracle? There is only one
J answer. 1t was the personality and force
of one man that carried the road Those
who held Mr.. Hills paper knew what he
had done, and they had confidence in
him. They believed in him, and stood
by him and his credit, and the credit of
the road never wavered.
A warm personal friend of Mr.. Hill,
writing of his stand in that panic, said:
"Had San Francisco been Jim Hills
home, the railroad problem in that state
would have been solved 20 years ago.
am not so sure that he will not yet be
the one to break the Huntington grip on
the state. In three years he has come
from Montana to Portland. In three
more years he may reach San Francisco.
Who knows? The man is not to be
stopped by mountain ranges, rivers, des-
erts OF pancs. He has genius for large
enterprises and he has never undertaken
one in which he has failed" This
seems like prophecy in light of the re-
cent undertaking. If he accomplishes,
as it seems he will, the control of
transcontinental line, it will be one of
the ambitions of his life fulfilled He
will have added another to his long list
Of achievements.
In his private life Mr.. Hill is one Of
the most genial and companionable Of
men. In conversation he impresses one
with the breadth and originality of his
views. Mr.. Hills home in St. Paul is
veritable mansion, and is one of the
sights of the city. Mr.. Hill married
early, and around his marriage clings
romance. He met the woman who Is
now his wife when he was comparatively
poor and unknown. She was poor girl,
and had in her life enjoyed few advan-
tages Here again his great reserve
power, and his masterful ability to labor
and wait showed itself. After winning
her pledge to marry him he arranged for
the education Of this girl, and the young
woman with hungry mind, found open
to her all the doors that had previously
been closed. She became cultivated,
broadly educated, beautiful woman. 1t
is this gracious woman who now presidcs
over the magnificent home in st. Paul.
Mr.. Hill has a family of nine children,
three of whom are boys. Within the
house the decorations and pictures show
traces of keen artistic sense and refine
ment. The picture gallery in his house
is said to be one of the finest collections
owned by any individual in the United
STAGES
One of Mr.. Hills most pronounced
characteristics is love for fine cattle.
About eight miles from St. Paul he has
farm of about 1000 acres. At North
Oaks, as this farm is called, he is en-
gagged in extensive operations in stock
raising, dairy farming, and horticulture.