The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-03-04

III dUu - Odao III Ohe
great transcontinental transportation
system within the next few months
was of unusual interest to Montana
because of the fact that all three
railroads traverse this state.
It is of interest to recall, too, that
this merger was actually completed
once before by James j. Hill when
he was in control of the three roads
but it was dissolved because the fed
eral government regarded the com
bination as illegal. 1t is claimed
now that legislation before congress
and the present government attitude
would not prohibit the merger. Re-
ports from w~ell-informed circles are
to the effect that the consolidation
of the three great systems has been
made necessary to take care of the
$500, 600, 900 in Burlington bonds
that fall due next year, but that
there are also many advantages to
be gained along the line of better
service and more economical opera
ton by merging the lines under a
single management.
The three roads have a combined
mileage of $1,000 miles, or enough
track to form a line of railroad COM
pletely around the earth.
Dream of Empire Builder
-Four years after his death the gi-
gantic transportation system that
was conceived in the mind of James
]. Hill promises to come into being,
and it has been given out that the
consolidation has been planned along
the lines which the empire builder
laid down. In the minds of railroad
men and of the public the vast con-
~solidated system will live as a mem
orial to his genius.
Astor and his contemporaries were
the first giants of commerce who
saw the unlimited possibilities that
lay in the development of the great
west and opened a highway of travel
to Montana by the use of steamboats,
and the Missouri river. 1t was at
the time when the great northwest
ern fur industry was beginning to
reach it's greatest development that
James ]. Hill was born at the village
of Rockford, on September 16, 1888.
He first saw the light of day in a
log cabin of the kind that is familiar
in the biographies of great Ameri-
cans.
The life story of the great railroad
builder is one that every Montana
boy should know, for it is filled with
inspiration for any youth who wishes
to succeed. At five years of age
young Hill trudged through the snow
through the brush, two miles and a
half to school, and as soon as he had
made out his letters, he read every
thing that he could get hold of in
print. On the rough farm of his
father the youngster received all
kinds of exercise, and the variety of
scenery about him kept his magma
ton fresh. Hence he grew up strong
of body and lively of mind, deter
mining to do things worth while. At
school he was drilled by a Quaker
named Wetherald; and in his sue
cessful years he was proud to show
especial honor to this man to whom
he attributed much of his triumph as
a man of affairs.
Napoleon Inspired
At the Rockford academy he met
some lads from the Red river who
stirred him with the wonderful pos
sibilities of that region. At the AGA
deny he continued to be trained in
the studies that make character-in
solid literature, in quiet thought and
in the examples of world heroes who
we're always before him in after
years. To these, and not to techni-
cal skill OF short courses in applian-
ces, James J.. Hill owed his success.
was he stirred by the life
of Napoleon, and it is not too much
to say that he was driven to his en-
pire building by the great emperor.
With biographical reading was COM
bined much Bible study, memorial
ton of poetry, especially that of
Shakespeare and Burns, and general
reading.
During his course he enjoyed the
peaceful home life of his parents
whose simple pleasures came to in
terrupt hard work and seriousness
just long enough to emphasize their
need instead of work and seriousness ]
i~nterrupting pleasure as they do in
the lives of too many Americans.
With such an education, the career
of Hill was largely determined be-
fore he left home.
Four Years in Store ]
This he did when he was IA years ]
old. Robert Passmore, a Scotsman,
gave him employment in his store.
At the end of four weeks he said to
lad: "James, We haze dune right {
weel. If We keep on yell max your
way in the warld."
When four years of this service ]
had passed, like others of whom we ]
read with delight, he %resolutely left
of his friends and set out for the
unknown. His journey took him
the eastern cities and then
% the infant Chicago. But the call /
Of the northwest, of which his AGA t
1emy friends had told him, lost him /
% Chicago. Instead, stalwart, keen, t
'ired with purpose, he arrived at st. 4
Paul in 1856 to remain there in act 2
We service for 60 years. f
At this time, st. Paul was a mot r
ey village along the river bank. t
During the steamboat season 1t was t
lively, for through it passed the sup t
'lies for the Red river country, and t,
o it came all who wished to search 7
tut the country whether for gain or E
.'leasure. But during the winter it n
q dull p1oaa oIro0cf ILL., -