Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-20
AN oArMgAL KING.

Ferdinand Schumacher, of Akron,
Ohio, Is known az the Oatmeal King.
He is a German, and came TO this couu-
try thirty years ago. He settled in Ak
ron, Ohio, where be ia today one of the
leading and vealthiest men of the place.
Twenty years ago he was as poor as q
church mouse. In little wooden shanty
on the outskirts Of the town he prepared
at first American oatmeal in an iron
kettle. he made 10 satisfactory to him
sslf, and. obtaining q small handcart,
peddied II about town gratis, asking the
people to give it a trial. They liked it,
aud be started a small factory. doing all
the labor himself. His business pros.
pared. Oatmeal was a new article Of
diet. Fifteen years ago it was impossi-
ble to obtain an order Of oatmeal at the
best hotel in America. Today it ia 10 be
found upon every breakfast table in
every civilized land. From that small
beginning Schumacher has built up an
enormous business. He owns half q
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 10
small and wiry-in fact, regular little
bundle of nerves. He is a man of fifty
or more, with a small gray chin beard
and high forehead. he lives in an
elegant brick mansion on Market street,
IN the city OF Akron. In his stable are
nne horses and costly equipaRes, yet for
bis ewn use he drives q single horse with
an old-fashioned open buggy. He is at
his mills as early as o'clock, and re-
mains until 6 or later In the evening.
He Is q buster man than anyone in his
employ. He flashes in aud out among
bis buildings, Offices and apartments.
He Is always in hurry. His gait 10 q
haIf walk, half trot. Frequently he
leaves his horse behind and fiatters
about town from the banking houses to
his Offices. and vice versa. trottina along
st terrible rate, swinging his hands
and talking 10 himself. When he rides
bis horse never goes fast enough for
him. and be leans forward, his hands
ever the dashboard. p1lling with sharp,
quick jerks at The reins. Every pull at
the reins seems 20 indicate another dol
lar earned.
Ferdinand Schumacher 10 worth any,
where from two hundred thousand 10 q
million dollars. Every dollar of il has
been made In his oatmeal mills. He
lives more than comfortably, yet not ex-
travaeantly. His wife, who Is taller
than her husband and four times his
s,zs. 10 not society woman. Neither
man NOR wife n well edncatsd and can
net speak the English language without
the accompaniment Of broken German,
though they have lived in this csuntry
for over thirty years
Schumacher's business Offices are the
finest nn the country. and rs elegant as
anything OF the kind IN Ohio. They
are located In three story baiidina OF
cut stcIse and plate glass. with granite
trimmings. Schumacher spared no ex +
Sense IN constructing bis eaildinRs or
in furnishing bis Offices. He 10 not q
close listed man, bus gives literally %
charitable Institutions. asd furnished
one third the capital TO bald the Akron
UnivegsAlist Church, of which he 10 .
member. He ID strong Prohibitionist
and Vss Q candidate for Governor Of
Oais on the Prohibition ticket q few
years since. He viii not employ drink
inG man In his mills. Nearly all Of has
workinen are Germans. but they are
strictly temperate. They have learned
to relish drink known as oatmeal va
ter even better than beer in faderiand.
Otee . year Sehamaceer gives his one
iAousSnd employees picnic. and every
New Years day invites them 10 feast
ai bis house.