The evening times., 1901-05-06
RAILWAY WORLD LEADERS
The Addition of James ]. Hill to
the Wall Street Group.
Personality of the New Figure-A
seNtette of Controlling Interests
Traits of W. II. Vanderbilt, George
Gould, Cassutt, and f. II. Hartman

I nave been so much talked about IN the
columns of the New York newspapers in
recent months as President J. J. Hill OF
the Great Northern Railway. he is today
unknown by sight to the great majority
Of people II Wall Street-who have a
peculiar interest in his personality. The
/ refusal of some steamship guards last
! week to allow him to board the ship on
/ which his daughters were sailing for
I Europe until an officer of the ship who
knew AIr- Hill was appealed 70, probably
was no surprise to him When he was
last in New York, engaged in the Bur
lingtOn deal. and a dozen or more re-
porters were daily assigned to attempt to
| get Mr. Hill to talk about his plans. he
/ was able to walk about the Wall Street
district with little chance that he would
be recognized Yet there are few men in
/ whom there is greater public interest in
/ New York at present-as much because
he has Ioomed up as a new figure as that
| he has shown himself powerful enough
to accomplish the biggest of the railroad
| consultations Yet put through.
IN part, Mr.. Hill may owe this failure
of the general public to recognize him
to the misleading portraits of him, which
! have been pubIished-even in high
/ class magazines. These represent him as
apparently of massive build, careless of
dress, with a long bushy beard, and hair
reaching-to his shoulders, in the manner
| of Buffalo Bill. This portrait may once
/ have been a true one of Mr.. Hill. but it
must have been years ago He has con-
! SiderabIy changed in appearance within
the last two or three years-since he has
| become a more frequent visitor in New
York than formerly, with his visits
longer.
Two years ago Mr.. Hill would have
/ been picked out as Il Western man He
affected the black slouch hat. prevalent
! west Of the Alleghanies; he wore a fun
! beard, and his hair was long. In these
! days the soft hat has disappeared, and
( Mr.. Hill is always seen downtown w,=dT-
! ing a square-crowned Derby. not of the
new style His beard is now grey-thoJ Jgh
/ not as much as might be expected of Il
I man Of sixJy-three years. and it is more
/ carefully trimmed than Of old, while the
! long. flowing hair-no longer blacks not
/ so conspicuous.
/ In stature Mr.. Hill is of medium height.
/ OF even below the average, but ne is of
/ sturdy, powerful build. and the active
/ outdoor life he led for so many years.
/ exploring and camping out in looking ov-
/ or country to select routes fer his rail-
roads, Is apparent in 4 tanned coIoring
/ indicate the stern character of which
those associated with him in his railroads
have many stories An officer of high
rank has been peremptorily discharged.
without explanation, despite fifteen years
/ service \ general manager of demon
strated ability has been asked for his
( resignation after a few months Of ser
Vice-despite q contract fer a five years
/ term OF Office Tenure Of Office on the
( Great Northern Railway is usually brief.
/ and there are few railroads on which
more constant changes are made in the
! executive staff. The Great Northern at
/ one time had five general managers with
/ in two years time. Mr. Hill is undoubt-
I edly hard task-master, and individual
considero tions never stand in the way Of
( his accomplishing results he starts cut 10
attain He has managed his railroad as
/ a personal property-as business man
would his shop-and the waste usually in
evitabie IN corpora tions managed through
/ agents Of the owners has not existed on
/ the Great Northern.
( He has been an unusual example of 4
! man Of The largest vision. who has vet
/ been able to master the rzlinutise of =
/ great business At his Office in St. PaUl
/ he receives elaborate compilations of sta
/ tistics for every division on his road. and
/ every feature Of his operations is known
/ to him and carried in his head form
/ er general manager in referring to Mr.
/ Hills inspection trips, said: When pre-
/ pairing for such trips with Mr. Hfu. I
! loaded myself with all possible data I
thought would be useful. and had books
filed with figures at hand. But while I
! was looking up my figures. Mr. Hill would
! state what it was. no matter whether it
/! referred 10 the main line or some minor
branch No one could go over the Great
Northern with him without having the
greatest admiration for his ability IN this
direction"
Mr. Hin has many seeming contradic-
tious Of character He manages his prop
critics as an autocrat. with little consid-
/ Grafton for any personal element and no
| one viii say that he is wei liked by the
majority Of his employees. Debs got his
| first hold among the employees of the
Great Northern However Mr. EFUTs
/ career IS fun of benefactions. He is
! charged with being tacitUrn. and he un-
/ uoubtedly IS on many matters. He viii
speak TO Few people OF plans he is work
/ ing out for the immediate future Few Of
/ his business associates heard q syllable
/ from him Of the Burlington deal Yet
many could repeat the story attributed
to ex-senator Pettigrew that Mr. Hflrs
points on the market brought them for
tune. If he IS thus SecretiVe on some
Ht1IItfS- NJ l1lll VIII TAX Tor hours
what he calls his Dreams such az his
plans for the largest freight ships yet
built, to be used in the Pacific trade and
the development of Asiatic trade, which
is now his special interest.
The new prosperity OF the railways
which may be roughly dated from 1897
when the assuranc of abundant crops
I IN this country and q demand for them
abroad gave new courage TO all classes
! IN the business world, has been cOinCideEt
with the development Of new figures as
| the guiding spirits Of their financial af-
| fairs Most Of these men are young or
! at any rate hardly past middle age as
W. *. Vanderbilt. George Gould. and Z
| h Hartman; but to these Younger fig
uTes must ne added the name Of A J
! C&sSatf, President Of tne PENNSYLVANIA
Railroad. who IS now past sixty years of
age All of these names are familiar
enough now as the controlling forces
not OF one railway. however great but OF
groups OF railways They are all really
new names, as railway chiefs, because
four years ago none of them was known
world. Mr. Gould had some years before
succeeded his father as President of the
Gould lines. but he had not then under
taken TO formulate an individual uO!icy-
Lr. Vanderbilt was Chairman of the
Lake shore and Nickel Plate Railways
! but he held no other Offices on the Van
dCTbiit railways. and their active direC-
tion was in the hands Of his brother. Cor
ueiius- Mr. Cassatt, after an active rail
road career. had retired from the First
Vice Pres ideuCE Of the Pennsylvania and
had no idea OF again taking railway
directing Office Mr. Hartman vas a
banker, and had not developed any sue-
cIaI activity as railway power
w. X. Vanderbilt has often been com
UaTag d his father and prvlnIT4s Far. Eot,F