Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-11-27
WASAPLAIN YOUTH
History Of One Business Enter
prise in New York
THAT SUCCEEDED sPLESDlDLY
= Youth Whs Ran Away From Home
aad W-as 70 The Metropolis Grew 20
Be Very Successful M-schsns.

made II New YORK city - Afforded uy
phs hfs and baslnszs operations CT Nil
lard Fillmore Tompkins. Who dlsd asthe
go Of Ehirty nine years. Mr.. Tonpkins
yas almost p~nnlless when. a mere boy,
~ 6rst came 10 this city. lie understood
M business, however. and ne had the
oourags TO strike ous into new patti
Ihs result was that building his baai-
- mp little BY little he died worth
90, 900. To his wife. fully as much as
- himself. Ehis success Is due, and M
3ompkins Wa always the first 10 ac-
bnowlsdge this
When Mr.. Tompkins was fourteen
pears old he ran away from the home
where he was born, az Newport, K l.,
ond came 60 this city. with the usual
rsnolve Of making fortune for hiia-
ss1f- He had tsn dollars IN his pocket
when hs started This. with what
knowledge OF groceries he bad picked
up ak the markets near his horis, consti-
tuted his stock m trade. Naturally on
reaching the city he drifted 10 the gro
cery districua. and got work as clerk in
. grocery store on CathariEs street.
The proprsstor Of the store at first paid
Re had barely enough 70 keep him alive.
bds realizing thai young Tompllins was
getting 80 thorough a knowledge of the
trade as 10 make hiua 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 ASIDE
fore. putting aside all his surplus money
for the purpose Of buying horse and
truck A picture of him taken shortly
after his fifteenth birthday looks more
hire that OF a man Of twenty eight than
young boy. lie was then tall aud well
developed. with good sized nustache
and s-sSteburns-" IL was more than two
years before the young clerk had saved
enough to buy such horse and truck
- he wanted. When at length he went
into the truck business he made money
% rapidly that ct the end Of two years
be was enabled to sell ous aud establish
retail grocery store in Spring street,
near Clinton market.
1t had bssa hss idea since his arrival
IN New York 10 own grocery store.
There were at that time no cheap cash
down groceries in the city. Tompkins
made up his mind that there was money
30 BE- made in q purely cash business.
with cheap scale Of prices for trade
among tho poorer people. Following
ont this idea be increased his business 10
such an extent that he soon moved to a
larger store. and then 10 a still larger
one. Within two years after the pur-
chase Of his first store Mr.. Tompkins,
now twenty-one years old, bought out
the large grocery at Spring and Sullivan
streets, and hired another building for a
storehouse near by. IL was about this
time that be met Nina Josephine Coop
~. Of "a Charlton street. He fell in love
with her. and after n short courtship,
notwithstanding that Miss Cooper was
only sixteen years old. they were mar
ned. From that time on Mr.. Tompkins
had partner Ia his business as wei as
In his life.
"You 20 on and extend the business"
said young Mrs Tornpkins TO her hus-
band. Il can manage the Spring street
store while you look after the general
matters" And she'did. With school
knowledge Of figures and bookkeeping
she went into the Spring street store,
mastered the business in every detail,
and alone and anaided has conducted it
upto the present time in such manner
g. 20 make it tho most successful estab-
lishment owned by Ar. Tompkins- The
business spread steadily. new stores be-
ing established IN Bleecker street, Ninth
aud Sixth avenues, and in other places
ia this city and Jersey City. Until at the
time Of his death Mr. Tompkins owned
eleven retail stores, besides the two
wholesale establishments at 53-6i Ganse-
wort street.
From the FIRST Mr.. Tompkins stuck by
his principles OF cash payments He
discounted all his bills, and tins was
able 70 buy where others could not.
dealers who were in need Of ready
c1oncy often coming 10 him in prefer
snce 20 others. rs they knew that they
sould get cash for their goods. II was
bis idea n drop gradually his retail
trade and go into the Wholesale busi-
ness entirely. The care Of so many IS
tshlishncnss was wearing on him. but
Ne absolutely refrsed to let any one else
take part in the management
II have built up the business and
viii run it, he said. IL want no part
ners CO Managers 10 tell ME what TO do.
When l want advice I can go to my
wife. | would rssher have her judg
merit On matters connected with The
grocery hasiaess than that Of any man
In New York. have been guided al
ways by her advice. and to her fully as
much, IL not more than 70 myself. the
success Of cur business is due. View
IlrA k,l.r,