Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-29

seized every opportunity to study tn.
whole problem Of river transportation
He gathered no end Of experience ant
a little capital with which he Launched
his own firm OF HILL Griss & Co.
which promptly displayed it's initiative
by bringing the first load. Of coal tina
had ever been seen in that section intt
st. Paul Two years later, with s
fiat bottomed steamer he established
the first regular communication will
s. Paul and the Manitoba ports Of thu
fertile Red River valley. y 49, e
e.& Buys Defunct Railway.
At about that time St. Paul wa'
having its first experiment in rail
road building, Eighty miles had beel
laid to st. Cloud, s316 miles to Breck.
enridge, both of which terminals wer'
at the southern end Of the Red rive
valley, and there were about 100 miles
of track which began nowhere anc
ended in that same indefinite spot
This venture ran up q debt OF $685..
600, 900 and collapsed, with its onl,
asset being "a few streaks of rust ano
right Of way"
Hill had had sufficient success ir
suming desire to purchase the de-
funct property. After five years OF
financial dickering, including the sale
of all his other interests, which netted
a fortune Of 100000. he and syndi-
cate Of three others--Sirv Donald A
Smith, George Stephen and Norman
W. Kittson-obtained the object OF
this desire.
:. -. Builds Road TO Coast.
The st. Paul, Minnesota & Mani
tuba Railway was formed to operate
the property with Hill as general
manager. When in 1888 Mr.. Hill was
elected president he undertook the ex-
tension Of the road from Its Dakota
and Minnesota homestead to the
Pacific ocean. He was confronted by
three great competitors to the south,
each of which had received big bonuses
as government aid, whereas the Mani
toba" or the Great Northern, as It
came to be known, did not nave
dollar of government subsidy or an
acre of grant to forward it's progress
from the Minnesota boundary to the
sea. -. 49, ,r.r-..
In this light, Hills plan was widely
deemed pure folly, but he pressed 1t
to conclusion by building and popu-
lating as he built For several years
he laid rails westward at the rate OF
a mile a day, and at a cost OF $S0,ooO
a mile, and as he went he left a trail
Of embryonic farms by the ratiside.
Becomes Empire Builder.
With the line to Puget Sound once
laid, he turned empire builder. He In
troduced the live stock industry into
vast areas Of bunch grass plains, and
developed them by importing blooded
stock; he sent demonstration trains
thru the country with men who showed
the people how to raise more wheat
to the acre; he made an outlet Tor the
grain by establishing a cheap rate by
rail and steamship to Bunalo, where
he built great elevators; in fact for
upwards Of twenty years he-left noth'
ing in his power undone to develor
the country where he had staked oul
his claim - the great common car.
.rier 1, ~ e.
=. But rnt the Pacfhc tidewater he was
not satisfied for he saw IN the Orient
'stin further opportunities. He organ
lied fleet OF Pacific steamships fol
the commercial invasion, Of Japan and
China Japan at the time wanted
steel rails, but proposed getting <hem
from England. as the rates were less
It is related that when JohnSW. Gates,
the steel magnate Of Chicago, came to
Hill with the, proposition Of getting
American rails to Japan, the latter re-
piled: -,,*, e. x =, ~
II will make you rate OF $s ton
from Chicago or Pittsburgh to Yoko-
hama. II that Is too much, I will carry
1t for the axle grease used on the loco
motives and freight cars and II you
can't stand that Il will carry your
freight for nothing t>.5s@S: .,
AT the So rate named the American
manufacturer was enabled to secure
the Japanese contract -
So Faith 10 Rewarded.
The same tactics were adopted in
getting American wheat and flour into
Japan and China, where rice was the
staple food. S 49,. t-~
His faith in the far east was re-
warded as liberally as that; in the
northwest. 1t Is estimated that the
Pacific fleet now carries nearly $780,
100000 worth of products to the
Orient every year. y. Z TX -. 5:Esf
and his associates AN immense fortune,
he also helped to create for the settlers
along his lines g. wealth Of over $5,-
900, 100000 in real property. which is
by the value Of the 10000
farms and their $1,000, 900 acres of inn
proved land. s.s.i 2 x. Y, -
Upon his retirement at 3, So. the
streak Of rust" he had bought thirty
years before, had expanded to more
than 5000 miles and 1t was earning
gross profits Of more than $66, 600, ,000
a year, and carrying 15.000,000 tons OF
freight annually. He still retained a
hand in the Great Northern's policy as
chairman Of the board Of directors.
while his son Louis, who had worked
UP from the humblest position Of his
fathers railroad. became president =
& The secret of the Hill SUCCESS was no
secret at all. according to. Mr.. Hill,
and he had no new recipes to offer.
''The man with the big opportunity to-
day" he said. SIS i the man IN the
ranks" But the secret Of failure he
declared to be extravaganza.
He regarded this as a national ten
dency, against which he strongly set
himself, particularly as concerned the
natural resources q. .13
Hard Work Brought Success.
During his active supervision Of the
Great Northern system, Mr.. Hill over
saw almost every detail, to the wonder
Of all employees with whom he came
In contact. a fugitive instance Of his
recognition dn his own country Is the
story Of a tourist who declares that