Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1885-03-21
AN OATMEAL KING.

Ferdinand Schumacher, or AKRON,
Ohio. is known as tho "Oetneai King
He "a = German. and came to this conn
try thirty years ago. He settled in Ak
ron. Ohio, where he is today one OF the
leading and wealthiess men OF the place.
Twenty years ago he was as poor as
church mouse. In little wooden shanty
on the outskirts of the town he prepared
at first American oatmeal in an iron ket-
tie. He made it satisfactory to himself,
and, obtaining small handcsrt, peddled
il about town gratis, asking the people to
give it trial. They liked 1t aud ne
started small factory, doing all the
labor himself. His business prospered.
Oatmeal was new article of diet. Fif.
teen years ago it was impossible to OBJ
tanned an order of oatmeal at the best
hotel IN America. Today it il to be
found upon every breakfast table in every
civilized land. From that small begin
ming Schumacher has built up. an enor-
nous business. He owns half dozen
mills, two large grain elevators, and
several warehouses, and now en-
ploys upwards Of thousand men and
women.
Schumacher is a peculiar man. He Is
small and w,ry--in fact, a regular little
bundle OF nerves. He is man OF hity
or more, with small gray chin beard aud
a high forehead. He lives in an elegant
brick mansion on Market street in the
City Of Akron. In his stable are fine
horses and costly equipages, yet for his
own use he drives single horse with an
old fastened open buggy. Heis at his
mills as early as o'clock. and remains
until or later in the evening. He Is
busier man than any one in his employ.
He flashes in and out among his build
ings, Offices and apartments. He is al
ways in hurry. His gait is a halt walk,
halt trot. Frequently he leaves his
horse behind and futters about town
from the banking houses to his offices,
and vice versa, trotting along at terrl-
BILE rate, swinging his hands and talking
to himself. When he rides his horse
never goes fast enough for him, and he
leans forward. his hands over the dash
board, pulling with sharp quick jerks AZ
the reins. Every pull at the reins seems
IN indicate another dollar earned.
Ferdinand Schumacher is worth any
where from two hundred thousand To
million dollars. Every dollar OF 1t has
been made in his oatmeal mills. He
lives more than comfortly, yet not ex-
travagantly. His wife who is taller tnan
her husband and four times 3his size, Is
not society woman. Neither man nor
wife is we'll educated and cannot speak
the Eaglish language without the accom-
panicut of broken German, though they
have lived in this cauntry for over thirty
years.
Schumacher's business offices are the
finest in the county. and as elegant as
anything OF the kind 10 Ohio. They are
located in a three>s,ory building OF cut
stone and plate glass. with granite trim
mings. Schumacher spared no expense
in constructing his buildlsgs OF in fur.
nishing his Offices. He Ia not closes
listed man, but gives literally to charts
able institutions, and furnished one>
third the capital to build the Akron
Universalist Church, of which he 10
member. He is strong Prohibitionist,
and was candidate for Governor OF Ohio
on the Prohibition ticket few years
since. He will MT employ drinking
van III his mills Nearly al OF bis work
nsn are Germans, bnt they are strictly
snperate. They have learned TO relish
drink known es oatmeal water even
stter than hser in fsderland. Once .
yesr Schumacher gives his sno Thousand
mgloyecs picnic, ard every New Years
lay invites thera to fsast at h,s house,