The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1916-06-01
JAMES J. H|LL|D|ED
AFTER Brief ILLNESS

James ]. Hill, the most conspicuous
figure in the Northwest, passed away
at his home in St. Paul Monday morn
ing at $3.50 o'clock, following brief
illness. The distinguished patient had
been unconscious for fifteen hours and
death came peacefully. Of the six
sons and three daughters, all were at
the bedside except Mrs. Nice. Beard
of New York. The wife knelt at the
side of Mr.. Hill when death came,
clasping one of his hands in both of
hers.
The funeral was held Wednesday af-
ternoon at o'clock from the home,
only members of the family, Great
Northern employees and the closest
friends attending. The body was in
tered on the Hill farm at North
Oaks. ~
On May 10, Mr.. Hill went home
with bad chill, planning on return
ing within day or two. He was
troubled with hemmoroid of the bow
els which caused his fever. He grew
better, but on May %, he was taken
worse and DR.. Mayo of Rochester was
called. The bowels became infected
and DR.. Mayo made a slight incision
in the infected area. Saturday, Drs.
Villa and Charles Mayo returned and
opened freely the infected area. The
infection soon spread to the right
thigh and below the knew and he
gradually lost strength until death.
A few minutes before the end Mrs.
Samuel Hill of Seattle, after race
with death all the way from the Pa
cific coast, hurried into the sick room.
She knelt at the bedside and grasped
her unconscious father by the hand.
Four other daughters and all three
sons, as well as the dying mans wife,
were in the room. The physicians
present were DR.. Herman M. Biggs of
New York and DR.. Stanley T. Seeger
Of the Mayo staff, Rochester. DR.
William j. Mayo, who had remained in
St. Paul all day Sunday, returned to
Rochester last night when he knew
there was no hope.
Walter Hill entered his dying faith
er's room on clutches. He sprained
his ankle when he slipped and fell at
Hallock, Mimi, recently. He kept
fully informed as to his fathers con-
dition and hurried home Saturday
night by special train. - ?
The sons left by Mr.. Hill are James
N. Hill, New York; Louis w. Hill, St
Paul; Walter Hill, St. Paul. ~ The
daughters are: Miss Clara Hill, St.
Paul; Mrs. Samuel Hill, Seattle; Mrs
Michael Gavin, New York; Mrs. A
McC. Beard, New York; Mrs. George
7. Slade, st. Paul, and Mrs. Emil
rBOeckman, St. Paul.
:. Mr.. Hill at the time of his death
controlled the Great Northern road
which he had fathered; the Northern
Pacific and Burlington roads, the
Great Northern Steamship company
the Great Northern ore properties in
northern Minnesota and many lesser
interests. He was for many years
deeply interested in systematic crop
improvement and livestock breeding
as means Of lettering the vast agricul-
tural region in which his own interests
and the interests of his transportation
companies were conferred.
Estimates made in the twin cities
placed the Hill fortune at figures
ranging all the way from $1OO, ,OOO
to $30O,00O,OOO. Men we'll informed in
financial circles generally estimated
it at between $2O0,O00,00O and $780,
100000.
It was said that at the start of the
European war, when a financial panic
was feared in some quarters, Mr.. Hill
called the directors of the Northwest