The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-10
Special to the New York Times.


 EoA HICAGO.-"There is something tS better than a vast amount of O money" said James J. Hill, pres i6ent of the Great Northern railway, just after he arrived in Chicago this moru- ing from New York, where ne sold his railroads iron ore properties to the Uni- ted States Steel corporation fer some- thing like s40O, ,O00 600.
 And what is shat?"
 "credit-I always have had plenty of credit'' and his eyes twinkled. He ob- served that he was neaSly 70 years old, and he was about ready to retire from an active bushes life.
 Then ne said that 'he had not benefited personally by the sale-that it was for the stockholders of the Great Northern, a railroad property he had bought as a wreck and developed. How could the money be distributed? Oh, well. he thought he could be trusted to arrange that. He hadn't studied it out, and he wasn't talking about It. either. "Gye me time,' he said.
 As for himself and as for the fact that the sale placed him as the principal stockholder of the Great Northern in the foremost rank of the rich men of the world, he said he intended to n,ake a change in his manner of living. He thought the big deal would mean much to Chicago. He mentioned the $75000,000 steel town" of Gary at Chicago's thres- hold, but he thought the tremendous transactions meant more to the United States Steel corporation than to any one else. The corporation got big valuable property; got it's moneys worth
 MT. Hill just hinted that this would be bis last financial transaction, the he ssgiest, he admitted that he had ever been en- gagged in, and that he had it in mind to retire from 2 strenuous business career.
 I'm getting perilously near three score and ten." he remarked, "and don't want to die. like the troopers horse, with my shoes on.'
 Asked about the ore deal, MT. Hill said: "The news was all printed this morning. The interview given out by MT. Gary covered everything"
 How much of the money do you get?'' he was asked.
 ''There you go again. l get none of 1t. It all goes to the stockholders. The n.lrcs don't belong 10 me. They belong to the stockholders. The stockholders will reap the benefit"
 But most of the stock belongs to you" it was suggested, but Mir. Hill insisted that he personally would not get any of the money
 This was a tremendously big transac- tlon," the interviewer commented. "You are quoted as saying there were at least 70O,0OO,o0O tons. How much Is there?'
 How can 1 tell. There's a great deal of ore. It has been estimated at between 400 000, 900 and 600. O0O0O0 tons"
 Enough to last the world a long time"
 "Yes, enough to last the world long time."
 How does it feel, Mir. Hill, to be ono of the richest men in the world? What are you going to do with all that money? A yearly income. after ten years of sli,- 230, 900. Or don't you care for money? I have been told that your only realza- ton is developing the northwest"
 No. 1 don't care for money I have had all 1 want for great many years There is something a great deal better than money.
 And that?'
 Credit. Plenty of credit. It is great thing to have. I am glad to have plenty of credit"
 How did you come to be a railroad man?"
 q was forced into the railroad busl- ness. You know l bought a wreck Then added some more wrecks.''
 And you got that s4O0. 100000 worth of iron ore along with those wrecks?'
 "Yes, the mineral land was part of the property"
 How much did it actually cost you? One dollar an acre or something like that?"
 MT Hin would not answer definitely He merely left the impression that the land was acquired cheaply and the Great Northern made it valuable.
 '.Haven't you corncred all the Iron ore!