The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-05-30
CAREER Of H|tL
FULL Of ACTION
While Master Railroad Builder
Piled Up Private Fortune He
Benefited Mankind
Concluded from Page u

anu no She. went ne leIJ Jrn1l OF en-
bryouie farms by the railside.
With the line to Puget Sound once
laid, he turned Empire Builder. He in.
PRODUCED the live stock industry into
vast areas Of bunch.grass plains, and
developed them by importing bIooded
stock; he sent demonstration trains
through the country with men who
showed the people how to raise more
wheat to the acre; he made an outlet
for the grain by establishing CHEAP
rate by rail and steamship to Buffalo
where he built elevators; in fact for
upwards Of 20 years he left nothing in
his power undone to develop the coun.
try where he had staked out his claim
as the great common carrier.
Organizes Pacific Fleet r1
But at the Pacific tide-water he was
not satisfied for he saw in the Orient
still further opportunities. He organic.
ed a feet of Pacific steamships for
the commercial invasion of Japan and
China. japan at the time wanted steel
rails, but proposed getting them from
England, as the rates were less. It is
related that when John W. Gates, the
steel magnnte of Chicago, came to Hill
with the proposition of getting Amer,
lean rails to Japan, the latter replied
81 will make you rate of eight dol
lars ton from Chicago or Pittsburgh
to Yokohama. If that is too much,
will carry it for the axle grease used
on the locomotives and freight cars
and if you can't stand that, l will
carry your freight for nothing.',. IS,
At the eight dollar rate named, the
American manufacturer was enabled to
secure the Japanese contract. ~. T..
The same tactics were adopted in
getting American wheat and -four into
japan and China, where rice was the
staple food. "a
His faith in the Far East was re-
warded as literally as that in the
Northwest. 1t is estimated that the
Pacific feet now carries nearly $780,.
100000 worth of products to the Orient
every year.
While Hill built up for himself and
bis associates an immense fortune, he
also helped to create for the settlers
along his lines wealth of more than
five billion dollars in real property,
which is represented by the value of
the 100000 farms and their $4,000, 600
acres of improved land.
Success Is No Secret
Upon his retirement at sixty-nine
the "streak of rust" he had bought
thirty years before, had expanded to
more than 5000 miles and it was earn.
ing gross profits of more than $4,000.
600 a year, and carrying $4,000, 900 tons
of freight annually. He still retained
hnnH In A nraok ..
as chairman, of the board of directors
while his son Louis, who hads worked
up from the humblest position of his
father 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 today, "
he said, "is the man in the ranks. E"
But the secret of failure he frequently
declared to be extravaganza. He re.
gsrded this as a national tendency,
against which he strongly set himself,
particularly as concerned the natural
resources. 49," -
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 bis
recognition in his own country is the
story Of tourist who declares that
there are afoat in the Swedish section
of the Northwest upwards of 10000
"Yem He'll" as the centerpieee. Pa
irons of his lines. have. liked and dis
liked him in rapid alienation, for, il
was his point to have his way, not only
where his road should run, but where
his patrons should settle. This was
part of his economic policy, He carried
out a singular regularity in the loca
ton of branch lines, giving minimum
of short lines on which light train,
were unavoidable. The principal text
Of his railway gospel was low grades
heavy power, large capacity cars, and
big train loads on his main lines, and
he began to preach this at a time wher
these things were held as visionary by
most railway men.
Organised Northern Securities
In contact with the late L. H. Harri
man, who outdid him in the extent Of
railway ownership, Mr.. Hill was not
only the financial head, but the prac
teal head, of his great railway system
He was the chief promoter and presi
dent Of the Northern Securities Com
papy, organized with a purpose t.
bring the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern under one ownership, to which
such opposition developed that a suit
was brought in the United States Cir
cult Court which decided that the &C
QUESTION was an Illegal combination
affirmed in March, 1904, by the United