The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
A BUSINESS NAPOLEON
GOSSIP ABOUT PHILIP ID. ARMOUR
AND HIS METHODS.
A Man Who Pays $1,000, 900 a Year I'm
Wases-How He Treats His EN-
pIoyes and Manages His Affairs.

Copyrighted, 1896. by Frank c. Carpenter)
CHICAGO, May s.-The world is his field,
and the United States is his workshop. His
employees number thousands. His army OF
workmen is greater than that of Xenophon,
and it is an army never in retreat He pays
out in wages alone half million dollars
every month. His business directly gives
support to more than $1,000 people, and it
amounts TO 100000 every year. Four
thousand railway cars are now speeding over
their iron tracks loaded down with his mer-
chandise He has his establishments in every
city of the United States, and his agents are
at work for him In every part Of the globe.
The cable and telegraph wires which come
into his office are daily loaded with private
news for him as to the wants and supplies
of the nations of the world, and by telegraph
he sends forth the orders which are to make
or lose millions. From the wheat fields of
Russia from the grain-bearing plains Of
North India and from the markets OF Aus
tralia and Europe come the reports of his
men, and every morning he has, as 1t were,
a map of the actual condition OF the world
before him. and he can tell from whence his
products will be In demand. and where and
why prices will rise or fan.
/ refer to Philip d. Armour, the Napoleon
OF the Chicago capitalists, the baron of the
butchers. and the king OF the pork-packing
and grain-shipping products of the United
States. have heard much of him during
my stay here IN Chicago. and had an In
teresting chat with him in his cage-like
room. where he manages his immense bust
ness.
But first let me tell you something OF the
man. He Is, you know, self-made. Born in
New York State about sixty years ago. he
started West to make his fortune. He was,
I think, still In his teens when the gold
fever caught him, and he worked his way
across the plains and over the mountains
to California. His journey was full of
hardships, and he tells many interesting
stories concerning it. At one time his shoes
had worn out. The sage brush and the cacti
cut into his feet, and he was almost wild to
obtain some kind of conveyance to carry him
onward. At last, upon nearing a town in
the Rockies, he met man riding a very
fine mule He stopped him and asked him
IL he would sell the animal. The man re-
piled that he did not care to sell, but II
Armour really wanted it he could have 1t
for $500. This, however, was more than
young Armour could spare, and a trade was
finally made, by which Mr.. Armour got the
mule for $50. which was just about all the
money he had. In telling the story Phil
Armour describes the delights OF riding the
mule and how light his heart was as he
trotted onward. He rode gaily into the town
and was passing through the main street
when he was met by a man who in fierce
tones asked him where he had gotten that
mule. Mr.. Armour told him. The man then
said:
why, man. that mule belongs to Dennis
Hanks. 1t has been stolen, and advise you
to give 1t up at once. and get out Of town,
or you win be in the hands of the vigilance
committee"
The man succeeded In the rongtly frighten-
ing Armour. who gave UP the mule, and.
sick at heart, hurried on his way. A day or
two later he came to a miners camp in the
mountains, and there scent the night. He
was asked how he had come, and he told of
his adventures. including the sryindle of the
mule. AS he did so the miners burst out
| laughing and one of them said:
why. man, bought that d-n mule N.Y.
self. 1t has been sold over and over again
and fully hundred men have been taken
in by 1t. The man in the town is a confed-
crate Of the seller of the mule and they are
making their living by taking in the tender
| feet"
1t did not take long. however. for Phil Ar
mour to get his eye teeth cut. He finally got
| to California and there made the little mon
ey which formed the foundation Of his for
! tune.
HIS FIRST BIG STRIKE.
| Mr.. Armour is far-sighted man. He looks
ahead and Is not afraid to trust his own
| judgment. He is broad-gauged in his ideas.
There is nothing Of the pessmist about him.
He is always bull in the market and never
q bear. His great fortune has been made
largely through his faith in the United
States and its prospects. His first big strike
was, in fact. a bold bet on the successful
outcome of the war. He had made his little
pile in California and had gone into the pork
packing business with old John Planking-
ton, of Milwaukee. One day he came into
| the Office and said:
I Mr.. Plankington, I am going to New
York at once. The war is over. Grant has
| practically beaten the rebels and we will
have peace in a few weeks. / am going on
to New York to buy all the pork / can get. "
Mr.. Plankington at first questioned the
| plan. but he finally consented and Armour
went East. He bought right and left The
New Workers were respondent. They had
lost faith in the Union and prices were away
| down. The news from the field. however.
soon changed matters. 1t soon became an
parent that the war was really over and
| the result came as Armour had predicted.
Prices went away up, and out OF that deal
Mr. Armour cleared something like a million
dollars There are several other stories of a
like nature which / have heard concerning
Mr. Armour. He thinks quickly and acts on
his own judgment.
Armour is not afraid of big thing. and
he is ready to fight to hold his own. An in
stance Of this occurred not long ago. For
some time the grain brokers here had hoped
| to be able to down Armour. They had tried
1t number of times and failed. At last II
was discovered that he had bought three
million bushels of wheat to be delivered in
May. The market was in such a state tina,
he had to take it. The Chicago elevators
were full and the brokers laughed In their
sleeves when they thought of Armour's hav-
ing all that wheat dumped down upon him
and no place to. put IT, They expected he
would have 10 sell 1t, that they could buy
1t at their own prices and that he would lose
a fortune by it. This was the situation abou,
the LIST Of April. On that day Mr.. Armou,
| called in his architect and builder Said he
IL must have, within thirty days, elevators
built large enough to store three million
bushels OF wheat"
1T can't be DONE" said the architect
ut must be done.'' replied Mr. Armour