The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1908-09-17
]. ]. HILL
IS SEVENTY
GREAT AMERICAN RAILROAD
BUILDER REACHES SCI.;;TVR-
AL AGE OF THREE SCOI.E AND
TEN.-STILL STRONG AND &C
awe.

give.
81 Iarl, Mimi, Sept. 16.--When
|:tiaeS j 11i.l, the great American
railroad -iiLg, awakened this morning
he had reached the scripturai t.ae OF
three score and ten" But time las
dealt gently with him, and physically
as well as mentally Hill is today as
strong and fresh as few men twenty
years younger. Some time in the year
1906, it was stated, that Mr. Hill had
announced his intention of retiring
from active business on July l, 1907,
but that time came and passed and
found him still in harness working as
hard, If not harder than ever to con-
solidate and strengthen his enormous
financial railroad interests, the largest
in the control of a single man in the
world. 1t Is believed that the unset
tied condition of the money market
and the exigencies of his railroad en-
terprises resulting from recent legis-
| latiOn by congress caused Mr.. Hill to
postpone the date of his retirement.
However that may be no man has
earned rest from lifelong activity
more than Hill. During his lifetime
he has acquired an enormous fortune.
estimated at more than one hundred
million dollars, and has brought I'M
der his. control greater transportation
interests than are or ever have been
in the hands of any single individual.
He controls the Great Northern sys-
tenn, which he created, and also the
Burlington and the Northern Pacific.
AS head of the Great Northern he has
more than seven thousand miles of
track under his control, the Burling-
ton gives him eight thousand miles
more, and the Northern Pacific about
five thousand miles The tracks of
his railroads, if placed together.
would come within five thousand
miles of reaching around the earth.
In addition to that he controls the
largest steamer line between the
United States and China, and the
fine steamship line between Buffalo
and Duluth. He is also supposed to
have a controlling interest in the
Erie railroad and important interests
in many of the Atlantic lines.
A ScOtch-Irish-C Canadian.
Mr.. Hill is a Scotch-Irish-C Cana
dian, and was born on small farm
near Guelph, Ontatio. His father
was a North of Ireland Orangeman.
AS a boy Hill showed a dislike for
teamwork, but srch interest in
books that his father decided to!
make a Presbyterian clergyman out
of him. He entered school at the
age of Z, but when he had reached
his seventeenth year. young Hill de-
cided that he could not become a
minister, but a business man. He
became a clerk in a local grocery
store, but after one year he went to
the United States. He drifted to st.
Paul, then a bustling town of about
five thousand inhabitants. He found
work at the docks shOveling grain
into steamers He soon became a
clerk, however, and remained in a
clerical position for eight years.
When the war came young Hill,
with Captain Shelley, organized a
troop of Minnesota rough riders and
offered his services to the state of
Minnesota. There was some delay
and Captain Shelley took the men to
Iowa and entered the service from
that state. Hill remained at home
and did a great deal in sending men
and food to the fighting line. At
that time he began his career by be-
coming the agent of the st. Paul &
Pacific railway He recognized the
possibilities of the road, although at
that time it was in a wretched imam
cial and physical condition. He in
terested some Canadian bankers IN
his plan and gradually acquired the
securities of the road, which was re-
named the st. Paul, Minneapolis &
Manitoba railroad. Hill started on
an aggressive policy and invaded the
rich wheat territory. with the Pacinc
coast as the ultimate terminal. In
1898 came the formal opening OF the
Great Northern line, from Duluth to
the Pacific.
Since that time Hill has expanded
his railroad interests wisely and with
daring conservatism. 1t is eharac-
teristic that Hill does not tolerate the
splitting I'D of profits on his roads.
He controls the dining and sleeping
car privileges as we'll as every other
privilege connected with transporta-
ton. including grain elevators along
the wheat roads. His methods were
entirely different from those in vogue
on the other railroads and won for
him the reputation of being close
and stingy man. He has probably
the finest collection of paintings
owned by single individual in this
country, and has a collection OF dia-