Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1916-06-02
JAMES ]. HILL DIES
AT HOME IN ST. PAUL
RAILROAD BUILDER, CAPITALIST
AND FRIEND OF THE GREAT
NORTHWEST sUccUMBs.
DEATH ENDS BUSY CAREER
Started as a Poor Boy and Worked His
Way to Top Of the Ladder-FuneraI
Last of the Week-A Short Story
of his Career.

St. Paul, MINI, May 29.-James j.
Hill, railroad builder, capitalist and
most widely known figure of the north
west, died at his Summit avenue resi-
dence at $50 this morning as the re-
suit of an Infection due to bowel trou-
BILE.
Mr.. Hill was unconscious for nearly
IL hours before he died. The doctor,
together with members of the immedi-
ate Hill family, were at the bedside
when the end came.
Fails Through Night.
Following a relapse late yesterday,
Mr.. Hill failed rapidly through the
night.
| All the members of his family were
at the bedside with the exception Of
Mrs. NJ Beard of New York, a daugh-
ter. She is expected to arrive tonight.
James N. Hill of New York and Mrs.
Samuel Hill of Washington arrived
early today.
FLAGS at Halt Mast.
Governor J. A. A. Burnquist ordered
all flags at half-mast on the capitol
and other state buildings in honor of
Mr.. Hill
Mr.. Hills last public requests we're
gifts for the advancement of education,
in which he was deeply interested
throughout the latter years Of his life.
Estimates of Wealth..
Mr.. Hills wealth is estimated all
the way from $10O,OO0,OO0 to $500,000,-
600. He was probably worth between
5000, 100000 and s25O,OOO,OOo.
Mr.. Hills funeral probably will be
held Thursday from the St. Paul ca
thedral and Archbishop John Ireland is
expected to deliver the funeral sermon.
Burial will take place here. No Off
cial announcement of funeral plans
have been made. -
Made Six Wealthy States.
James J., Hill discovered "the bread
basket Of the world" in the great
northwest; he led in its development
from wilderness into what now COM
prises six wealthy states dotted with
100000 farms, and he blaZed trail
for transportation which reached even
tually from Buffalo to Asia, with a to-
tai mileage of rail and steamship facil-
tiles that would nearly girdle the earth
That but roughly spans the story OF
his achievements.
Near Guelph, in Ontario, where JAS
Jerome Hill was born in 1888, the son
of an Irish-C Canadian farmer, who died
when the boy was Is, there stands a
tree stump labeled: 1.-THE last tree
chopped by James j. HILL"
1t marked the lads resolution to go
to the United States. He had been
prompted by an odd incident. Accord
ing to the story that is told, strange
traveller had stopped at the Hill farm
to take dinner, and left his horse at
the gate. Young Hill saw the animal
was tied and he carried it pail of
water. The stranger was pleased with
the lads thoughtfulness and as he
drove off he tossed him a newspaper
fro mthe United States and called out
gravely:
go there, young man. That country
needs youngsters of your spirit"
Hill read the paper carefully. 1t con-
tanned glowing accounts of opportu-
mites in the states. He resolved to in
vestigate for himself. 1t was the next
morning that he chopped his last tree.
Gets Job as Clerk.
AS a mere roustabout lad Of 18 he
toured from Maine to Minnesota. When
in 1856 he disembarked from Missis-
sippi river packet at st. Paul that
place was a frontier town of 5000 in
habitants. At the sign of w. J. Bass
e Co., agents for the Dubuque e st.
Paul Packet company, he found a job
as both stevedore and clerk From that
time on he rose to the to round of the
ladder in railroad management.