Bisbee daily review., 1910-09-25
WHERE IS THE WATER IN THE
 HILL ROADS ]?

his energy. his foresight. and his alone built this road. He was laughed at, as I was when building the Kansas City Southern-pro- nounced a dreamer. and the territory the road was to open was called a desert. The railroad men of his section said. Wait until he must re- new the ties, and then see where he will be-" but Mir Hill. like all men that destiny has chosen for such work, could see the end. though none else foresaw. It was the prophetic vision of James J. Hill (withheld from others) which enabled him to keep up the fight. amid crop fail ures, panics. islander and yet live. and work and give service to the world.
 James J. Hill. in Building the Great Northern, was positive that his mes- sage of prosperity and blessing was to be delivered at the Pacific coast: he carried the message to Garcia. And what message ii was, written on the ground in characters of steel.
 What blessing it was for that wonderful, unoccupied country! Cities sprang up and millions of acres re- sounded to the song of the blow, Aladdin's lamp never produced so wonderful a dream as this reality millions of homes. great waving fields of grain. Giant trees, that for cen turies had resisted all stress of sea sons, and all foes. became the sub jects of this King of Commerce. What a lessing to confer on the na- tion,It was not like a distant pro- tectorate; it was not like the Phil ippines-over the sea; here was an empire within yet added to our own sleeping country. What gift from one man!
 Let us admit what Hill had done. someone else might have accom- piished at later day; but Hill was ten years in advance of the times. What gift this was from one empire builder, Figures are cold, and words arc weak to tell the story.
 The mind of man can scarcely com prehend all the blessings conferred through the building of the Great Northern, but let us try to enumerate some of these The Great Northern has goo miles of track; figure that ? 900 miles of this territory would have been developed by other rail roads, so in only 5000 miles of the 1000 is development credit due to Nr Hills enterprise.
 Figure that the Great Northern has in creased land valued but s20 per acre fin 5,60o miles of it's territory. We will say that land only for fifty miles on either side of the track was in- creased in value. l am convinced. increased values of all the cities and towns brought into be- ing by this road, and the value of all the minerals and timber contained, this increase should be estimated at double or treble above figure. To te we will only put the in crease at s20 per acre.
 Here is a section of land 900 by 10S miles tributary to the Great Northern, and in this territory is 5oO. 900 square miles or 320,000,000 acres. Figure that this has increased SEQ per acre in market value since the advent of the road; the increase would then amount to S6,400,0 100000 of wealth added to the country by the uutirips work of James J. Hill.
 Estimate that Hill was only ten years in advance of others in creat- ing these values. and We will not credit him with per cent simple in terest on these created values for this ten year period, which amounts to s $40. .oO0. .e00. Bear in mind that this is just the interest for ten years on what Hill created in property and land values. and only taking m 5 900 miles of the 1000.
 If you earn $50 per year you have the same increase as man wit6 sl 1000 invested at 6 per cent. Income is the annual revenue from your time or from your invested money.
 Now consider this great territory brought to life by the Great Northern railroad, of the mines, the cities the farms. the steamship business, devei' oped by Hill and his Great Northern
 At least 5oo. 900 people found em p,oyrnent at good wages. by reason of this one mans energy. If eacn only earns $2 day this is increased income for employed labor amounting tc s1 800 coo per day or for ''e, days is $500. 100000 annually This is per cent on five billion dollars.
 In other words. through Hill work United States labor was able te earn ss much additions' money a: canitaI could earn on the investment of five billion dollars.
 Ii staggers the human mind ts think that one railroad built by on' man could bring such blessing to nation
 How an the United States wal blessed by this increased earning ca
 pacity of labor, Men from all th' earth were called to this section D' these opportunities They came aer'
 from Germany. France Sweden. Noi
 way England, Austria. brought tnei
 families, earned this money. spent
 here.
 What did these increased earning
 of labor do for wholesale trade an
 retail trade? Hill increased ian
 va,ues at least s6. 400, 600 900. he 1T
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