Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-09-27
PRES. MILL AT WlLLMAR
The Great Railroad President Vlalta
Our City, Meets the Farmers and :
Talks for Better Fsrmlsr.


Our City, Meets the Farmers and !,
Talks Tor Better Fsrm,ag.
President James J. Hill of the Great
Northern Railway spoke ut the Street
Fair at Willmar last Friday to vast
audience of farmers and other visitors
to the fair. His speech was plea
to the farmers to raise more cattle and
diversity crops He was listened to
with close attention.
President Hill arrived in his special
train about 1890. In company with
Gov Rice he viewed the stock and
produce exhibit and was escorted to
the Bonde hall, where lunch was
served in his honor. About three hun
d.'ed representative farmers of the
county and business men Of the city
and villages were seated at the tables
The following were seated at the table
with the guest of honor: Judge
G. E. Qvale, Mayor S. B. Qvale,
Gov. a. E. Rice, Senator L. O Thorpe,
Louis w. Hill, Vice President OF the
Great Northern Railway, D N. Tall
man, ]. Nj. Spicer, DR.. G johnson,
Prof. Fl. S Hilleboe, of the Willmar
Seminary, Rev. c. II French, presi-
dent OF Huron College, Rev. Horatio
Gates, Rev. H. G. Buell., Father G l.
lagher of Barry, Minn Father j. j.
Malloy, Alton Crosby, j G. Monson,
Martin f. lew, a . Forsberg and
V. E. Lawson. The lunch was served
by the ladies of the Episcopal church,
&. +. Aorn1eck being the chief usher
After the lunch Gov. Rice arose and
made some remarks, eulOgistlc OF Mr..
Hill, in substantially the following
words:
The city has in the past been honored
by visits from eminent men-men who
stood high in the councils Of the nation In
civil life; also by military commanders. who
achieved glorious victories during the civil
war. yet venture to say, that from the dis
tinguished guest with us today You will hear
more solid concentrated, good common sense
than was ever heard on any occasion in this
city heretofore.
Some OF you old settlers who were here In
the '7Os, will recall the totally inadequate
service rendered the l,ahlc by the old St.
Paul & Pacific R'y. This was particularly
true as to the marketing Of grain. 1 at one
time counted many 40 teams stand
ing in our street waiting the chance to un-
load the grain at the only elevator in Will
mar, as the railroad would not allow any
other to be built on the right Of way where
side track facilities could be obtained.
The freight wheat was about three
times what it is today; ticket to the Twin
Cities cost 90 way and used to
pay as high rs $4,000 per car on salt-an
equivalent Of $500. 90 of the car capacity o
the present day. In order to make any pro-
ht, we were compelled to retail salt at $500
per barrel while today you purchase the same
for $3.50. Notwithstanding these exorbit-
ant rates. the financial condition Of the road
went from bad to worse, train men were
compelled to accept time checks as their pay
and sell the same at discount, the interest on
the bonds was in default and the road was
finally sold by the sheriff Of Hennepin count j
to the highest bidder. s<Gasf
1t was at this period that Mr.. Hill and his
associates became the owners. The road .aat
that time was only constructed asfar as the
Bois de Sioux, the western boundary of the
state. To most men the bleak prairies ot
the Dakotas would have appeared uninviting
and considered Of little value, but to the
miles and miles Of golden grain fields dotted
his line through the Dakotas and Montana
bored through the Cascades and reached the
i'm mense forests and coal fields of the Sound
Ceasar paused on the banks of the Rubicon
but not so Mr. Hill, he crossed the wide ex.
panse of the Pacific ocean and his vivid mind
foresaw the possibilities of traffic with the
thickly populated countries of the Orient
A fleet of steamers was built of greater capa
a. s.nA1
practical service are today carrying the pro
ducts Of this country to the far East.
Freight rates have from time to time been
gradually reduced and the service to the
public bettered in many ways. Nor Is this
all for which we are under obligation to Mr.
Hill. You will recall that you voted sec, 900.
90 bonds to be given to the parties who
would build north and south road. Well
Mr.. Hill built that road. The bonds were
legally issued, executed and delivered In
escrow. 1 we'll recall my astonishment when
Mr.. Hill said to me one day, II think the
feeling in your county would be better If
wrote to the County Commissioners to burn
the bonds" 1t was done and the bonds
were burned. This Is what Mr.. Hill did for
the Taxpayers of this county besides sub,
scribing literally to its churches and edu
cational institutions. .
We hope Mr.. Hill will continue to be the
President Of the Great Northern until he
reaches the age of one-hundred years. He
may wear out before that time, but of one
thing you may be sure, he will never rust
out.
Mr.. Rice then said he would call on
several representative farmers OF the
county to give expression to their sen.
timents.
-. II. Sperry said he was surprised
to be the first one called on, as his at.
titude as an anti corporation man il
so we'll known. He was pleased to con.
cede that Mr.. Hill sis big part O1
Minnesota" and that he had shown
wonderful capacity in extending his
systemlf from ''single line of road from
St. Anthony" which humble begin.
ming the speaker could we'll remember.
While he believed in government reg.
ulatiOn and ultimate ownership, he
was frank to state that the Great Nor.
thern came nearer giving value re.
cieved in its service than any other
great system in the country. .>
J. c. MOnsOn responded with q
brief allusion to the early days "wher
we green Swedes and Norweg ians first
settled on the land. Hill has proved
''amanager Of whom we may be proud
even If we have skicked" a little on the
rates at times. ''But you can't loye
q man without knowing him." and tht
: principal fault we had found was thai
Mr.. Hill did not visit us oftener.
u J. G. Freeberg of Whitefeld made