The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-24

How He Deals with His Relatives and Work.
men, and How He Works Himself


John A. SchIelcher, in Albany Evening journal.
Recalling mis- life at Cazenovia, Mr.. Armour
said, with q twinkle in his eye, that but for his
little love affair he probably never would have
gone West TO start anew amid circumstances that
have developed so wonderfully and given him
his present distinction. Mr.. Armour, in mod
est way. ascribes his in life wholly to the
training that his father and mother gave him.
From his earliest recollectons his father took
him into his entire confidence. All the children
were allowed by the father to be partners with
him in all business affairs. III son wanted
money he was told by the father ''You know
where the wallet is, 60 and help Yourself" The
mother impressed upon the childrens mind the
conviction that they must never live beyond
their incomes, and the children ip-
spired with the belief that what she said and
did was always right Mr. Armour relates with
a smile how his mother was in the habit, every
Saturday evening. of taking the boys down to
the creek and giving them q thorough washing;
how she would begin by pouring some of her
homemade soft'soap on their heads and then
rub it in. "Often." he says ''when the soap
suds were running into my eyes making them
smart like fire, felt as though would like to
bite my mothers hand, but | knew better than
to do it. / felt her power was supreme. and
that must submit, as it was for the best" In
the training of his own children Mr.. Armour has
adopted the methods so successfully carried out
by his parents
When he took his son into business he placed
a million dollars to the credit of the young man,
and gave him his full confidence. The son did
not abuse that confidence waste dollar, be-
cause he took it matter of course that he
was his fathers partner and that he had share
| in his fathers immense wealth and its conse-
| quent responsibilities.
The confidence which Mr.. Armour places in his
| children, and which they place in him, is most
| implicit When he sent his to Europe, and
the young man asked him how much money he
| should take, the father replied II don't know,
| take whatever you want" The refused to
| name the amount, and the father finally had to
provide him with what he thought necessary.
| with instructions to draw for whatever else he
needed. This confidence that s bestowed from
| earliest childhood results in the establishment of
| relation of intimacy and of honorable partner
ship in all the concerns of life that prevents alb
solutely any desire to take undue advantage. II
establishes between son and father feeling of
mutual dependence and relation that nothing
can break. In such family discord cannot
! make its appearance, and dishonor has no place.
One incident in his career Mr. Armour speaks
| of with pardonable pride. When his mother
told his father that Philip intended to go to Cal
| ifornia the father thought few moments and
| then said: Philip, You can 90. l can trust
you. / know that you will not do discredt to
| u.s." And now after an honorable career, the
business man looks back, and remembers the
| words of the father who has gone the way of all
flesh, and thinks with pleasure that that father
| never recalled those words. The same delight
full relations which exist between Mr. Armour
and his children exist also between him and his
brothers
His mother-now passed away-had remark
able business faculties. She was presented.
from week to week, with the balance sheets of
| the various houses of the Armours. Mr.. Philip
ID. says on some occasions she would look over
the figures, and would remark: Isn't brother
s0andso showing badsbalance-sheet this week.