The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-05-29
DEATH FOLLOWS
oPERA1|oN; | END
! +. y. COMES QUIETLY
Magnate is Unconscious; Suffers No
!, Agonies; Mrs. Hill
Collapses.
WORKED FROM SHIPPING
CLERK TO "EMPIRE BUILDER"
Daughter After Strenuous Race
Against Time Reaches Death
Chamber.
WORKED FROM SHIPPING
CLERK TO "EMPIRE BUILDER"

James J. Hill, Empire Builder"
died this morning at 9:43 o'clock at
his home in St. Paul. Death follow
ed an operation to drain a carbuncle
at the end of the magnate's intes-
tines.
Death Comes Quietly.
The. official bulletin stated that
death came quietly. Mr.. Hill was un-
conscious and there were no death
agonies.
Mrs. Beard, a daughter, after a
strenuous race against time, rushed
into the death chamber just in time
to grasp her fathers hand as he was
dying. Mrs. Hill, the widow, COL
lapsed when death came.
Well Known.
Mr.. Hill was we'll known in Be-
midi, having visited here on several
occasions. He was the principal
speaker at the banquet given at the
opening of the Great Northern depot
in this city.
Everywhere in Bemidji expression
of regret of his death was heard to-
day.
Greatest Loss.
1T is the Northwest's greatest loss
in vhx,
of the Bemidji Townsite company
and a close friend of Mr.. Hill, when
Informed of Mr. Hills death by a
Pioneer representative.
Great Northern stock in the New
York exchange went up one point at
the opening while Northern Pacific
was off one point today as a result
of Hills death.
A history of the life of James Jer-
ONE Hill is a history of the develop
ment of the Northwest. His was per-
haps the most thorough influence in
the development of this vast expanse
of almost half a continent over which
his railroads extend. Fifty years ago
today, Hill was a dock clerk in st.
Paul-practically penniless. Today
his fortune is millions.
Born in 1888.
James J. Hill was born on back
woods farm in the vicinity OF Rock
wood, Wellington county, province OF
Ontario, on Sept. 16, 1888. His
father was one of the early settlers
of that region, coming from the north
of Ireland. His mother was a Dun
bar, descended of the famous Scotch
family of that name, who trace thelr
lineage to the Stuarts in direct line.
The Dunbars, however, were driven
from their native country by the
Catholics, and were compelled to seek
refuge in the New World. 1t is some
what remarkable that in spite of the
fact that his father was an Orange
man and his mother victim OF the
old-time Catholic intolerance, Mr..
Hill imbibed no religious prejudices.
He gave convincing evidence OF that
fact by donating in all nearly ST.
900 900 for founding and endoW1ng
Roman Catholic institution, the
St. Thomas seminary and college at
St. Paul.
Disliked Farm Work.
Although descended from a long
line of hard working tillers Of the
soil and in spite Of the example set
to him by his thrifty father, young
| Hill never liked manual work of any
kind. Particularly did he dislike
farm work. Neither threats nor per-
suasion could induce him to turn
from his beloved books to the neces-
sary work in the fields. Every mo-
ment of his spare time he devoted to
reading. From his books he not only
gained an invaluable education, Dut
habits of industry and application as
we'll. and his reading was selected ju-
diciously with view to ultimate
benefit. it became an instrument to
aid success which might have been
impossible without it.
| Studies for Ministry.
| When his father after many abor-
tive attempts at persuation and CO.
ercion came to the conclusion that
lin could not be induced to do farm
| work, he decided to send him to
school and make of him a Presbyter-
liam minister. Young Hill was sent te
the lockwood academy, where he de.
voted himself to his task of acquiring
classical education for ten years
When the boy had reached his eight,
d eenth year he came to the conclusion
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