The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-01
HOW JOHN RoACa GOT HIS START.
Some of the Early Struggles of the Great
Shin Builder

W. A. Croffutt, in st. Paul Pioneer Press.
The western fever sezes once every man
born of woman; it got its febrile on John Roach
when he was twenty, and had escaped from the
support of his devout cousin. Besides that eX-
traordinary tax. John had laid by 81 500 in the
seven years. OF this he lent 500 to Mr. Alare,
and She other $500 he took and went to Peoria,
ILL.,. and bought a farm He proudly wrote
home to Cork: Il am farmer. [ own whole
farm myself" He pitched right in and grew a
it was harvested he found that he couldn't sell
it; there was no market. So he did as ne saw
the neighbors boing. He burnt the crop for
fuel to warm the winter hearth Towards spring
he footed up and found he was behindhand. He
offered to 60 back to Allalre's, but learned that
his 800 was locked up in Allaire,s sudden bank
ruptey. In March he started for Jersey a-foot.
He caught ride now and then, bat walked some
800 miles in all before he set foot again IN tie
old boiler works. He said recently to TREND
When was in Chicago two years ago l tried
to get some clew to the people who took me IN
and kept ME all night when l footed it through
here from Peoria. l couldn't hear Of them.
was some two months getting home that time,
for | stopped and worked to pay my way along.
Arriving at Auaire's, he said:
You'll get on your feet again. This is good
business. Go ahead. l don't want my money.
I'll work for you on your own terms.
He resumed work. and in six months he was
foreman of the works. IL another six months
he had met the girl OF his heart and was engaged
to be married. He had no ready money. La
borers in those days seldom had. skilled
journeyman mechanic got 81. 30 to s. day, in
stead of the So so to 81 he gets now. He was not
paid in money, a rule, but in ''orders"
store or in goods he manufactured, Or in mis-
cellaneouS truck.
"Ailaire did as we'll as he could says Mr..
Roach he alludes to that episode OF his life in
the privacy of his family; land when l got mar
ried he gave order on Brooks for my wed
ding clothes. and he turned over to me hundreds
of sashweights, which l went and traded off for
furniture! SO we were happy. In those days
we workmen rose at and went to work at 5.
working a couple OF hours before breakfast and
we generally We're expected to work at night as
long as we could see"
From being thrifty, sober and saving fore
man of great establishment to setting up on
his own hook was but step for John Roach.
He still worked hard, and turned out his little
jobs rapidly 1t was the Harlem iron bridge
contract that put him on his feet. To get it he
bid much lower than any of his competitors, for
he saw that it would help him. He said to him
self, There is going to be great war. The
North is sure to win, cause it is not ashamed
to wsrk. But great guns and ships will be
needed and L will buy heap of iron if | can get
credit" The Harlem bridge gave him the credit
and ne expended it all in iron, ostensibly for the
bridge but really to be sold and applied to any
needed purpose. suppose Roach made half a
million dollars in the rise Of iron that followed
the breaking out of the war.