The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-12-17
STORY OF 4 PLAINMAN
HISTORY OF ONE BUSINESS ENTER
PRISE IN NEW YORK.

A yonth Who Han Away rro'n Home
aud Went to- the Metropolis Drow 10
lie Very Nucvrssfh Nerrhant--Iis
Wifo's share lr ni, Great success.
A good example Of how fortunes are
made in New York city is afforded iy
the life and business operations Of Mil
lard Fillmore Tompi1ius, who died At tho
age Of thirty-niue years. Mr. Tolnpkius
was almost penuiless when. u mere boy,
he first came 20 this city. He understood
his business. however. and he had The
courage to strike out into new path.
The result was that building his busi-
ness NJ little by little he died worth
$500 600 To his wife, fully AS much as
to himself, this success is due. and Mr..
Tompkins was always the frat TO aG-
knowledge this.
When Mr.. Tompkins was fcurteen
years old he ran away from the home
where he WAS born, ut Newport, r. l.,
and came to this city. with the usual
resolve of making n fortune for him
self. lie had ten dollars in his pocket
when he started. This. with what
knowledge Of groceries he had picked
up at the markets near his home. consti-
tuted his stock in trade Naturally on
reaching the city he drifted to the gro
Gerry districts, and got work as clerk in
grocery store on Catharine street.
The proprietor Of the store at first paid
the lad barely enough to keep him alive,
but realizing that young Tompkins was
getting so thorough knowledge of the
trade as to make him valuable he raised
his wages very soon.
Instead Of living in accordance with
his increased means, Tompkins contin-
ued to live in the same manner as be-
fore, putting aside all his surplus money
for the purpose Of buying a horse and
truck. A picture Of him taken shortly
after his fifteenth birthday looks more
like that of man of twenty-eight than
q young boy. He was then tall and well
developed. With u good sized mustache
! and "sideburns," II was more than two
years before tho young clerk had saved
enough to buy such horse and truck
as he wanted When at length ne went
into the truck business he made money
so rapidly that at the end Of two years
he was enabled TO sell ont and establish
| a retail grocery store in Spring street,
! near Clinton market.
1t had been his idea since his arrival
in New York 10 own a grocery store.
There We're at that time no cheap cash
down groceries in the city. Tompkins
made up his mind that there was money
| to be made in purely cash business,
with cheap scale of prices for trade
I among the poorer people. Following
out this idea he increased his business 10
such an extent that he soon moved to a
| larger store, and then 10 still larger
\ one. Within two years after the pur-
chase of his first store Mr. Tompkins,
now tweniy-one years old. bought out
the large grocery at Spring and Sullivan
| streets, and bired another building for o
storehouse near by. 1t was about this
time that he met Nina Josephine Coop
er, of % Charlton street. He fell in love
with her. and after short colutslip,
Notwithstanding that Miss Cooper was
only sixtc-n years old, they were mar
ried From that time on Mr. Tompkins
had partner in his business as well az
in his life,
"You 80 on and extend the business, -
said Young Mrs, Tompkins TO her hus-
band Il can manage the Spring street
store while van look after the general
matters" And she did, With a school
knowledge of figures and bookkeeping
she went into the Spring street store,
mastered he business in every detail,
and alone and uusided has conducted it
upto tho present time in such n manner
as to make it the most successful estab.
lishment owned by Mr. Tompkins The
business spread steadily, new stores he.
ing established in Bleecker street, Ninth
and Sixth avenues, and in other places
in this city and Jersey City. until at the
time Of his death Mr. Tqlnpkins owned
eleven retail stores. hesidss the two
wholesale establishments at 1891 Ganse-
wort street.
From the first Mr.. Tonpkins stuck 10y
his principles Of cash payments. He
discounted all his bills, and thus was
able TO buy where others could not
dealers who wers in need of ready
money often coming 10 him in prefer
ence to others, as they knew that they
, could get cash for their goods. 1t waG
Els idea to drop gradually his retail
trade and go into the wholesale bust
ness entirely. The care of 50 many es
tablishments was wearing on him, but
be absolutely refused 70 let any one else
( take.part in the management.
/ II have built up the business and
will run it, he said. II want no part
! ners or managers 10 tell me what to do
/ When ] want advice ! eau go to NJ!
; wife. | would rather have her judg
? ment ON matters connected With thI
: grocery business than that Of any mar
! in New York. have been guided nj
} ways by her advice. and TO her fully al
? much, if not more than to myself, tht
I success Of our business is due, New
. York Sun