The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1916-06-01

eTn 1TuSC company, winch ne owned,
into his office and showed them a box
containing $10O,OOO,OO0 in securities,
telling them this amount was available
for the institutions immediate needs
in case of a stringency. Mr.. Hill also
owned the First National Bank of St.
Paul.
During his life he gave much to the
public, his last gifts, shortly before his
illness, being $4,000 to the College of
Puget Sound, Tacoma, and $4,000 to
Marquette university, Milwaukee.
James J. Hill was born in log
house on farm near Guelph, Ont,
Sept! 16, 1888. His father, James
Hill, swas of Irish descent and while
not d wealthy man, was in comfortable
circumstances and did not have any
ambition to grow richer. His mother
was Ann Dunbar, of Scotch descent.
She was woman Of bright mind,
which the son inherited.
Young Hill was given a good edu-
cation, attending lockwood Academy
for several years, studying mathemat-
les, Latin and some of the sciences
His father gave up farming and moved
to lockwood, where he conducted a
hotel. The boy did not like the hotel
business and became a clerk in a gen.
eral store. When his father died, the
mother continued to operate the hotel.
When he was youth of 10, a
stranger rode that way and the young
man held his horse. When the strang-
er left, he gave the youth a paper to
read, containing glowing accounts of
the great west The lad determined
to 60 west and intended to join the
Hudson Bay trading brigade. He was
on his way to the Red river valley
when he stopped in St. Paul, then a
town of 5000 population. He went
to work for J. w. Bass & Co., as a
shipping clerk at $18 month. He
had to keep the books and lug certain
freight around. He was what is known
as ''mud clerk" and his tasks kept
him going from daylight to dark. The
first ten years of his life in st. Paul
he made slow progress, but saved his
money and worked hard. He later
became Steamboat man" and got to
be city wharf and harbor master.
Nj: Hill, with other young bachel-
ors, lived at the Merchants Hotel, and
here he met Mary Meighan, an Irish
girl OF great beauty and charm, whom
he married. The married life of Mr..
and Mrs. Hill has been most pleasant.
They began married life in a modest
little cottage.
Mr.. Hill was member of the Pho
neer Guard when the war broke out
but he was not accepted. In 1866 Mr..
Hill became the agent for the St. Paul
and Northwestern Packet Co., and
two years later organized the firm of
Hill, Griggs & Co., going into the gen.
eral transportation and fuel business.
In 1870 he organized the Red River
Transportation Co., which was his
start on the road to fame.
He was the prime mover in the pur-
chase of the st. Paul & Pacific rail-
road, which was later taken over by
the st. Paul, Minneapolis and Manito-
ba railroad, now the Great Northern
Mr.. Hill was elected general manager
at the age of Al. From that time un-
til the time of his death the road never
missed paying dividend.
When he built the Great Northern
west, people referred to the enterprise
as "Hilps folly" but he showed them
that he was a man with the keenest
foresight and rare judgment.
In 1907 Mr.. Hill returned as pres
ident of the G. N. and became chair
man Of the board of directors, re-
naming as such until a few years ago.