St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-15
SOLD DRY GOODS.
FAMOUS MEN WHO ONCE STOOD
DEHIND THE COUNT
ERS.
LEVI MORTON WAS A CLERK.
CHARLES A. DANA SOLD DRY
GOODS IN BUFFALO WHEN
A BOY.
THE CAREER OF A. II. STEWART.
John Wnnamaker, Politician and
Sunday School Teacher, Still
Il Dry Goods Prince.
LEVI MORTON WAS A CLERK.
THE CAREER OF A. t. STEWART.

Special Correspondence of the Globe.
BOSTON, Dec. 12.-Eben Jordan,
| who has just died a millionaire after
many years of enjoyment of we'll
earned wealth, started in life as a
| farmers boy and went from that
| Into the dry goods business, begin
ming at the bottom. AT the time of
his death he was one of the leading
| examples of great Americans who
have made their mark in the busi-
ness world through the medium of
dry goods. The list of great men
who have started in life selling dry
goods over the counter would fill a
great big book.
One of these men is governor of a
great state and a presidential pos
sibility. Levi P. Morton began life
as a clerk in a country store, and he
sold dry goods in Boston when he was
young man.
Another one-time dry goods clerk
is now a great editor-the greatest
editor, if the votes of the newspa-
per men of the United States were
taken on the subject, I will venture
to say. Charles A. Dana was clerk
in a Buffalo dry goods store when
he was a youth and struggling for
an education.
Another editor who was clerk in g
country store is Henry G. Bowen, of
the New York Independent. He was
a clerk in his fathers country store
at Dudley, Mass, before he got into
his head the idea Of being journal
list. Massachusetts has furnished a
great share of the successful dry
goods men of the country
Henry B. Claflin, who died in New
York in 1885, was clerk in the coun-
try store of his father at Milford,
Mass, and succeeded his father in
business there. He saw an opening
in New York and went there to build
up a dry goods trade worth millions.
Cornelius n. Bliss, the noted New
York business man and politician, is
a native of Fall River, Mass. and
after working in the store of his
stepfather at New Orleans for a
time he entered a Boston dry goods
house as a clerk. He became a part
ner opened a branch in New York
and made his millions in the dry
goods trade.
Justin S. Morrill,, of the nearby
state of Vermont, is not an example
of wealth accumulated in the dry
goods trade, though he made a COM
Portable fortune for himself keeping
a general store at the place where
he was born, Strafford, VT.
John Wanamaker is another dry
goods dealer who has gone into politi-
cal life, though he has never held an
elective office. He was President Har-
rison's postmaster general, and he has
been one of the liberal contributors to
campaign funds for many years.
David Dows, the noted commission
merchant, who died a millionaire, be-
gan his career as a boy in an Albany
dry goods store at S1G0 year, and he
had to open the store each morning
and dress the show window. He got a
raise the second year to $3.50 and the
year following to $3.50. Most of his
money was made in railroads and
banking. Another millionaire who
started in dry goods and grew rich in
railroad enterprises is c. P. Hunting
ton. He kept a store in California in
the gold days, as did a great many
other people who went to the coast
in 1Si9. Senator Perkins, of California,
was one of these, and Mark Hopkins
was another.
l.. u. Letter, of Washington, and New
York, started in business as porter,
or something equally as humble in a
Chicago store. He retired from the dry
goods business few years ago with
several millions, which he has been
spending in society ever since.
A. T.. Stewart, of New York, had
better start than Mr.. Jordan. He in
herited $1,000 from his father in Ire
land, with which he opened his store on
Broadway. His business for the three
years preceding his death aggregated,
believe, about s205, 100000 He paid