The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-19
He ISN'T IN A FUNK
PROMINENT WISCONSIN GENTLE
MAY WHO DOESN'T VIEW
WITH ALARM.

A great many letters are received in
st. Paul by the business men from their
friends and customers in other cities on
the subject of the Northern Securities
company, and almost without exception
the writer's express no fear Of calamity
to follow the operations Of the company.
fair specimen of the letters was re-
ceived yesterday by Hon. Michael Doran,
and reads as follows:
Madison, Wis. Jan II, 1902 = Hon.
Michael Doran, St Paul, Minn-Ny Dear
Mfr. Doran: | have seen from the news
papers from time to time that there is an
attempt being made in Minnesota to pre-
vent the consolida ton or merger of the
Great NOrthern and Northern Pacific
railways.
am sure if the taxpayers, shippers
and those who ride on railways in Min
neSota fully understood the situation and
were clear as to the attitude of Mr. Hill
as a railroad manager they would not
do anything to obstruct this consolida-
ton.
[ have had a ranch, and been engaged
to some extent in dealing in wheat, along
the line of the Great Northern since 1898
ard have very frequently during all
those years had occasion to observe and
10 remark to others of the extremely
liberal policy pursued by the manage
Inent of that railroad. I sincerely believe
that 1t has been more liberal and has
been managed so that the patrons living
cheaper opportunities in the traffic line
than have the patrons of any other rail-
road in the world under similar condi-
tiOnS. My understanding of it is that
II this consolidation takes place it means
the management of the whole mileage
by Mr.. James J. Hill, and am very clear
that Mr.. Hill is the best manager of rail-
roads, exercising greater and better fore
thought in the interests of the Ship
pins public along his road than any
other railroad manager in existence. 1
nave shipped from Duluth south and ship
ped from Duluth north, and for an equal
number of miles the rates are lower
over the Great Northern than they are
ovec the lines running south from Du-
luth. and rom Duluth south there has
always been the loudest competition,
while from Duluth north Mr. Hill has
substantially had it hisaown way
Rur a better Illustration of this is found
IN comparison today of the actual
Shipping conditions along the Great
Northern and along the Northern Pa
cliffs. On these two Dads my observa-
tic1i has extended personally as far west
as the Missouri river only The Northern
Pacific railroad was built many years be-
fore the Great Northern, and en-
JCyed earlier opportunities to create a
Shipping public of its own than did the
Cheat Northern. But if you will anaIyze
the conditions along both of these roads
today you will find that all of the terri
tory tributary to the Great Northern
frem Fergus Falls north to St Vincent
norm
over in North Dakota and all along it's
lines from Grand Forks west is thickly
settled up by a thrifty and prosperous
population, all of which willingly pays
tribute to the Great Northern Then,
take the Northern Pacific and after Won
leave the Dalrimple farm going west Won
IND the country sparsely settled and the
condition of the farmer is less prosDeroIIs
90 on few miles west of Jamestown
ana the settler in all of that vast area
IS the exception; it is practically given
over to grazing lands. But if you will
go 100 miles or more straight north from
jamestown and way up where the Iano~
nave heretofore been considered less de-
Slrdble (along where the Great Northern
rurS2 and you will find the whole coun-
try there settled up very denSely and land
selling at several dollars more per acre
than you will find down on the Northern
Pacific road 100 miles south of there.
Now, there is only one logical conclu-
SION that cen be drawn from this Mr.
Hill at an early date saw that to make
a railroad successful the same business
methods must be observed as make other
grocery stores of st. Paul or the dry
goods stores of st. Paul or the brokers
of ST. Paul should all combine and
squeeze the lemon for all there was in
where to do business. It is the grocery
store or the broker or the railroad that
does the largest possible business at the
very lowest margin of profit that always
pat 1t into practice and away back in the
early SOS he had land agents securing
all over the East and all over Europe
bringing to the territory tapped BY his
tracks thousands and millions of irnrni-
grants to whom he sold land from the
land grants given the st. Paul Minneap-
oils 81 Manitoba railroad He saw that
in the future these people must be fed
anc clothed and given ali the necessaries
and luXuries Of life. And that the more
feec and clothes and luxuries of life they
demanded and were able to obtain the
greater would be the profits Of the Great
Northern railroad. And so we find ali
of that vast territory settled up with A
contented and thrifty people all paving
money into the Golfers of the Great
Northern railroad. 1t was a magnificent
and far-sighted venture, and it mas
proved all that Mr.. Hill could have rea-
Scnably expected of it twenty years ago.
want to add right here that of all of
It's millions of acres of land grants sold
to these poor people I do not know of a
single instance where the Great North
ern railroad has ever oppressed or forci-
bly, closed one of them out of his home.
If some measure could be taken so
that all of the lines of railroad in the
great Northwest or in the entire West
as far as that is concerned, could be pIac-
ed under the exclusive control and man
agement of Mr.. Hill, it would be better
for the railroads and infinitely better for
tina people along the lines of those roads.
" ~ ~ r01.t