The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-09-30
James J. Hills Great Speech
One of the Strongest Addresses Farming Ever Heard
In the Northwest Given By the Railroad Magnate
at Fairs Opening Interesting
Bundle of Facts

Hon. E. B. Goss judge of the Eigh-
tn Judicial District, introduced Mr..
HILL in a brief address. He spoke as
follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This city today is peculiarly honor
ed. This county city and this fair as
ISOLATION have with us as the guest
of this occasion person whose name
ia known, respected and honored thru
out the length and breadth of the civ
Nized world. We have with us an ex-
emplary great American citizen. we
are here to do him honor and to show
III him some of the credit that he,
by is stupendous undertaking Id
former years, in bringing this hlth-
erto young and pioneer country into
the days of prosperity and abundance
that it now enjoys by his efforts along
industrial lines, say we are here
today in recognition of what our hon
.red guest has done for this country
and in so doing las done for you all.
We people here in Western North
Dakota who have been here for ten or
fifsaeu years consider ourselves as
u. oueers In this country, which coun-
try ten or fifteen years ago was
known, as you know was part OF
what was called the great American
desert. We pride ourselves, and we
have the right so to do, that through
our knowledge, thrift and Industry
we have caused the prairie to bloom
and blossom as the garden and this
country of ours is a veritable gran
airy and filled with abundance. l say
that while, however, we briefly consld-
or this we should not forget the per-
son whose foresight more than a
quarter of century, aye, nearly hall
a century ago, to large extent made
this possible. You will remember
that at the time the great industrial
road upon which we live was propos-
ed, considered and later built the
railroads, the transcontinental lines
ct this country were all of them l
believe subsidized by our national
government in some shape or manner,
and say that at that time scarcely
ang, II any of them, were better than
bankruptcy. Yet at that time we
fad the empire builder for whom we
are here in honor today, considering
aud projecting this grtat continental
line. and with his master intellect
presuming to prophecy what would
auvear in the country in twenty-five
thrty-fve, in forty years time, and
you ladies and gentlemen, know the
result. o., ~-..
Time and an industrious and sober
people have amply justified this
prophecy, and l presume that today
our guest takes as much satisfaction
from knowing that his prophecy In
his prophetic investment, as we might
call It. of years ego has come true,
~ he does in the success OF the bust
ness part of the grtat ent arprise.
don't care 70 make extravagant state
ments, but l believe that every sober,
sensible, thinking citizen here today
realizes aud knows that no person
In this great Northwest has done as
much, at least has done no more.
for us and for the Northwest than our
guest who sits before you.
In recognition of this and in re-
turn for It am equally sure that We
are ali grateful and that we are all
here to honor and respect, in our
own small way and to as great an
extent as we can, our guest, and with
OIL further remarks. l introduce to
YOU the empire builder of the North
west, the greatest industrial man OF
the age, Hon. James J. Hill, who will
gow address you.
Tire address gwen by Mr.. Hill fol-
lows in full:
Mr. Chairman. Ladies and Gentlemen:
Today, and here along with you is
one OF the pleasant days of long
NE. 1t is a great pleasure to mo
90 be here today and to see the real
ization of what I hoped and what
firmly believed this time would bring
shout. 1t is within a month Of TWEEN
ty-three years since I first came to
the Mouse river at this point. In 1887
e-tae year following, we built from
G4assman Coulee to Helena. 1t was
. long and hard summers work. A
great many people called 1T my folly.
It was burden at that time even to
be criticized with small degree of
hospitality. Money was not so plenti-
tul. Our country was newer, our
ability to handle large enterprises
greatly limited to what it has become
since then.
After the road was finished to Hell