The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-28

county, New York, of honest farming
parents. His first enterprise was to as
sist his father in the management of the
team and in keeping it straight as it
plowed a furrow.. His rather ambitious
spirit soon got tired of this, and some :;
where between the ages of seventeen and
nineteen years he started out for that ElE
Dorado of ambition-California AR
mour reached the Pacific coast, although
the walking was not good, and, things
turning out well for the young miner,
in three years he had acquired sufficient
competence to return to his native place
and purchase a farm, which had been
the hight of his ambition before he left.
He did return, but the sights he had had
of new lands ard the reckless spirit of
rowing he had in the three years acquir-
ed, made him unwilling to settle in the
quiet old places of the East. Visions Of
the West fired the young mans ambition
and he started for Cincinnati. There
he stayed a short time. sufficiently long.
however, for him to make the acquaint-
ance of Miss Belle Ogden, who, toward
the end of the war, he married, and who
during his residence in Chicago has been
known for her universal charity and good
works.
From Cincinnati Mr. Armour went to
Milwaukee, and there he made the ac-
quaintance of Mr.. Plankinton. Between
the two business connection sprang up.
which resulted so successfully that they
are two of the very rich men of the West.
At Milwaukee packing house was
started. About the opening of the war
Chicago presented a good field, and Mr..
Armour came hither and opened an es-
Enlistment on Archer avenue. Here
business prospered, aud, as Armour was
a shrewd man, he did not lose the op-
portunity which presented itself when
'gold was really gold," and speculation
in it meant coming money. This gave
him all the capital he wanted, and in
1865 he had, together with Mr.. Plankin-
ton, transaction in pork which cleared
them about $8OO,0OO Matters generally
had an upward turn, though occasionally
he lost a little money, but nothing to
speak of. In 1879 he and Mr. Plankin-
ton went into their big deal, and bv
carrying pork for six months cleared
about sd 100000 Since that time thew
have made large deals, but none of suf
ficient importance to dilate on. There
are connected with the firm several
brothers, but Philip ID. is the chief, and
his word in the management of the af
fairs of the firm is law. The firm has
packing houses in Chicago, Milwaukee
and Kansas City, and employs about TO-
600 men. Its foreign trade is very large.
and it has recently shipped large orders
of canned beef to England for use in the
Soudan.
Mr.. Armour is hard worker. He is
at his Office every morning at Z o'clock,
and never leaves until 6 o'clock in the
evening. Winter and summer he retires
between s and 8. and all the social duties
have to be performed by his charming
wife and two sons, enc of whom, AGED
twenty-one years, is in his fathers Office.
Mr.. Armour is perhaps the most liberal
of all the Chicago merchants in his con
tributions to charitable objects. but
being so much engrosscd in his business
affairs he allows that heneficence to come
from the hands of his wife, and accord
ingly holds an inconspicuous place as a
philanthropist before the people. who
are but little acquainted with him.
Philadelphia Press
Keenness in a man is not always to b<
taken as sign of capacity. for it is gen
! orally observed most in those who are
,, selfish and over-reaching; and his meek.
ness generally ends in that kind of pene