The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-30
Mlfllifs zEagle
HOW THEY GOT RICHES.
"WHILE THERE'S LIFE THERE'S
HOPED A TRUE SAYING.
Money Made in Flat House-Ducats
from q Soap Sbop-A Clerk Becomes
Railroad Kins-"Which of Us VIII Soon
Be Rich and Famous
rSpecial Correspondence.I

Especial Correspondence.l
WASHINGTON, May 13.-A few days ago
a number of government officials met in
one of those well known gossip centers of
the Capital City, the dairy luncheon rooms,
which swarm near all the departments,
and over their sandwiches and milk fell TO
talking Of the ease with which money IS
made in this world. fancy this is favor
tie topic OF conversation with all sorts of
people, under all sorts of circumstances,
and therefore these government officials
cannot be accused of indulgence in dreams
uncommon among their fellows, nor of use
less waste Of Uncle Sans valuable time
What's the use Of being poor all ones
Hfes" exclaimed an official Of the treasury
department, who every day Of his existence
is responsible for millions upon millions Of
dollars, and who as rule IS hard pushed
TO pay his grocer and his doctor and buy
shoes for his large family Of girls. Now,
Jet me tell you The last time l was IN
New York I met an old friend OF mine
from Buffalo. Fred Gerlach Is his name.
When knew Fred he was twelve dollar
q week clerk in Dun's mercantile agency
in Buffalo, and he used TO borrow quarters
and half dollars Of me between pay days.
That was only six or eight years ago. Now
they tell me he is nearly a millionaire. He
IS the owner of the big apartment house
which bears his name, and which rises
something like ten or twelve stories, near
Broadway, about Thirty-third street. How
did he do II? That is what | asked Fred,
and he told NE the secret Of his success.
1t seems so simple that any one might do
it. Getting tired of bending his back over
desk in the mercantile agency, he came
down 60 New York to look about
Noticing nice apartment house for
rent one day he was seized with the idea Of
taking a lease of it and subletting it. He
hadn't any money, but did have good ad-
dress and lots Of cheek, and greatly to his
surprise the owner, who was rather hard
up for a tenant, signed the papers with
him at once. Fred had TO borrow money
TO pay for his first advertisements in the
papers, but it wasn't more than two or
three weeks till he had the house full Of
tenants at good prices, and he found him
self the happy possessor Of net income Of
thousands year. After this all the rest
was easy. Having made one success, land
lords were eager to have him take hold of
their property, and he leased building after
building, always subletting to good ad-
vantage. In the end he built the great
apartment house which bears his name.
OF course it isn't all paid for yet, but the
prices which the tenants put up for thelr
quarters are paying not only the interest
but rapidly extinguishing the principal
outstanding"
1T seems easy, doesn't it," chimed in an
official from Michigan, ''but in my opinion
luck has good deal to do with 1t. To
illustrate my meaning, let me tell you Of
the case of q friend Of mine who used to
live at Monroe, in my state. l won't give
you his name, because don't suppose he
cares for that sort Of notoriety. Six or
eight years ago he lent some money to a
scheminz relative Of his-one Of those
chaps who are always going TO make big
strikes if some one else viii only advance
the capital-wiuh the usual result. The
scheme didn't pan out, and my friend had
TO 90 down to Cincinnati TO see what he
could get out of the wreck There he
found that MS debtor had started a soap
factory. and all there was to show for the
money advanced was a dingy old shed,
shiny and greasy, with few thousand dol
lars worth OF machinery and small qua1-
tity Of material on hand.
MY friend didn't know any more about
soap making than he did about building
locomotives, but there was nothing else to
do but take hold of the wrecked business
and try to make something out of it. AT
first it didn't prosper very well, but after a
few months things began TO look a little
brighter Ny friend learned something
about the business, and being a pretty
shrewd fellow and good manager contrived
to increase the sales of the establishment
every month. That was, | think, about
five years ago. Ny friend Is still there
and has whole family has moved down from
Michigan, and they are worth half mill
ion dollars # they are worth a cent"
That reminds me of the manner II
which a certain railway u1agnate got hl:
first big start in life, said an official from
Minnesota. He was a clerk in the freight
department of a railroad, and his duty was
TO 90 down on the docks and check OF
freight. His pay was SEQ year, and h,
was hard mp all the time, going broke be
tween pay days as regularly as pay day
came. The road was a bankrupt sort o
concern. and the stock wasn't worth fvu
cents on the dollar. II was PRACTICAL!
owned and controlled by the bondholders
and the bonds were nearly all held in Hol
land. The Dutch CO oitalists finally becam
sent man over from Amsterdam TO in
ouire into things and see what could b
done. The agent proved 10 be an amia5l,
but very thick headed person, and when q
presented himself at the offices OF the com
pany, and said ne wanted 10 take tn
over the road for the purpose OF making al
inspection, the superintendent concludes
TO detail some young man 10 go with hin
as a matter Of courtesy.
This clerk had a little pull in the ofic
OF the sUPeE ntendeaJ, and contrived TO sc
the detail. more for a picnic than with an
idea Of making money out Of the trip, bu
he hadn't been out long with his CUES
from across the water till he became pos
ssssed Of = brilliant Idea. He started il ds
hberateIy and systematically 10 bear ID
property in the estimation Of the agent
He pointed out and exaggerated all IN
weak points. and managed 10 cover up ia
strong ones. He ding donged into IA
Dutchmans ear that the road was bank
rapt concern. and always would be, tia
its permanent way was nothing but q lin
OF dirt. covered by q mortgage and Strea
OF rust, and the rolling stock was 50 hsdl
run down that millions Of money would b
required 70 renew il.
The clerk was pretty sharp boy wbe
stirred Up. and having started in this gam
he concluded 10 play 1t for aLll5 was WORT
He photographed ahead to a number {
freight clerks SUD ether fTleads OF ..
along the road. and had them come aooar
the special train wherever II stopped an
tell dismal stories Of a falling OF in bus
ness, and particularly OF the failure or II
crops. Before the trip was finished n
-. ? h, ~ 80 MAJ
r1asad was not only hankFEpS, but thar Il
3 ma p