Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-10
"oLD HUTcH'S" BoYHooD.
He Spent His Early Days on a Farm, but
Did Not Neglect to Improve His Mind.

A few miles drive from Nahant
brings one to truly rural region.
"North Precinct" as it used to be
called. Here, along the Meadow
brooks of the sinuous Ipswich. must
be traced the early haunts of Benia-
min F. Hutchinson-"Old Hutch" in
the familiar parlance of irreverent
Chicago The surviving companions
of his boyhOod and early youth call him
''Ben," and are free in their remin-
iscences and comments on his course.
/ may venture here a few items gath
cred from trustworthy sources con-
corning the business beginning of the
bold wheat operator whose name has
so recently been bruited around the
world. His parents being of the pro-
verbally poor, Ben came into the
world with no silver spoon in his
mouth, but, which is more to the pur-
pose, he entered the stage of life with
a decided fancy for figures, an
aptness for addition, strong bent,
not to say positive genius, for buying,
selling and getting gain; his infantile
first clutching, as it were. board of
trade membership certificate. At a
very youthful period of his existence
he entered the path of industry and
economy; as farmers choreboy he
became self-supporting. If his food
was plain and his garments were
coarse, it was because he earned the
plain food he ate, and the coarse gar
ments he wore, and because he had all
the plain food and coarse garments
h. IL I,
Living in a serious family, member of
a sedate household, whose Sunday din
per was baked beans. cucumber pick
les, brown bread and Indian pudding,
and who attended public worship three
times on that day, Ben also went de-
murely to meeting; but when it came
to the annual Fast Day, in April,
he refused to be led churchward.
Threats were of no avail; he preferred
to play ball with the big boys in the
field and take the consequences-a
switching-from his master. Before
long Benjamin P. left the barnyard,
the bayfield, and cow pasture for
seat on the shoemaker's bench That
his bargaining propensities manifested
themselves at every stage of his career
goes without saying. As vender of
cheap brooms and yardsticks, made,
like the razors in the story, ''to SELL"
and, later, of hand-sewed shoes, the
rising youth successfully adopted. if
he did not originate, the system of
quick sales and small profits. None
knew better than he how to ''turn a
cent or was more keenly aware of
the advantage of doing it often, keep
ing his coins in nimble circulation.
His educational advantages, as will
have been surmised, were largely of
the manual training order To his
credit be it said that some time after
his schooldays were over, in company
with an aspiring friend, when Chautau-
qua classes were not yet, he took up a
couse of supplementary study, thus
gaining the first knowledge of book
keeping; also, it is believed, becoming
a member of debating clue. If his
shoemaker's kit is still in existence, it
would hardly be surprising to find in
the drawer, with lap-stOne and leather
apron, copy of Cushing's manual
and a Latin grammar. but this is mere
guesswork.
Difficulties but stimulated him TO
greater exertion. When confronted
with an unusually difficult piece of
work, he would bend his energies dog
gedly to the task, when it was finished
strai ghtening up his tall form, exclaim-
ing '.Veni. vidi, vici!' So frequently
these words came from his lips. it
seemed as is if he had chosen Caesars
dispatch as his motto, voicing his con-
slant determination to succeed. 70
what extent its use argued an ac-
quaintance with the classics. it is need
less to inquire. Transcript