St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-27
MILWAUKEE LETTER.
The Chapman Fire and Its Ell
feet on the People.
The Plankinton Busin IS Rearrange-
ment-Kershaw's Big Loss.
Those Soldier Home Outrages-Free Kinder
gartens-AbOut Sidewalk Grades
Short Notes.
Special Correspondents Of the Globe. l

Especial Corresp ondence OF the Globe1
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 90 The Chapman fire,
Thursday night, was the startling event of
the week. In aggregate of loss it was one of
the heaviest fires Milwaukee has ever had;
and it srorched a spot on which the city is
highly sensitive. Chapman carried SO COM
2iete a stock and his store was so elegant in
al its appointments that local pride was en-
listed to an extent that cannot but be graft
wing to the managing owner of thegreat
emporium. Il was Z dry goods palace that
put Milwaukee in favorable comparison with
Chicago in that department of trade, and
Chapman, as the prince of the busy realm,
put so much heart into his work and showed
so much public spirit that not to admire him
and his vast sales rooms were treason 10
Milwaukee. Before Mr.. Chapman took
hold with vigor, much retail dry goods
buying was done in Chicago by Milwaukee
ladies; but he displayed such elegant goods
and met the demands of the fastidiOus so
closely that the trip to Chicago became fruit
less. When il became known that Chap
mans store was burning thousands Hooked
to the scene and viewed the work of destruc-
ton with heavy hearts; and in the morning
when the late sleepers, many of them en-
ployes in the store came down town and OBJ
served the ruin, sorrow multiplied rapidly.
To the employees, about 800 in number, the
fire was a veritable calamity, which strikes
them at the outset of the most trying season
of the year. Mr.. Chapman's kindness has
endearcd him TO his employees to such an ex-
,,t tI, eClE mir ytho Oazp1 the
ruins on the morning after the fire, sup
pressed thoughts Of self and synpathiZed
deeply with the stricken merchant. The loss
of Chapman, the Stark Brothers, and other
occupants of the building, aggregates S72l,
600. and the insurance $3.50 200. Before
the ruins were cold Friday morning laborers
were engaged and the clearing Of the debris
commenced. Mr. Chapman expects to have
a new store finished by May /, next 1t will
probably be a story higher than the old build
ing.
NOTABLE BUSINESS CHANGE.
The firm Of Plankinton IL Armour, VIII icb
was composed Of John PlankintOn, Philip ID.
Armour and Patrick Cudahy, has been dis
solved, Mr.. Armour retiring. The name OF
the new firm will be John Plankinton d Co.,
the $50" being Mr., Cudahy The names
of Plankinton and Armour are as familiar
as household words in the provision markets
Of the world, and their severance cannot be
effected by mere legal Formally. They have
been in business together since ante belum
DAYS and have built up colossal fortunes from
a start Of a few hundred dollars. Their first
''bg haul' was made when the war closed.
Pork which had been selling at $40 per bar
rel declined into the teens at the announce
ment of peace Armour foresaw the great
tumble and after conference with Plan
kinton went TO New York and sold the great
staple ''short,'' right and left. When the
price reached 31S they filled their contracts
and had cool million 10 divide. The i'm
mortal bard of Avon says: ''There is a tide
in the affairs of men, which, taken at its
flood, leads On to fortune.' Although the
decline in the briney staple was strictly
speaking a neap tide, it led on to fortune,
all the same Shad they not caught it ''all the
voyage Of their livesn might have been
"bound in shadows and in misery" These
meteoric streaks Of what is commonly called
luck almost always invest the
fortunate spectators with the attributes OF
foresight and shrewdness, gives them lift
above the common herd; and ever after, II
ordinary tact is displayed, wealth rolls into
his Golfers without cessation. The patient
plodder on the ''level of time'i is generally
doubtcr of the SPECTATORS possession of
the attributes mentioned, and lucky
strike is regarded the genesis of all n
nancial greatness. This is true TO large
extent, especially of fortunes buided il Il
80 Ill.
10 be votional at times. One of Milwau-
KEGS wcaltbiest merchants when interviewed
on this subject by an aspiring but not very
successful young man, answered that imam
cial growth was generally sheer luck. He said
that when he stated, his business grew SO
rapidly that me soon found himself endeavor-
ing to keep pace with demands that were far
beyond his expectations. lie was forced TO
do busiuess-was forced to grow wealthy.
Plankinton and Armour are both shrewd
men, but one is inclined to believe that had
they not made the great strike during war
times their names would not be so familiar
or their fortunes up to their present high
notch. Mr. Cudahy Plankinton's present
partner is q man who has grown up in the
provision business from the Extraordinarily
FROM the soi-pan of the stock pens. He is
one of family of BOYS who have made their
places III the provision trade. A sketch OF
this remarkable family will be one of the
topics OF a future letter.
WHAT KERsHAw DROPPED"
1t will be remembered that several months
ago c. j. Kcrshaw, prominent speculation
of this city failed on the Chicago board o.
trade-that is, he closed out his deals in order
to square himself with the members of tn,
board, which is one way of failing. 1t wa,
limited at the time that although tn,
''doomed" Spectator was even with tn,
members of the board of trade, he was bur
led under mortgages to a heavy capitalist
The extent of the failure was revealed Ia,
other day, By the records at the office of N,
register of deeds, where the transfer by Ker
shaw to Alex Mitchell was recorded of sever
lots in Gliddeu IL Lockwood's addition, run
ming from Farwell avenue to Prospect street
two lots in Rogers addition running from
Farwcn 10 Prospect street tKershaws home
steady, two lots on the corner ~ Wisconsin
and jackson streets, some property on Hat
tons canal. in the Meuomonee valley, and
tract of land in the Eleventh ward. Tn,
property transferred to Mitchell is valued a
$4,000.
LIKE BANQUo's GHOST.
The National Soldiers Homein the Menom
once vailey,au imposing structure situated il
beautiful grounds and apparently surrounde,
with every convenience for the disabled vet
Grams who are there endeavoring to find res
from worldly care, seems at times to be
veritable castle Of discomfort. Out of rumt
lipgs Of complaint come occasional shar