The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-22
NErGHBoRs CALLED HIM KING.

total cost is estimated at $4,000.
NEIGHBORS CALLED HIM KING.
Personality of the Sausage Maker Much
Trouble i'm the Family.
Luetgert, king of the sausage making
industry, has been the object of talk
and speculation for the last five years
His unique personality. his queer hab-
it's his half wild dogs. his giant stat
ure, and the millions OF pounds Of saus-
age that were carted away from his
great factory at Diversey and Hermit
tage avenues made the Germans and
Poles OF his neighborhood call him a
king.
During the twenty years since Luet-
CERT and Louise Bickenese were married
in ST. Johns Lutheran church. La Sale
avenue and Ohio street, where her gold
wedding ring was first worn. Mrs. Luet-
CERT had toiled with her husband and
had planned with him. Luetgert was
prosperous saloon keeper when they
were welded, and Louise Bickenese was
a pretty German domestic, who knew
scarcely word of English.
At last Luetgert and his wife had
saved enough money to buy out meat
route. and Luetgert gave up his saloon
The family went to live over the mar
ket and this prospered better than the
saloon had done.
Luetgert began by peddling meat at
the back doors of his friends homes
He saw possibilities in sausage max
ing and gradually he went into the
business of making summer sausages
At first this was carried on in back
room Of the market. After a while it
outstripped the regular meat business,
and Luetgert saw business and profits
come in almost faster than he could
take care of them. The factory was To-
Gated then in Sheffield avenue, near
Diversey
Differ on Business Plans.
Luetgert and his wife had widely DIFF
ferent notions as TO how large a saus-
age plant ought to be built. Luetgert
had visions of a siX-story building,
with railroad tracks running to it and
loaded cars at the doors. Mrs. Luetgert
wished her husband to invest $4,000 in
the new plant and the balance of their
savings in some other investment.
Luetgert had his own way.
During the year of the Worlds fair
| Luetgert cleared $4,000 from his saus-
| age business. At that time he was
| reputed to be worth about 100000. Mrs.
| Luetgert, ii is said. never ceased to
! chide her husband for putting all his
savings in the plant, even when profits
piled up with dazzling swiftness
Mrs. Luetgert. with the most comfort
| able house for a mile around, was not
| envied. however. When she saw the
| change in her husbands habits she
! fretted and chided. till Luetgert finally
| went to live among his dogs in the FAC
tory. He fitted up sleeping room IN
his office, and his bulky frame never
| was seen in the house except at meal
times.
| Luetgert had invested practically ev-
| cry penny he and his wife saved In his
sausage plant He borrowed almost as
J much more to complete II. and as mos'
| of his business was done on credit. wher
the hard times came he had no capita
with which to 60 on. When ne was
| Obliged To borrow right and left. Mrs
Iuetgert lost no chance to remind an
that il he had followed her advice lac
would have been all right
| Family Jars Increased.
Last February Luetgsrt's factory
closed down When profits ceased tC
pile up Mrs Lustgert's seedlings anc
the family jars increased Mary Stem
ering had In the meantime come to i've
with the Luetgerts. and Luetgerts fond
ness for her, IL Is said. Increased the
bitterness between him and his wife
Financial ruin stared Luetgert In th'
face by the middle OF April The saus
age-maker and his wife saw that th'
factory was almost certain to pass Int
the hands of the sheriff. for notes were
falling due, there was no income to pay
them from, and butchers and marke
men who were in Luetgerts debt were
unable to help him out OF difficulty Al
the hard times. Mrs. Luetgert, wh'
had seen her advice thrown to the winds
and her dire predictions all come true
lost no opportunity TO scold her hus
band for his folly. The reports OF tn
Luetgert family disturbances increased
throughout the neighborhood and wer
:. the object Of many conferences amons
Il Mrs I,uet1ert's relatives.