Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-09-09
ADDED BILLIONS TO
COUNTRY'S WEALTH
Continued from First Page)
written on the ground in characters
of steel.
Wonderful Country Blessed.
Continued from First Page.)

w HdC DRESSING IL was TOT that !
wonderful unOccupied country! Cit.
les sprang up, and millions of acres
responded to the song of the pillow.
Aladdin's lamp never produced SO
wonderful dream as this reality
millions of homes, great waving fields
OF grain. Giant trees, that for CEN
turtles had resisted all stress of sea-
sons, and all foes, became the sub
jects of this king of commerce.
What a blessing to confer on the ma
ton! 1t was not like a distant pro-
tectOrate it was not like the Phillip
pines-Over the sea: but here was an
empire within, yet added to our own
sleeping country. What a gift from
one man!
''Let us admit what Hill had done
some one else might have accom-
plished 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
are weak to tell the story.
'"The mind of man can scarcely
comprehend all the blessings con-
ferred through the building of the
Great Northern, but let us try to en-
umerate some of these. The Great
Northern has 1000 miles of track;
figures that 1900 miles of this terri
tory would have been developed by
other railroads, so. in only 5000
miles OF the 1000 is development ere
dit due to Mr.. Hills enterprise.
Increased Values OF Farms.
"Figure that the Great Northern
has increased land values but $50 per
acre in 5000 miles OF it's territory.
We will say that land only for fifty
miles on either side Of the track was
increased III value. am convinced,
considering 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 be
conservative we will only put the in
crease ut $50 per acre.
"llere is section of land 5000 bv
100 miles tributary to the Great
Northern, and in this territory $780,
600 square miles OK 32O, OOO, 900 acres.
Figure that this mas Increased $50 per
acre III market value, since the adj
vent OF the road: in the increase
would then amount to SIS, 400 COO, 900
of wealth added to the country 10y che
untiring work of James j. Hill.
Estimate that Hill was only ten
years in advance of others in creating
these values, and we will not credit
all the development to him: we will
only credit him with per cent
simple interest on these created val
ues for this ten-year period which
amounts to $3.50. 100000 Bear in
mind that this is Just the interest for
ten years on what Hill created in pro-
perty values, and only taking in 5000
miles of the 1000.
Gives Employment To Half Million People.
IF you earn $50 per year you have
the same increase as man with 81 900
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 rail-
road, Of the mines. the cities, the
farms, the steamship business. de-
yeloped by Hill and his Great Mort H.
ern.
"At least 500, 900 people found en-
ployment at good wages by reason of
this one mans energy. If each only
earns 50 day this is increased i'm
come for employed labor amounting
to 81 200, 900 per day, or for 300 days
is $500, OOO,O annually. This is 6
per cent on five billion dollars"
''ln other words, through Hills
work United States labor was able to
earn as much additional money as
capital could earn on the investment
OF five billion of dollars.
- ctUSSVlC tuO 10
think that one railroad built by one
man could bring such a blessing to Il
nation.
GLOW all the United States was
blessed by this increased earning ca
pacity of labor! Men from all the
earth were called to this section by
these opportunities. They came here
from Germany, France, Sweden, Nor
way, England, Austria, brought their
families, earned this money, spent it
here.
"What did these increased earn.
ings of labor do for our wholesale
trade and retail trade? Hill increas-
ell land values at least s6, 4OO. 900. 900,
he increased the annual value of la.