South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-05-29

hlIteOns ne SeCuitu tuAl pitAe teiA-
troll and the line was reorganized in
1879 as the ST. Paul, Minneapolis and
Manitoi.a Railway Co, with Mr.. Hin
as general manager. lie became
president in 1889. &.
MIR. Hill now proposed a railway
from the great lakes TO the Pacific.
Many thought him a visionary, he
paralIeled the Northern Pacific,
which had been assisted by the
United States government and the
Canadian Pacific, which had re-
ceived vast grants from Canada.
Builds Great System.
without one cent OF state or gov
eminent money the Great Northern
system was constructed. From 1880
to 1893 5000 miles of track were
built and equipped.
It was built at the rate of nearly
a mile a day for every day of Mr..
Hills control. and extends from lake
Superior 10 Puget sound.
In addition Mr.. Hill organized a
fleet on the Pacific and another on
the great lakes as feeders TO his
railway. His lake boats surpassed in
speed and size any built before.
Mr.. Hill accepted no salary. While
building up fortunes for himself and
other shareholders he created more
than a billion in realty values for
settlers along his line.
Mr.. Hill worked and studied con-
stantly until he was an expert in al
most every phase of the geography,
minerals, water. population and re-
sources of every part of the north
west.
He was singularly felicitous in
dealing with his employers and had
but one serious strike.
In 1901 with ]. Pierpont Morgan
and others, Mr.. Hills Great North
ern and the Northern Pacific rail-
way bought a large share of the
stock of the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy Railroad Co. comprising
nearly 5000 miles of track.
About the same time Edward II.
Hartman and associates in the
onion Pacific railway acquired a
majority of the stock of the North
ern Pacific.
Stock Fight Ensues.
A fight between the Hartman in
terests and the Hill-MOrgan inter
ests for the purchase of Northern
Pacific common stock in the open
market brought about the panic Of
May 3, 1901. when the stock went
to $1,000 a share.
BY exercising a right to retire the
Northern Pacific preferred stock, the
Hill-Morgan group, which controlled
the common, won the fight.
Mr.. Hill now organized and be-
came president of the S400. 100000
Northern Securities Co., which was
to take over Great Northern and
Northern Pacific stock of the Hill
Morgan group, and also the Harri-
man holdings in Northern Pacific.
This resulted in a federal anti
trust suit. Pres't Roosevelt ordered
the government prosecutors to take
action. The case was taken up TO the
supreme court where, in 1904, the
combination was held illegal. The
Northern Securities Co.'S stock hold
ings were distributed among the
stockholders.
But the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific continued TO control
the Burlington and all three roads
prOspered. The territory along their
lines developed rapidly.
Mr.. Hill never gave up his work
on account OF age, and labored
faithfully to the last.
III. IL l. Il,
ly i'm his ingenuity in devising and
adopting standards for railway loca-
ton, construction and operation. He
revolutionized the American railway
industry and brought costs of trans
pOrtatiOn by rail far below the level
Of foreign countries.
He was a great believer in low
grades. heavy power. large capacity
cars. and big trainloads. and ne lived
to see his principles universally
adopted.
COnnoiseur of Art.
In his later life Mr.. Hill was a
great art connoiseur and throughout
his career he found time for extern
sive reading. He had a fine cOllec-
ton of paintings of the modern
French school.
His charitable gifts were many.
He supported especially Manchester
and Hamline colleges.
His broadmindedness was attested
in st. Paul Theological seminary, an
institution to train men for the Ro-
nan Catholic priesthood. Although
Mr.. Hill was not of that religious
faith. he built this school and com
Pletely endowed il at cost of $780,
0OO
He married Mary Theresa Mehe-
gan of St. Paul on Aug. 10, 1867,
and was the father OF two sons,
James y. and Lewis Hill, and five
daughters. Both his sons are now
prominent in the railroad business