Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-19

wheeled tIcdUlUbhNN NlHN Iil'H Ah' 'ii0
sisslppi His FIRST employment was with
the Dubuque aud 81 Paul Packet COM
many the agent VI which no ST. Paul
vas the firm Of j. W. Bass q Co. At
mia stage IN his career young HI
turned his hand 90 anything loading
cargo as Iab0rer, acting as clerk and
leyea ngont. as foreman of gangs and
doing whatever presented Itself 90 be
done. He was indefat.gabla and oblig-
lng. ana mastered AN the details ~ river
transportation, and 600 1865 Doe was Of
fered ana accepted the agency Of the
Northwestern Packet company
In the meanwhile railroad C1mmuni-
cetlon mad been opened with ST. Paul,
and MIR. nm. while stIll continuing az "a
river transportation agent, became
agent Of the 81. Paul O. Pacific railroad,
handling an the freight received from
and transferred from the river bank
I'm 1859 he formed the drm NJ Hill
briggs & CO., which engaged in both
tho TRANSFORMATION and fuel business,
and which brought t0 ST. Paul the FIRST
coal ever used there for fuel. The part
ucrship lasted until 1915 and IN the
meanwhile. I'm 1870. Mr. Hil embarked
I'm the FIRST venture which was destined
60 make him famous This was ne es.
tablishment Of the Red River Trans
portatlon company which opened up
The first regular communication bee
tween ST. Paul and Manitoba and dee
yelopcnd the great grain resources of
the Red River valley ''thc bread basEe,
Of the world
The 81 Paul & Pacific railroad. which
had been operated I'm connection with
the river lines In which Mr. Hlll was
Interested, either as owner or agent de-
faultod on IT'S bonds I'm 1873. This at-
fordcd Mr.. Inn his great opportunity IN
the line Of railroad development ne
knew the vast resources of the Red XIV
er country and of Manitoba, and he
realized that water transportation was
doomed. Many another man 90 his poe
sltion would have regard the failure
of the railroad as the failure NJ sys-
tom. or OF an idea, and stuck 10 his
river steamboats,. But not so with Mt
HIN The fault he concluded. was not
with the railroad. but with Us shocking
construction worse management ana
grossly eXorbitant debt.
There are outstanding &I00oo00 OF
bonds on the st. Paul q Pacific railroad,
a majority Of which were held IN Am
sterdam. Mr. Hllls fortune az the time
amounted % about 100000. How 20 ac-
oulre the $27. 900 900 Of bonds with a cap
ital OF 800. 600 was the problem Mr.. Hill
had 10 study. In his transportation
business 10 Manitoba county be had
become acquainted with Sir Donald a
Smith. chief commissioner Of the Hud-
son Pay company To Sir Donald Smith
ne submitted the proposition and un-
folded his plans. The hypnotic power
highly developed In later years won the
day Sir Donald Smith became a warm
adherent Of the project. So did George
stephen. president 0f the Bank Of Mon
treal and afterwards Lord Mount Steph-
en- and with them was associated Com
modore Norman A. Kittson.
Mr.. HIS confidence IN the undertake
ing was such that he invested every
penny Of his fortune In the enterprise.
For five years he lab0red increasingly
and al times II looked as though his
500 600 was lost Bat he preservered IN
his negotiations and, finally, In 1875.
had acquired control Of the bonds Of the
St Paul and Pacific road. Then the
mortgage was foreclosed and Mr.. Hi
and his associates came into possession
OF the property. which during the long
recelyership had deEenerated 10 O. c3ndi-
ton little better than that predicted by
Jay Gould Of certain property, TWO
streaks Of rust through the grass
The road was promptly reorgan'Zed
under the name Of the ST. Paul, Mime
apolis e Manitoba. and construction
work went on rapidly, pushing out and
extending. tapping wheat country
here and lumber country there ana "A
lake port az some other place II was
al this time that Mr. Hill introduced
= aaff pUuI ION
reducing curves and grades wherever
possible. replacing wooden bridges with
iron. ballastlng and ditching in the most
approved style, providing the heaviest
steel rails and the most powerful loco
motives. and doing everything possible
To fulfil the main idea-to carry the
biggest load IN the quickest possible
time al the least possible cost.
And then. again, there was a new idea
I'm railroad construction adopted by Nj.
nm. He took the cost Of material and
added II % the cost % labor and the re-
suit gave the cost ~ the work There
were construction companies ana
purchasing companies and scores Of IN
ner comuanics 10 milk the property all
the way along the line. and contracting
corpqrIas 10 rob the laborers In their
hoard and keep. and the whole train Of
camp followers that cling 10 the skirts
~ "a construction corps were told 90 De
of and about their business. II was "a
novelty IN modern railroad building, this
course Of strict honesty
From this property Of only $50 miles
I'm length In 1873 was developed tn
Northern system with its 5,i4l miles OF
road.
Reference has already been made TO
Hu men and Hin methods and the de-
sire Of other roads 90 re-enforce thelf
operating departments by men VINO
have obtained their experience under
MIR Hin Among such men are W. II.
Newman. president Of the Lake Shore
and Michigan Southern, j. ID. Barr
third vice president " the Atchlson.
Topeka and Santa Fe, who previously
mad performed wonders for the Norfolk
and Western; c. II Warren, first vice
president OF the Central railroad, OF
New Jersey, +. d. Underwood, vice
president and general manager Of the
baltimore a Ohio and Russell Hard
ing third vice president and general
manager Of the Missouri Pacific VINO,
with Mr. Watrous was taken by the
Gouds to ind out what was wrong
with the ST Louis southwestern, ana
having discovered ana SET lulllSA sblHh
right. was taken 90 the Missouri Pa
cific To put that property in the posi- .
ton that il should rightly occupy. And
there are many others that might be
mentioned.
That SO many fine railroad men were
taken from the Great Northern with
out affecting IT'S prestige speaks well
FOR Nlr. Hill He always has men IN
training. lie Is always studying him
self and always educating his men.
This Is true Of his sons, James and
Lewis, both graduates OF Yale, who are
I'm training 10 take up the work Of
their father. They have gone through
every department Of the Great North
ern road. from the construction work
and the machine shops 10 the executive
Offices. spending six months or a year
I'm familiarIzing themselves with the
work Of each and obtaining a practical
knowledge Of Hill methods. And while
his sons and his men are studying Mr..
Hin continues 10 study.
His experience with river transporta-
ton aided him IN establishing his lake
sta,p,shfps and his ranS-paclhC pro-