The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-06-24

equal to that of Iowa, which is now
considered the best of the agricultural
states. But the report of the United
States commissioner of agriculture
shows that the portion of Montana
now under cultivation yields at least
twice as much per acre as does Iowa.
Therefore, when your thirty-five mil
lion acres are all brought under the
pillow your crops will double those OF
Iowa, and Montana will take her place
at the head of the list
ITO speak those words now is to
utter a truism. To speak them seven
years ago required almost the vision
of a prophet But prospective set
tiers believed Mr.. Hill had the vision
and they began coming in by the
thousands, until last year the i'm
migration to Montana surpassed that
to any other western state.
His advice regarding diversified
farming was another evidence of
his far-sightedness. If acted upon,
the immediate effect would be a
diminution rather than an increase,
in the volume of freight from Mon
tana. But Mr.. Hill was not looking
for immediate results. He was will
ing that the reward to his road should
come intimately through the pros
perity of the farmers themselves
Mutual helpfulness was his motto.
Toward his employees he pursued
a similar policy. Realizing that
capital and labor are absolutely de-
pendent upon each other and, there
fore, ought to be intimate friends,
he encouraged his work people to-
invest their savings in his road. To
my surprise he one day showed me
book containing $4,000 names-many
Of them the names of women and
wage-earning young girls-whose bear
ers shared with him the ownership OF
the Great Northern. These were
promised no interest, but they never
failed to receive their dividends
ton of the road was criticized by some
as being parsimonious, but it was
dictated by Mr. Hills scrupulous re-
gard for the investments of the poor
people who put their faith in him. To
him these investments were a sacred
trust. 1t was his boast that no in
vestor ever lost a dollar. Mr.. Hill
was a man of the strictest integrity.
His career is proof that great for
tunes can be made while benefiting
ones fellowman, and without viola
ton of the laws of justice. His rise
from the position of Office clerk to
that of railroad and empire builder
is an inspiration to young men of
ability and character who are only
in the ranks
"Mr. Hill was firm believer in
higher education. With him, success
in life-even in business life-did not
consist in amassing money, but is do
ing something for the common good.
For this money may be useful, but
money is not the chief thing. 1t is
only a means to an end. A we'll
developed mind is more Important
mind capable of seeing, grasping and
creating opportunities mind with
ability to organize, to foresee and fore
stall difficulties. to open markets, to
complete, to govern, to direct, to i'm
prove, to furnish occupation.
Barring exceptional natural gen
Jus, such mind, he used to say, can
be developed only by higher education.
But the greatest element of success
| he declared to be honesty, probity, in
tegrity and all those social and civic
virtues which have their root in per-
sonal morality. Education, therefore,
| without moral training, he regarded
as not only useless, but as positive
| injury to the individual and to So
ciety. With Washington he believed
that morality is impossible without
religion and it's divine sanctions, and
that, therefore, if society, the state,
and even business itself is to be pre-
served and developed, religion must
be the very heart and soul of educa-
ton, and especially of the higher edu-
cation of college and university.
1T was because Christianity is an
essential part of the curriculum and
of the atmosphere of Mount ST.
Charles College, that he cheerfully
gave $4,000 to the endowment fund
of that institution. Upwards of 20
colleges in America have been his
beneficiaries, but always subject to a
similar condition. His indignation
knew no bounds when he heard of con-
| tributions made to institutions Of
higher learning conditioned on the
elimination of religion from their
courses of studies.
I'm James ]. Hill America has lost
one of her greatest men, the north
j ,,,nrt hc 1,c,1,.loc.e.a l,1lildnr nf her n1ll.