The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-11
MEN WHO HAVE PROSPERED.
Some of the Notable Instances of Business
Successes To Be Found in Indianapolis.

A business man, in conversation with Jour
nal reporter, said: 81 consider indianapolis, in
business point Of view, as one of the solidest
places or earth. The present business depres-
sion is not loca, affair. It extends all over the
United States, and has touched here as lightly
as anywhere. I look up and down Meridian
street, and see line of wholesalers who are gilt
edged. There's no street. of the same number
OF business blocks, in any city, that can show
such continued, Dnvarying prosperity.
Look east and west along our great retail
thoroughfare. Washington street, and note the
many men in the various lines of trade, who,
from small beginnings, have come to be men of
substantial means wonder that some newspaper
does not give to its readers some of these stories
of business life. They would certainly make
good reading. You could begin almost any
where Take our retail dry goods houses.
There's the New York store. L. S. Ayres 6 Co.
and III. P. WATSON & Co., three enterprises we
should be proud of; establishments that are
known not alone over the State but over the
West. The New York Store, the Oldest of these
houses established over thirty years ago by
William and Hugh Glenn. has made fortunes for
three OF four different sets of proprietors and
the mine is still good. The story of Charles
Mayer Who forty years ago. was dollarless
shoulders, would make as readable book
for young men as anything in the
way of worldly wisdom by Samuel Smiles.
That Aladdins Palace of Charles Mayer & Co. Is
not only the largest house Of the kind in the
United States, but the largest in the world, and
filled with mechanical wonders and artistic tri-
umphs.
1.-THE book establishment Of the Bowen -Mer-
rill Company stands shoulder to shoulder with
the largest and best houses of its kind in the
Waat has thA md
occupies for nearly third of a century-since
1853 or 1S54-and is the outgrowth of small
bookstore kept by Charles G. Davis
AS business romance, you might take the
life-story of Herman Meber. He started in bus
mess here in 1854, at the corner of Meridian and
Washington streets. the site now occupied by
the First National Bank. The building was
small frame structure, the corner room being oc-
cupied by John and Peter Granting, tailors, who
are also well known as successful business men,
and Mr.. Lieber was in the room adjoining. Mr.
Lieber is book binder by trade, and he had a
cash capital of exactly $500 to begin upon. He
expended $3.50 of this in tools and materials to
be used in his trade. and with the other $50 he
put in counters and shelving and a small stock
of stationery. He has told me that sometimes
he sold as much as dollar and a half or two dol
lars worth of stationery in day, and looked
upon that as good business. In the meanwhile
he continued to ,, work at his trade:
He soon began to sell pictures, cheap prints of
various kinds, practicing the closest economy
and adding to his stock and facilities little by
little. Business grew slowly but steadily. He
began the framing of pictures. From this place
he moved to the other side of the street. to the
site now occupied by the dollar store The es-
tablishment continuing to grow, the next re-
moval was made to the Etna Building, on Penn
sylvania street From this point the reputation
of the establishment went abroad, and requiring
more room it was next removed TO No So East
Washington street, whence, in 1874. it Vas re-
moved to the large building it now occupies, four
stories high and 200 feet long. In addition to
this Mr.. Lieber has factory where he manu-
features gilt frames and other material used in
his business. II could name others, equally sue
cessful, men who have begun on a small capital
and by industry and economy accumulated
wealth. The trouble with the on coming gener-
alton is that they want to begin at the top The
proper way is to begin at the bottom, with solid
foundation"