The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-03

process of empire building in the terri
tory through which It
The BUILDING passes has gone for
OF AN ward continuously on
EMPIRE tfs3e varied lines die
tated by broad intelli-
gence. AT the same time the accom-
plished work itself has become but a
link in the chain, the prelude to more
remarkable achievement Again pre-
vision blaZed the way for constructive
energy; and the completion of trans
continental line able to maintain itself
out of it's own Independent resources
sounded the first note of advance to a
larger conquest; to the making of new
markets, the commercial invasion of
the Orient and the making of a new
route for the great stream of commerce
between East and West
Again the first intimation of what
might and could and would be done
came through the appearance of the
low freight rate. The Great North
ems advantage as transcontinental
line over those terminating at San
Francisco was first established and
demonstrated. With it's less than 1000
miles of track between the head Of
navigation on the Great Lakes and the
ocean docks at Seattle and Everett, it
had the short line. With its splendid
construction and easy grades 1T could
reduce the cost of hauling across the
continent to minimum. With it's
water haul from Duluth and Superior
to Buffalo it could make low rate for
the eastern connection. With Its phe-
nomenally low fixed charges, for the
Great Northern, having been built for
business and not for stock job
bling, represents a capitalization in
stock and bonds of approximately but
100000 a mile, it was prepared to make
a low charge; not as cut rate, but as
a plain business proposition. lmme-
diately it exhibited a further point OF
superiority over it's competitors by or
ganizing business on the principle OF
the double haul.
When a California line hauls west
bound business to San Francisco, it's
cars must be taken back empty, over
mountain and plain. at heavy cost, eX-
cept in as far as they are used tor fruit
shipments and other traffic originating
in that territory The volume of this is
comparatively light. 1t was the study
of Mr.. Hill, a study long antedatlng the
celebration which marked the compile
ton of the Pacific line, to develop q
paying business in both directions.
This had been done as to local traffic
for more than twenty years by the
method of internal empire building al
ready described. The same energy and
acumen were now to be applied to
through transportation, and the method
was ready. On the North Pacific coast
there exists, in the magnificent forests
of Washington, supply OF raw ma
terial for which there is a constant de-
mand in the interior of the country; a
commodity which would tax all the re-
sources of the railroads to carry 1t to
these markets for the next twenty-five
years. Here was traffic in one d1rec-
ton waiting to be developed; but be-
tween the supply and the demand there
stood the barrier of a freight rate so
high that lumber could. not bear 1t ana
be sold to the consumer at price that
he could pay. The rate from Puget
sound to the Mississippi was 80 cents
Mr.. Hill asked the lumbermen OF the
coast what rate would enable. them TO
do business in the central markets, and
they told him 60 cents He said, we
will make it 40 cents, At once the
lumber industry of the Pacific began to
: expand by great leaps, and a return
freight was assured to every car that
was sent westward to the sea. This is
. the -.fortification in the rear that ever
.prrotectsrthe Great Northern against
; successful satfaek and Leaves itsne com
spetitors on3eXen terms. hs-zsss : :. :
i For business in. the ether. direction
in addition to that sWllfEA ma tura fiy
arose out of the country deyelo pment
the plans were. - s...-
iaid-Mfth sinfins IHEoRlENTs
itely. gre aisr TRADES
forethoughts and LAST RATTEE=FIEIE
preparation; and
out. of their realization has come the
rise and increase of a trade with the
Orient that has attracted the attention
and aroused the admiration or the I'M
Of w L.