Semi-weekly herald., 1916-06-01
JAS. ]. HILL DEAD.

j.. hiA dica here at 9:4S this morn
ing. He failed rapidly during the
night.
The end came quietly and he suf-
fered no death agonies. He was un-
conscious for few hours before tho
end anne.
One daughter arrived on a special
train just in time to grasp his hand,
before he died
= the entire fan,ily excepting one
J aarghter. Mrs A. NJ Beard. who re
sides iu New York, were present at
his bedside as he passed away.
The widow collapsed when she
roalciaed that her husband was gone.
The entire northwest country IS
pieraring to pay a tribute to his
1aemory.
The ten days Of his illness cost in
the neiehborhood of s25,o0O.
Mr. Hin held several deathbed con
ferences ON his deathbed.
Realizing t5at his condition was
serious. be called several railroad of
firiaIs yesterday and told them what
disposition to make Of severn, pend
ing matters. He also held CON
ference with two bankers.
Nh James J. Hill, the Colossus
o. Roads" was born in Wellington
county, Ontario, in 1898. on his
fathers side he das descended from
iardy Irish stock, while from hit
scotch mother he inherited the noble
traits OF the Dunbar lire
Unlike most American millionaires
the late Mr.. Hin was hampered If
r tthe tasl, of self-creation by thorc
education. His parents determined
That one Of his studious temperament
Should be a physician and sent him
t. Roclgwood academy to fit him foI
tie profe sion whore he received
thoro grounding in mathematics, Lat
iu and the sciences and acquired
thirst for knowledge that character
led his whole life.
At the age of Is, his fathers sud
den death, threw him on his own re
sources, and he was Obliged to aban-
don his coveted profession and seek
employment in country store. Thres
years later he went to St. Paul, then
"a mere struggling village on the out
shirts OF civilization, whore he secur-
Ell employment as a shipping clerl
m the office OF the Debuque & ST
Paul Pac'-et company. He rapidly
enlarged the scope of his activities
to cover the transportation depart
Int and was Influential in consoH
d ing this company with another an.
o. King it a very effective system
IT, nltmce to that section of tho
country.
The really important work in Nj
lills career commenced in the late
70's, when he undertook the reor
t,anization Of the St. Paul G. Pacifi,
|ailroad, which was then little moro
.han a streak of rust and right Of
way extending over the prairie fol
les than 400 miles, and having
debt of $33,000,000 against it. He
was the first to see the possibility
ri consolidating this line with various
others and extending the line thrr
Che great northwest. thereby tapping
one of the richest countries in the
world. He met with no end of dis
couraQemcnt but after considerable
effort enlisted the aid of capitalist
O. ,-rir4 hin,
1888 his achievements had been con
sidered without a parallel in the rail
road world. He built and equipped
a system Of G,000 miles with the ex-
coption Of the puny 400 he had in the
beginning, without state or govern
mont land grant or subsidy, at the
rate of nearly a mile every day he
was in charge of the property. While
other railroads collapsed or went in
the hands of receivers, the Great
Northern has never once defaulted in
tine interest on its bonds or passed
a dividend.
population, trade and civilization
followed his line and won the man
whose genius made the construction
of The road possible the title Of the
Empire Builder of the Northwest. As
soon as this railroad was completed
be carried his plans to the construc-
ton Of steam ship lines and from
tie western terminal of the road
SEATTLE, built up a large trade with
the Orient
Nor were his activities confined to
railroads and transportation. He re-
allied the Importance of successful
farmers to his lines and conducted
model farms for the benefit of those
who titled the soil in the territory
II L.a..-A e,Aa..l. lu.......;..lr ...n. .,rntlnni.