Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-30
JAMES ]. WILL,
TRANSPORTATION
MAGNATE. dead
Railroadcr and Great Financicl
Dies at His Home in st. Pail
After Long Spell of
Sickness.
WAS SEVENTY. EIGHT YEARS OLD
Former Head of Great Northern.
Northern Pacific and Burling-
! ton Retired Four Years Ago.
DEATH IS DUE TO INFEcTIo-I

ST. Taul, May 29-James J I'M
railroad builder, capitals, and siast
widely known figure e the northwest,
died at his Summit avenue residence
at $3.50 o'clock this morning as the
result Of an infection due to bowel
trouble.
Mr. Hill was unconscious for nearly
twelve hours before he died Dr.
Herman NJ Briggs and DR.. Stanley
Seager, together with members OF
the immediate Hill family were al
the bedside when the end came.
Mr.. Hills personal secretary, NJ
r. Brown, made the announcement
Of his employers demise to waiting
newspaper correspondents at the Hill
residence. His statement was made
verbally with the inNmation that
written bulletin might be issued later
Questioned rgarding the date for
obsequies Mr.. Brown said no ar
cement, had been discussed
Relapse Comes Sunday.
Following relapse late yesterday
Mr.. Hill failed rapidly through the
night
All the members OF his family were
at the bedside with the exception OF
Mrs, NJ Beard of New York, daugh-
ter She is expected 20 arrive to-
night. James n. Hill Of New York
and Mrs. Samuel Hill OF Washing
| ton arrived early today.
Louis w Hill was up at a. M.
My father slept most Of the night"
he said -
NJ. r. Brown, Mr.. Hills eonhden-
tial secretary met the newspaper re-
porters on the lawn.
MIR Hill died quietly at $3.50, he
said with tears in his eyes
/ Just as Mr.. Hill was dying two
/ Little Sisters OF the Poor approached
the house from the south driveway.
/ They were met at the door, extend
ed their sympathy. and departed. One
\ Of the first to leave the house was
4 John ]. Toomey, Mr.. Hills conhden-
| tial business agent and associate for
\ years. Mr. Toomey took his depar-
ture al $50, followed by Ralph Budd,
assistant TO Louis w. Hill, president
OF the Great Northern railroad and
one OF the younger ri,embers of Mr..
Hills railtoad family.
/ L. w. Hill was next to leave the
/ house. He walked between Rev.
4 Thomas J Gibbons, vicar general Of
! the St Paul archdiocese, and George
/ MACPHERSON, intimate friend OF the
/ family Grief showed plainly on the
\ face Of the elder Hills successor. All
three went to the L, w. Hill resi-
dence.
Sketch of James j. Hill.
James J. Hill was the last survivor
of the comparatively few men in
America credited with having earned
the title OF railroad kings. Unlike
most men, who, in recent years, have
had large financial interests in
railroads, Mr. Hill was during the
greater part Of his career an active
railroad executive, 1t was rather as
railroad executive than as rail-
road financier that he made deep
and lasting impression on railroad
transportation in the United States.
Mr.. Hills name always will be as
sociated with the history of the
economies affected by the railroads
of the United States through the re-
markable increases in tonnage per
train, which were made after the re-
vival of business beginning in 1897,
and prior to the panic of 1907. To
Mr.. Hill alone OF modern railroad
men was given the title OF empire
builder" and this mainly because he
not only built a railroad into unde-
veloped territory, but also did more
| than anyone else TO get population
1 into that territory.
Native OF Canada.
James Jerome Hill was born on a
farm near Guelph, Ont, in 1888, OF
/ Scoteh-lrish parents, Under the
hard work of the farm lie grew up
sturdy aud healthy. Between the
age OF 2 and II years he attended an
academy near bis home, where he de-
/ yelnped a marked aptitude iol read
( ing aud study HIS fathers death
when hc was ~ years vt age made IL
necessary tor him to 60 % work IS a
clerk 10 the village store.
/ In 1850 he set out for California.
hnt within the yeaC found himself ON
The steamboat docks AZ ST. Paul.
where he obtained employment as a