Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-11-28

I L
as containing the best possible picture o
a good man and great merchant, tina
could be obtained.
Amos Lawrence takes place anon!
the great man Of his time. He was no
great scholar, nor a great orator, no
a great politician. He had not grea
learning, nor great genius; but never
theless, he was great man. He had {
great heart, and any mind that could di
rect it so wisely as it was directed, is {
great mind. He was born in Groton
Mass, April 99d, 1886. He received
the rudiments of his education at the
District School, with some little assist
ance from the Groton Academy, of which
he and his brothers have since been sucl
munifcent friends and patrons. At thir
teen, not being sufficiently hardy for farm
labor, he was apprentic"d TO country
merchant in his native town, with whom
he remained seven years. During thi;
period he formed and lived up to The
resolution never 10 indulge in tobacco
nor intoxicating drinks, which he Away.
kept. Writing, many years afterward
to a young student in College, he says
"We five boys were in the habit
every forenoon, of making drink com
pounded of rum. raisins, sugar, nutmeg
&C., with biscuit-all palatable to ea
or drink. After being in the store foul
weeks, found myself admonished by
my appetite of the hour for indulgence
Thinking the habit might make trouble
if allowed to grow stronger, without fur.
ther apology to my friends l declined
partaking with them. My first resolu.
ton was to abstain for week, and wher
the week was out, for a month, and ther
for year. Finally, 1 resolved to alb,
stain for the rest of my apprenticeship,
which was five years longer. During
that whole period L never drank a spoon,
full, although 1 mixed gallons daily fol
my old master and his customers. Ide
cided not to be slave to tobacco in any
form, though l loved the odor Of it then,
and even now have in my drawer g SUI
pelior Havana cigar, given me not long
since by friend, but only to smell of
l have never in my life smoked cigar
never chewed but one quid, and that be-
fore l was fifteen, and never took an
ounce of snuff, although the scented
rappee of forty years ago had grea
charms for me. Now, l say, to thi;
simple fact of starting Just right. am
indebted, with Gods blessing on my
labors, for my present position, as well
as that of the numerous connection;
sprung up around me-"
On the 29th of April, 1907, five day;
after he became of age. young Law.
renee took his fathers horse and chaise,
and engaged neighbor to drive him tc
Boston. To use his own language, "with
twenty dollars in his pocket. and feeling
richer than he had ever felt before, OF
had felt since" After a few months
clerkship, he hired small store in Corn.
hill, and on the 18th of December, com
menced business on his own account
He remarks, that on the Ist of January
the profits on his sales had amounted to
one hundred and seventy four dollars,
which sum, after deducting his expenses,
was his entire capital. In 1s42, this
sum had increased to such an amount
as he thought would be good for his de-
scendants and from that time he re-
came-h his own executor, annually giving
away the full amount and often more
of very large income, except the COM
paratively small portion required for hi;
family uses. The first year of his bust
ness yielded him fifteen hundred dollars
and the second four thousand. He
naively remarks that if the order of hi.
gains had been reversed, he should prob
ably have been pecuniagi!y ruined.
Having become fairly established il
Boston, Mr.. Lawrence took his brother
Abbott, then fifteen years of age, as al
apprentice. lie came to him, bringing
his bundle under his arm and with thre,
dollars his sole fortnne) in his pocket
Six years later, he received him int
equal copartnership, putting into the
concern his own earnings up to that date,
amounting 10 fifty thousand dollars We
hardly need allude to the business ca
reer and commercial success Of the house
thus formed. The firm of & d. A. Law
renee went on from prospering to pros
per, strong as rock upon lis basis Of in,
tegri y, talent and capital, and often
holding up the hands Of weaker neigh
bors in times of trial. 1t built up large
fortunes for those concerned with it, and
las made these merchant princes the
more worthy merchant priest and minis
lers ofa mostmunifcent and iudicious be,
nevolence. Br. Lawrence considered tn,
element ef his success TO be promptnes.
in aclion-taking the tide at the food
and never waiting until it was half down
lest he might be left en- tie fats. Z,
this must be added an integrity, whicl
inspired the most implicit confidence, al
economy that permitted no fragment o
time nor money to be wasted, and tha