The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1899-01-12
Written for The Prison Mirror.
JAMES J. HILL.

Last week l wrote short sketch of
Mr.. 4erkes, a man VINO though once
overthrOwn by misfortune, has yet at
tanned great wealth, if not distinction.
This week | will try ty write from
memory short outline of man who
is also "self-made," and whose interests
are largely in this state-where he
lives-the man whose name heads this
article.
James j. Hill was born in Canada
and came early in life to st. Paul,
where he worked for while as clerk
in the docks. That was in the early
days when the steamboat traffic on the
Mississippi was in its glory.
One of the first railroads to be built
northwestward from st. Paul was the
ST. Paul & Pacific Through unfavor-
able circumstances this road was forced
into the hands OF receivers. Mr.. Hill
was one of them. When the
road was sold Mr.. Hill in con-
junction with the late n. w.
Kittson and several Canadian capital
lists secured control OF it. 1t was then
renamed the St. Paul, Minneapolis s.
Manitoba and with Mr.. Hill as presi-
dent the building and perfecting of
one of the greatest and most wonder
full railroad systems in the world was
begun-and is still progressing.
When Mr.. Hill assumed control of it
there were two disjointed lines of road
running from st. Paul to nowhere in
particular. At the present time the
system stretches from st. Paul and
Duluth to the Pacific, connecting over
600 cities, towns and villages by over
1000 miles of track and with superb
equipment which is all its own.
This stupendous artery of commerce
is the life-wOrk and pride of one of the
most remarkable men in the country
today.
A prophet is never highly regarded
in his own country, and on that ac-
count you may read plenty of screeds
which are uncOmplimentary of this
man. But men who represent vast in
terestS must often meet with opposi-
tion and frequently with calumny.
And man who has been able to sur
mount the obstacles which this man
has met and overcome must have great
qualities of firmness and determina-
ton.
Every railroad is blackmailed by dis
honest legislators, and frequently it
finds it cheaper to pay than to be sub
jected to the often vicious measures
which may be carried through the ordi-
nary lawmaking bodies of our Western
states. 1t is generally incidents of
that kind which serve as the basis for
the reputation of being corruptionists
which men of great interests some
times acquire. 1 have no doubt that
Mr.. Hill has been subjected to more of
that sort than any living man in this
section of the country Be that as it
may, however; there is one thing which
he should always receive credit
for, and in that respect he
stands unique. He has never
used the corporations of which he is
the head for the purpose of swind-
ling unsuspecting shareholders. The
securities for which he stands sponsor
are and have always been gilt-edged.
The reason why he has been able to
always sustain the credit of his securi-
ties is that his railroads have always
been honestly managed-and in that
respect he is again single in this section
OF the country.
With other railroads it is generally
possible to get the "inside track" some
where-you KNOWN selling supplies,
for instance. Not so with Mr.. Hills
railroad. Prices and qualities are the
only things which count there. And
the official who would attempt to do
otherwise would not last long.
Well, the result of that policy has
not made the Great Northern Railroad