Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-29
Railway Magnate to Shift Bur-
dens Upon His Son in July
of Next Year
ACTIVE FOR HALF A CENTURY
HiIi Has Been Prominent Figure in
& Transportation World for Fifty Years
Promoted Many Huge Undertake
interested in a Hundred Large
Enterprises.

:
road, probably the most admired and
respected as well as the most pictur-
esque and remarkable character of the
railroad and financial world today. will
retire from active business and active
management OF his many mammoth en-
terprises July /, 1907.
The announcement comes from Mr..
Hill himself His successor will be his
oldest son, Louis ]. Hill, first vice pres
ident Of the Great Northern, who pos
sesses to great extent the remark
able genius OF his father and who will
still have at his disposal the guiding
hand OF the empire builder of the
northwest.
s From time to time in the past few
years there have been ru1ors that Mr..
oIill was planning to retire. The
Aetin4ts time for the retirement has
never been announced until yesterday
when Mr.. Hill himself named July 1
next Is the date for eating out Of
the harness, He said:
Il have planned to retire as soon
les Iicould safely do 10. BY that time
il shall be able to leave the work Of
10 lifetime, the business, here, on q
safe, sound base that win endure"
Minneapolis viii lose and gain by the
retirement OF Mr.. HILL Today the city
has no better friend or more loyal sup-
porter and believer in the future great
ness OF the city than James j. Hill.
His successor, however, liz equally san
1uine regarding the coming greatness
and Importance OF Minneapolis. Both
have prophesied for Minneapolis a
great future, and within six months
Mr.. Hill stated emphatically his be-
LET that Minneapolis in tive years will
~ city Of half a million,
& Mr., Hill's dominating Characteristic
can be said to be q combining of the
highest Imagination and stern common
sense, with an untiring energy that
always follows the dream with practi-
cal accomplishment. For fifty years he
has followed steadily ha, dream Tor
the development Of a new empire IN
the northwest. and, at the age Of 6S, he
VIII retire with his work accomplished.
Mr.. Hill was born In Ontario in 1888.
Naturally Of = thoughtful, Studious dis
position. he was given the benefit of
all possible schooling until he reached
shx age-of Is, when he wsls thrown on
hiS own resources. AT is he came to
ST, Paul and became agent for q packet
company operating on the river. This
iwas the beginning Of his connection
With the transportation interests In the
,obA Al tn,sA
the railroad business, opening up COM
,municataons with Winnipeg and finally,
IN 1879, beginninE his LIES work when,
with others. he took over the old st.
Paul d Pacific railroad. q sickly in-
fant consisting OF two streaks OF
rust, ! few hundred miles, in length. q
bad name and q debt of, $4,000, 900.
From this beginning he began with
mastery genius the recreation OF the
northwest.
Today he controls transportation ia
cilifies covering almost an entire contA-
nent. steamship lines connecting with
the Orient. and a hundred other enter
nrases. Mr.. Hill rose frorn manager to
president OF the company, reorganized
- the st Paul, Minneapo q Manito-
10, becoming president In 1883. Ten
pears later the Great Northern was
acomplsted to the coast ard the recent
years have XSorded wonderful adj
Ira system covers over
Il, 900 sniiss q lines today, with over q
thousand me Of yards and sidinss
steamship Ines on the lakes and tho
pacific and controlling influences on
,eanneotlons, mfr. Till himself Is re-
putetl 10 be worth $780, 900.
L. Today Mr. Hllt is crsAttsd with more
knowledge Of railroad affairs and man
cement than any man living. Scores
iof railroad captains all over the coun-
try received the first ana best training
a the Hin roads, and gladly give all
credit to the wisard Of the northwest.