The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1910-10-20

j. Hill, OF ST. Paul, celebrated his
seventy-second birthday anniversary
few days ago and the newspapers
gave the dispatch sent out from this
city a heading which read: James
j. Hill ~ years Old" The head
writer would have been much nearer
correct had he written, James j. Hill
79 Years Young"
II there is another man in the
United States who has passed the all
lotted time of three score years and
ten. and, having done as much work
in his lifetime as James ]. Hill, "em-
plre builder of the Northwest" still,
retains as keen an intellect and can
yet do as much important work IN a
day, st. Paul would like 10 know who
he Is.
John D. Rockefeller doesn't begin
to do the work that Mr.. Hill does. The
olirdng has shifted much OF his bur-
den to the shoulders of others. He
fnds time to play golf and ride around
in an automobile. Whoever heard Of
James j. Hll playing golf or any 9TH
er game for that matter AS for au-
tomobiles, Mr.. Hill rides in them
when 1t is necessary but he Is like his
friend, Col. Roosevelt, he likes good
horse and would rather be behind u
fine team than be hauled around in
the best automobile that ever was
built. The Father of the Northwest"
however, owns several automobiles.
MIR. HILLS son, Louis w. Hill, on the
other hand is what might be called
an Automobile fiend." The machine
hasn't yet been built that can run too
fast for the younger Hill. 1t is true
that as president of the Great North
ern>railroad. Mr.. Louis W. Hill reliev-
ed his father OF much work, but in the
office OF president of the board, James
j. Hill finds enough to do to keep him
busy every day. His hand is still on
the helm and nothing escapes his no.
tice.
Evidence of Mr.. Hills keenness of
mind was amply given in the address
he delivered before the National Con-
servation Congress last month in St.
Paul Some of the epigrams contain
ed in that address will be quoted in
years to come.
Then came Mr.. Hills blunt reply to
the speech of Francis j. Heney. Mr..
Hill. without mincing words, applied
to Mr.. Heney 1.-THE shorter and ug-
lier" term when he denied that the
Great Northern railroad ever had re-
ceived a cent of aid from the govern
ment. Mr.. Hill has much to he proud
of in his great achievements but II
there is anything in his record tina.
he is prouder of than that he built
his great railroad without help from
the government and that he never
drew salary as railroad official, no.
Z body knows what it is. Consequently
when Mr.. Heney in his attack on rail-
before the conservation congress con-
nected James ]. Hills name with the
Northern Pacific railroad, which did
have government aid in the building,
he made a mistake thai was so seri-
Gus and touched Mr.. Hill. that he de-
ing no attention to such attacks. and
came back with a reply to which. so
far as any one in the railroad offices
in this city knows. Mr.. Heney has not
seen fit to reply.
Mr.. Hill has great faith in St Paul.
To him the Minnesota capital is the
real gateway to the Northwest"
which he has done so much to de-
Velop. His realty holdings in this city
are enormous. He loves it's climate
and often has said the healthfulness
OF ST. Pauls air and water has done
as much as any other thing to sustain
him in his work. In winter he rides
to his Office in an open carriage. Mr..
HIN says he never found a day in st.
Paul too cold for him to get around
He never finds 1t necessary to go
South to spend winter. There is a
mistaken idea about winter in st.
Paul. The air is dry and the cold has
not the penetrating effect OF damper
air in cities farther south. Conse-
quently when the thermometer regis
ters below zero in St. Paul the people
in this city really do not notice the
cold as much as do those in other
cities. Here the temperature is the
same.
Mr.. HIPS St. Paul home is on sum
NIT avenue. residence street equal
ing in beauty any in the world. From
the rear of his house Mr.. Hill has a
view of the Mississippi river and the
beautiful bluffs beyond that provides
picture no artist could truthfully
portray In his home are priceless
collections of art.
Mr.. Hill frequently arrives at his
office at 5 o'clock in the morning and
remains there until 8 in the evening.
His office Is on the second floor of the
Great Northern building and IL he
wants to obtain personal information
in some office on the NTH or sixth
floors, he ignors the elevators and