The age-herald., 1902-05-03
Good English.

"Without any idea of taking sides for | or against railroad mergers l am free to
 say that James J. Hill, president of the l Great Northern Railway Company, makes
 a strong argument for his merger case in
 short paper which appears in this
 weeks Independent under the caption, | Consolidation of Wealth makes Prosper | ity," said well known lawyer. But | what inpresses me as most remarkable is
 MT. Hills literary skill.
 "If I am correctly informed, the famous
 railroad man had very little schooling in
 his youth, but few university men express themselves on paper with the clearness
 and force that he does. He not only re-
 veals originality and spirit-it would be
 taken for granted that a man of his
 brains could be original and epigrammatic but he is master of sententious ! English. I am safe in saying that the
 most scholarly critic would find 1t difficult to improve on 1t.
 MT. Hill has doubtless been a close reader of the English classics. MT. Carne-
 ge has been student, and has written
 several books. but Carnegie's English is
 often very faulty.
 "Hill has made no pretentions in the
 literary world whatever. but he can easily
 hold his own with the best of writers.
 Here are a few specimens of his clear cut
 style: T know of no theory so fallacious
 as the popular conception of the nature
 and purpose of the consolidation of
 wealth.
 Consolidation of wealth does not mean the hoarding of money in a bag that its single possessor may delve up to his arm
 pits in it. It means rather the effective
 organization of effort-the intelligent use
 of money which represents exerted phy-
 sical or mental energy
 | No man grows wealthy along broad
 and legitim ate lines without turning the
 resources of nature into remunerative | channels of usefulness for the talents of | other men. For instances: Little more
 than dozen years ago some fifteen coun-
 ties in North Dakota were without popu- | lation or land value. Today these coun- | ties have a population of 5000, a land
 value of from S15 to S25 an acre and property valuation of S2GO, coo 00o-an al-
 most unprecedented per capita amount of
 s2SO
 " TO what Is this development of wealth
 due? First, to the enterprise of that ef- | fective organization of effort known as
 the Great Northern Railway Company; | second, to the industry and thrift of the settlers, and third. to the fertility of the | soil.
 Courageous and enterprising men who
 had faith in their own judgment and the future of the country consolidated their
 wealth and built road through a com paratively uninhabited country. Encour- aged the settler followed the road and sent back word that the land was good.
 Men who had starved in cities came on
 and settled in that splendid country,
 where their children could have fresh air, enough to eat and fighting chance for an education. Today these men are re- ceiving from SIS to s26 an acre for their
 flax, and they're healthy. robust and comparatively wealthy people, "who has been benefited by this won derful transformation of the condition of both people and country? First. 90,000 nersons. who have been enabled to lift themselves from poverty to affluence; sacond. the American nation, which has hoon enriched to the extent of S260 GOO, ,000 and third, the Great Northern Railway