The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-11
HOW HOGAN HELPED HIMSELF

ture COubt as 70 both.
HOW HOGAN HELPED HIMSELF.
In these days of the degeneracy of
self-dependent character, when Ameri-
can manhood presents the humillating
spectacle Of standing with nerveiess
limbs waiting for congress to do some
thing to help it, and when the univer-
sal tendency is to rely upon the state
instead of upon self, it is especially re-
freshing and inspiring to read of how
one man, in these times of panic and
distress, under the most adverse of
circumstances, helped himself and won
success without assistance from any
thing or body aside from his own in
dustry skill and tenacity. In our most
excellent contemporary, Wheelock's
Weekly of Fergus Fails, in an article
devoted to the industries Of that little
city, we find an ably written story of
the difficulties that met Walter Hogan,
how he faced and fought them and how
he overcame them 1t is an object les
son of which many men stand in need;
q type, doubtless, Of many that escape
public attention, but which are only
too rare in these days of appeals to
Jupiter.
Hogan began life with a talent for
mechanics and little else in a Massa-
chusetts wooden mill, where he learn
ed the mysteries Of the machinery and
it's operation, exercising his talent in
perfecting inventions of improvements.
He rose rapidly, and at the age of
thirty was an expert earning Sc a day.
Then New England's curse fell upon
him and he moved to Minnesota to see
if it's air would heal his diseased lungs,
taking a farm in Todd county. mex
perienced, he learned in an experience
that swept away his farm, that it is
not true that anybody can be
farmer" The farm was gone and debts
waited for payment but his health was
improved. He did not lie down nor join
the Populists and howl calamity, nor
enter the crusade against capital, nor
try to connect his misfortunes with the
rapacity of some corporation. He cast
about for some field where he could do
the things he knew how to do. That
was in making woolens. But that takes
capital and he had none. 1t takes ma
chinery and he had no money to buy
with.
P11t no IN m
mill Could ambition find a more hope
less condition confronting it? He went
at the condition with stout heart and
skilled and willing hands. He searched
the neighborhood for disabled reaping
machines, the boneyards of the dealers
and the scrapheaps Of the farms. He
took wheels ard sheaves, shafts and
bolts, pulleys and belts and went to
work to transform them into spinners
and looms Imagine the magnitude of
the task, add an empty pocketbook and
scant food for the family, no adjunct of
machine shop with it's lathes and drills,
nor foundry with its patterns and cast
ings, and then, when you meet him,
take OIL your Hat W the HAL VINO ITl-
umphed. For he did win out against
all this appalling opposition. By spring
he had a mill! running that would
weave wool into yarn and yarn into
woolens For eight years he worked,
improving, adding. charging, taking
wool from farmers and returning
cloths, setting honesty, fairness first,
giving his customers las much for
their money or wool as was just; not
overcharging even when the customer
| would not know that he was over
| charged; making good goods, of honest
weight and materials" Thus he built
I'D a. reputation for integrity, always
capital in itself.
Finally the Fergus Falls wooden mill,
born Of bonus and dead of incapacity,
| fell to one who wanted capacity to take
| it's management. Hogan's fame as
manager made him the man for the
place. He leased the mill and took
| charge. Here again difficulties were to
be met and overcome. The mill was
| in bad shape The machinery was
ancient and badly arranged and ad-
| justed 1t was the panic year. Tariffs