Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-05-29
EMPIRE BUILDER PASSED
away At ST. PAUL TODAY
James J. Hill, Aged Railroad Man. Unable to Survive
Shock Of Operation Performed Saturday, Died This
Morning, and Through His Death One Of the Leading
Industrial Captains Of The Nation Leaves Stage Of Action

announced that ''the outlook was ex-
trenlely serious"
Desiring a special sedative to quiet
Hill. the doctors sent to Chicago Tor
II. distance OF 431 miles. The Sc
datiye was brought to St. Paul ON a
special train. which covered the
ground In 5 hours . minutes. new
record. When tho sedatlve arrived.
surgeons decided mot to use II.
Mrs. Samuel Hill, Of Washington
state. Hills daughter. arrived on d
special train and rushed to the death
chamber just in time to grasp her
fathers hand before life nickered out.
Hill was conscious to the end. Mrs.
A. NJ. Bard. OF New York. who was
en- route on q special train. was the
only child mot at the bedside when
the end came.
Physicians declared that Hill would
have survived his illness but for his
great age. Hill's activity continued
right up to the last and he held q
business conference on his death bed.
Realizing that his illness would prob
ably prove fatal. the aged financicr
on Sunday called several railroad
oficials to his side and instructed
them regarding the disposition he
wished to make Of several pending
matters. He also conferred with two
bank officials. One OF the last gigan-
tic, deals In which Hill participated
was the allied loan.
Hill was one OF the close personal
friends OF the king Of Belgium and
cid everything in his power to assist
the king and the people of Belgium.
The history of Hill's life is the his
tory OF development In the northwest.
Fifty years ago he was a dock clerk
In St. Paul and practically penniless.
He died a multi-millionaire.
Hills parents were plain, hard
working Scotch and north Of Ireland
stock. Hill wanted to be q great sur
geon. His fathers death when he
was Is years old blasted that hope.
When Hill entered the fuel and
transportation business for himself
he became simultaneously station
master Of st. Paul's only railroad.
Lord Mount Stephen. Lord Strath-
coma and Norman W. Kittson formed
the trio which purchased the Mime
sofa & Pacific railroad from Dutch
bondholders and put Hill in charge.
This road. running between st. Paul
and Minneapolis, was the foundation
Of the great Hill lines.
The Great Northern was organized
In 1889 to merge all branches and
feeders in Minnesota and the Dako-
tas. The same year Hill pushed the
line toward Puget sound and the ore
producing regions in northern Min
nesota.
The organization of steamship COM
panles operating to the orient through
Seattle was the next step In Hills
career In the meantime he put
through the Northern Pacific. which
Is another line connecting st. Paul
with the coast.
Needing a line between Chicago
and the coast, Hill bought the Burl-
lngton route In 1901, But the North
ern Securities company, organized to
control the three roads, was dissolved
as illegal,
The Great Northern purchased its
subsidiary lines in 1907. Expansion
was the keynote OF Hill's life. Louis
Hill replaced his father In active
direction OF the railroad interests In
1919.
James ]. Hill's children are James
n. Hill, Mrs. A. NJ Bard and Mrs.
Michael Gavin. of New York; Mrs.
George slade, Mrs. Emil Boeckmann,
Miss Clara Hill and Louis Hill, OF st.
Paul; Walter Hill, OF Hallock, MINI,
and Mrs, Samuel Hill. OF washington
state.