New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-25

ulnO the CaUduldn racine StDOu lne
Of Canada: behind the Southern Pacific stood
the personal credit Of it's few owners behind
the Great Northern stood James J. Hill. 1t was
in this time, more. perhpas than any other that
Mr. Hill showed his wonderful power Of man
agement While richer roads and roads that
passed through far better and more densely
populated territory were falling. Great North
crn stock stood at par The Northern Pacific.
which had practically all the through business.
and as a resource a strip Of land tn miles wide
on each side II It's tracks from the Great Lakes
to the Pacific. fell by the waysde. while the
Great Northern. which paraileled the Northern
Pacific and had no Government. land grant
whatever lived and prospcred. What was the
secret of the apparent miracle? There is only
one answer 1t was the personality and force
Of che man that carried the road. Those who
held Mr.. TIlls 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 Wlvered.
\ warm personal friend II Mr.. Hill. writing
II his stand in that panic. said: Had San Fran
cisco been Jim HITS home. the railroad prob
lem in that state would have been solved twenty
years ago. ! am not go sure that he viii not yet
be the one TO break the Huntington grip on the
,ana to Portland. In three years more he may
reach san Francisco. who knows? The man
is not 10 he stopped by mountain ranges, rivers.
deserts VI panics He has a genius for large
enterprises. and he has never undertaken one
in which he has failed" This seems like
prophecy in light Of the recent undertaking. II
he accomplshcs. as it seems he will. the control
OF a transcontinental line. it will be one Of the
ambitions OF his life fulfilled. He will have
added another to his long list Of achievements.
a COMPANfONABLE MAN.
In his private life Mr. Hill IS one OF the mos,
genial and companionabe Of men. In convcrsa-
ton he mprcsses one with the wide range u
his information and 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 A romance He met the
woman who is now his wife when he was com
paratively poor ard unknown. She was a poor
girl. and had in her life enjoyed few adyan-
tages. Hero 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 prevoust
educated beautiful woman. 1t is this gracou.
woman who now prcsidcs over the magnificent
home in St Paul Mr. Hill has family u hire
children. three II whom arc boys. Within the
house the decorations and pictures show traces
% keen artistic sense ard rehncm Mt. The pirt-
urc gallery In his house is said 10 be one Of the
finest collections owned ~ an in' YiduaI in the
United states. Mr. Hill has made a study u
pictures. As h. has made study u railroads.
with the result that he has secured the best
one u MIR Hiirs most pronounced charac-
tcristics is n love for fine cattle. About eight
miles from St Paul he has A farm Of about three
thousand acres. At North OAKS. as this farm IL
called, he is engaged in extensive operations in
stock raising. dairy farming and horticulture
No one in the Northwest. perhaps. has done
more 10 improve the breed Of cattle Ie mas I'M
ported many bred horses. cows. sheep ana
other stock In this. in everything else ne
has undertaken the work On great scale ana
has been successful. Indeed, in all American al
fairs there are few men Of greater achievements
than the man whom the Scandinlvians OF ia
kota call Vim Hill