The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-05-23
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Excerpts Taken from st. Paul Papers of
Forty Years Ago.

Mr.. James ]. Hill, the local trans
fer agent for number of railroad
and steamship companies, has in one
bound placed himself abreast of our
most enterprising citizens. We re-
fer to the immense transfer house
on the levee which is rapidly ap-
preaching completion, and is already
being used by the steamers for the
purpose of discharging their Pile
thoric cargoes. This building, which
is being erected by Mr.. Hill, will be
a vast improvement on anything be-
fore attempted to facilitate business
at the steamboat landing, relieving
the extraording pressure upon the
capacity of the levee and forming
a connection between the rapidly
increasing railroad business and that
of the river, which will be appre-
ciated by both individuals and cor
porations. Mr.. Hill deserves the
thanks Of this community, and
especially of shippers and business
men, for his sagacity and energy in
conceiving the idea and carrying it
out SO promptly and faithfully.
The transfer house prOper is 200
feet long by 60 in width, but the
basement of the railroad depot
forms a part of this building, which
adds 10 feet to it's lower story.
One hundred and fifty thousand feet
of lumber are used in it's construc-
ton, which. has a capacity for the
storage of $4,000 barrels of flour.
The structure is most substantial,
the river front resting on piles and
the foundation being of massive
timbers resting on stonework. 1t is
one of the largest buildings of it's
kind on the river, and is said by
river men to be the most convenient
one from here to New Orleans. The
cost of this freight depot will be
about $4,000.
1t is novel in its construction, COM
bining facilities to accommodate
both river and railway trade. The
river front is 200 feet long, and the
railroad front there is a second floor
which is on level with the bottom
of the railway cars, and this is con-
nected with the lower or steamboat
floor by two inclined planes of an
easy angle running from either end
of the building to the center, Three
gangways on the railway side secure
rapid transhipment to and from the
cars to the river floor. The upper
end of the building furnishes in
gress and egress to drays and other
vehicles.
Mr.. Hill has given the construc-
ton Of this building his undivided
attention, and his executive ability
in pushing forward such an enter
prise with such extraordinary ra-
pidity is only equal to his shrewdness
and capacity in his profession as a
shipper and general agent of ship
ping interests. The transfer house
is entirely his own design, and was
built according to his own plans.
During its construction since the
opening of navigation, Mr.. Hill has
not overlooked his regular business,
which alone is an enormous work
for one person. Indeed. it is
legend among levee habitues that
Jim Hill works twenty-four hours
a day and twenty-five on Sunday"
The rush of gold seekers to Cali
fornia in the stirring days of 40
is being repeated if not exceeded
this summer by the thousands who
are preparing for the overland trip
to Montana as we'll as the immense
throngs who are being carried up
the Missouri by steamboat lines. The
streets of St. Paul present an ami
mated scene by the scores of
prospectors and miners who are
daily landed at the levee. They
come to this city for the purpose
of joining the great Fisk expedition
which has been heralded turnout
the country as the shortest, safest
and cheapest route. 1t is safe be-
cause it will have great military
escort for protection against the
hostile Indians who infect tbo oo,,~