The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-11
TOLD OF TWIN CITY MN
HOW SAMUEL HILL HELPED John
GoODNOW GET HIS OFFICE
AT SHANGHAI
SPEECH OF W. R. MERRIAM
Archbishop IreIand's Neat Explana-
ton of the sec1usion of
Learned Priest in His
Diocese.
Chicago Inter Ocean.

Chicago Inter Ocean.
II hope that Uncle Sam has some ca
pable men in China now, looking after
American interests" said the drummer as
he glanced over some late dispatches
from Pekin.
There's one, at any rate remarked
an old railroad man His name is John
Goodnow and he halls from Minneapolis.
Goodnow IS consul general to Shanghai.
and the story of his appointment to the
position is one of those good things that
sometimes fail to get into the newspa-
pers. At the time that Goodnow was
named for the place his friends and enc
miles alike were astounded by statements
wired from Washington to the effect that
Goodnow was profound student Of
China and the Chinese, the possessor of
vast fund of knowledge concerning
the origin and development of foreign
trade in China, and, generally speaking
the best Informed man on Oriental af-
fafrs' past. present and pending, whose
name had been mentioned in connection
with the consul generalship.
In Minneapolis, where Mr.. Gcodnow
was best known. he had never beer. sus-
pected of more than casual interest in
Oriental matters. That he might receive
the appointment was conceded on all
sides. for Goodnow was the original Nc
Anley man in Minnesota, and he did
much to roll up in that state big ma
Jorlty for the statesman from Canton,
and SO he was entitled to recognition at
the hands Of the administration. Sena
tor Washburn went so far as to declare
that Goodnow didn't even know the
boundaries Of the country let alone any
thing Of its interior economy However.
the present consul general is declared by
the administration to be a most competent
official, which merely illustrates the fact
that good official timber is often found in
unexpected places.
About the time of McKinley's election
Goodnow's business affairs were in a bad
way He had thought of a mission to
Germany, and had about made up his
mind to apply for an appointment that
would take him there. In this state Of
mind ne called one day on Samuel Hill,
son-in-law of James ]. Hill, the presi-
dent of the Great Northern Railroad COM
pany. To Hill Goodnow unburdened
himself. He explained his financial col
lapse, voiced his ambition with regard
to German appointment, and asked
Hills advice. Sam Hill promptly urged
his visitor to drop the German project
like hot brick and to turn his attention
to China.
:" China, said Mr.. Hill, IS to be the
scene of great commercial advance
within the next ten years. It Will be
the battle-ground of the worlds CONNER
cial energies. In Germany you would
be buried alive; in China you may. If
you are lucky and alert, achieve fame,
honor and wealth.
" But, my dear fellow, expostulated
Mr. GoodnOw, I know next to nothing
about China or the Chinese
ASSISTED BY JAMES ]. HILL.
" Very we'll, said Hill, imperturbably.
who does, for that matter? Why. there
are mighty few people in the world out
side who do know anything of the Chi
nese-that is, anything worth printing.
All really valuable works dealing with
the China of today you could carry home
in your coattaiI pocket
WELL remarked GOodnow. fitness
for the position would cut some ice. I'm
afraid I couldn't land IT.
g Now, look here went on Mr.. Hill
you're in luck. There is one man in the
United States who knows more about
China than was ever written in books.
He is a deep student of that country.
There isn't a map the Russians have
made of which he has not copy, and
those portions of China that the Russians
haven't mapped are not worth mapping
The commercial future of China is, prac-
tically speaking, an open book to this
man. He is in need of such knowledge
to be forehanded in the game Of trade
that is now being played. / refer to
James ]. Hill, my father-in-law.'
:" Yes. said Goodnow, that's so. If l
knew what Jim Hill knows about China
1 could be appointed minister to the i'm
perial court, but
- Hold on, interrupted Mr.. HILL this
evening James J. Hill starts for New
York, en- route for Europe. I travel as
far as New York with him. You get a
ticket over the Milwaukee and the New
York Central and present yourself to me
on the train. I'll take you to the
gentleman, and lead the conversation up
to China. Before midnight you'll know
more about China than anybody else ex-
cept the president of the Great Northern
railroad
4" Good said the coal man, I'll do it
THAT evening on the Hill car John
GoOdnow listened while the elder Hill
talked OF China Hill treated the subject
exhaustively, as he always does treat a
subject, beginning at the beginning and
going through to the end. The disquist-
ton was from an American point of view,
essentially commercial, which was pre-
cisely the point of view Goodnow wanted.
Mr. Hill was so impressed with the
earnestness of the young politician that
he offered to lend him a lot of Russian
maps and other important documents.
Goodnow accepted the offer gratefully.
Later he got the maps and studied them.
He had trouble about the names on them,
for they were done in Russian, but John
got a man who knew Russian to cOnstrue
for him. Being the fortunate possessor
of a really marvellous memory, he recOl-
lected the greater part OF Mr.. Hih's disser-
tatton, and the maps helped hin' greatly.
In two weeks Mr.. Goodnow was ready.
He went to Washington, saw the presi-
dent, and talked China with such COM
prehensive lucfdity that Mckinley was
impressed. So were the newspaper cor
respondents. They said GoOdnow knew
his China backwards, and exploited some
of Johns plans for the expansion OF
American trade and Influence. A week or
two later Mr.. Goodnow was appointed
consul general to Shanghai, vice Jernl-
gan, removed.
SENATOR DAVIS AND TIE RE
PORTER
''Polities furnishes more good stories
than poker said the politician, as the
drummer passed the cigars, 'and some
times a politician turns the tables by
getting one on newspaper nan. This
Is yarn that Cushman K Davis, sena-
tor from Minnesota, tells Of a ST. Paul re-
porter. The thing happened years ago,
but Davis roars at the recollection Of it.
Arthur James Pegier. q newspaper
writer in that town, after somewhat