Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-08-10

*. Fairbank were both interested witt
him and that the trouble came about
because they would not put up more
margins.
Fairbank in an interview this evening
said he had lost some money but was
all right.
RISE OF THE CUDAHYS.
The failure Of John Cudahy revives
ali the public interest ever taken IN
the remarkably successful career vi
the Cudahay boys. Then names
Mike" jack" Ed and 'Pat''-arc
rs familiar to all business men as the
names Of the Arlnours. With man.
they receive perhaps more of the credit
for having successfully established the
great name of Armour than is given 70
the jovial Philip himself.
Michael Cudahys was for years the
hand that labOred in the great Armour
stock yards at Chicago from June to
January and from January to June
again. His brain was the Superin-
tending genius Of that vast plant which
has introduced the name of Armour
to all lands where American pork is
| known.
They had their headquarters in the
packing houses. They were familiar
with sights Of slaughter, running blood,
steaming sides and the chopping
block. They knew every step of the
business. Better still, they were proud
of it.
A characteristic story is told of
Mike Cuddy," as one of his packing
1 house friends called him. 1t came out
after he had risen to position us
partner in the Armour establishment
| Some one asked him how he ever
learned the business. Said he: ID
! fore Armour ever heard of me ! bought
Il yearlng, slaughtered it, skinned and
cleaned it, chopped it up, loaded it III
Il wagon and sold it ON the streets Of
Milwaukee. With the profit I started
Il shop. I did a big business, looking
after the Strengthening myself until
Armour came along one day and said
he wanted me for foreman Of the Plan,
kinton-ArmOur house"
The general impression that the Cud-
ahy boys came UP from the ''chOpping
block i'll Armours packing house is
therefore erroneous. Michael was the
first to be employed. Under his man
agement the house in milwaukee, grew.
and Joseph Armour started Il branch
in Chicago.
The Chicago house soon riyaled TIE
one in Milwaukee, and Joe" Armour
being in poor health mike" Cudahy
was sent down to manage the concern.
At this time he was drawing a salary
Of 1000 Il year. In another year T.
D. Armour invaded Chicago and walk
ed into the stock yards as fearless as
an untamed Texas steer. In two weeks
lie knew every man Of Importance who
had business in that vast area of pens
! The Armour house was enlarged
! and preparations began for doing al
most as DEch business as all tie other
! houses put together. Everybody. Of
course thought it was Armour doing
! every thing The next year Mike"
| Cudahy stood on an equal footing
with his late emplOyer-he was part
ner. From that on his accumulation,
! Of wealth was only a question Of time
and q drawing of dividends.
! In tie meantime Jack" Cudahy had
been growing rich in Milwaukee as
manager for Plankinton. Now an 0p
enlng in Chicago appeared for him.
Chapin's packing house business be-
came involved. Chaplin was Arnours
brOther-in-laW. The Armours advanced
him money on condition that he would
take in Jack Cudahy as partner to
! look after their interest
SO Jack" came in, and a more p0pu-
lar, truer Irish heart never was known.
| The genius of Jack" was no less magi-
! cal than Mikes" In short time he
was able to buy out Plankinton in
Milwaukee, and finally obtained sole
control of the Chapin-C udahy house
in Chicago. With these vast invest
ments he soon amassed as much
wealth as his brother. At this time
Brother Ed" was foreman for Az
mour 4 Cudahy at salary of S1O,-
600 per annum. Brother Jack want
! ed Ed" and Armour raised the lat
! ters salary to $4,000. Brother Jack"
again wanted Brother Ed" and I'D
went Eds salary to So, 900. Then
| it was that Brother ED" became dan
gelous in Il business sense. He had de
velopCd the ability displayed by his
two older brothers and was looking
out for himself. He aspired to a part
nership, and rather than lose him the
! Cudahy-Armour packing house of Oma-
ha was established. phil Armour,
Mike" and Ed Cudahy held a third
interest each.
Along about this time Jack Cuda-
by began operations on the board of
trade. He developed into a bull -
and his speculations in wheat and corn
were the talk Of the board He even
had 3. 2. Hutchinson on the run at
one time. His deals were as large as
any ever made. The board of trade
business became so enormous that he
needed the assistance of worthy man
! to look after his huge packing house
interests in Milwaukee.
Then it was that the star Of the
fourth Cudahy boy began to rise. pat
had yet to be heard from. He had been
sliding along on the pfttance of $4,000
a year salary, but "Jacl1" took him
in as full partner in Milwaukee, and
thus the Cudahy Brothers became the
largest house here
GALVESTON HORROR.