Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-10-22
NEIGHBORs CALLED HIM KING,

Ing the eight weeks OF the trial. The
total cost is estimated at $4,000.
NEIGHBORs CALLED HIM KING.
Personality Of the Sausage Maker-Much
Trouble in the Family.
Luetgert. king of the sausage-malkina
industry. has been the object OF talk
and speculation for the last five years
His unique personality. his queer hab-
its. his half wild dogs. his giant stat
IRE. and the millions Of pounds Of aus-
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 q
king.
During the twenty years eince 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-
gsrt had tofled with her husband and
had planned with him. Luetgert was
q prosperous saloon keeper when they
were welded, and Louise Bickenese was
q pretty German domestic, who knew
scarcely a word OF English.
At last Luetgert and his wife had
saved enough money to buy out a meat
route, and Euetsert gave I'D his saloon
The family went to live over the mar
ket, and this prospered better than the
saloon had done.
Luetgert began by peddl!ng meat Al
the back doors OF his friends homes
He saw possibilities in sausase-mak-
ing. and gradually he went into the
business OF making summer sausaSes
At first this was carried on in q back
room OF the market. After a while Il
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.
Diner on Business Plans.
Luetgert and his wife had widely dif.
fepent notions as TO how large a saus-
age plant ought to be built. Lueteert
had visions Of a six-story building,
with railroad tracks running to IL and
loaded cars at the doors Mrs LuetRers
wished her husband to invest &C, 600 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
Lueteert cleared SIS. 900 from his saus-
age business. At that time he was
reputed 70 be worth about $500, 900. Mrs
Luetgert, II Is said, never ceased 10
chide her husband for putting all his
savings In the plant, even when profits
piled up with dazzling swiftness
Mrs. Luetgeh. with the most comfort
able house for q mile around, was not
envied, however. When she saw the
change in her husbands habits she
fretted and chided. TIL Luetgert finally
went TO live among his dogs in the fac
tory. He fftted up a 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 an
much more to complete II, and as moot
OF his business was done on credit. when
the hard times came he had no capital
with which to 60 on. When he vas
obliged to borrow right and left. Nra.
1.uetgert lost no chance 20 remind nm
that II he had followed her advice he
would have been all right.
Family Jars IncresssA.
Last Febrrc-y Luetgerts factory
closed down. When profits ceased 10
pile up Mr.. Luetgert's seedlings and
the family Jars increased. MARY Stem
ering had In the meantime come 20 live
with the Luetserts. and Luetgert's fond
ness for her. 1t is said. increased the
bitterness between him and his wife.
Financial ruin stared Luetgert in the
face by the middle Of April. The saus-
age-maker and his wife saw that the
factory was almost certain to pass into
the hands Of the sherffY. for notes were
railing due. there was no income to nav
them from. and butchers and market
men who were in Luetgert's debt were
unable to help him out Of difficulty in
the hard times. Mrs. Luetgerf, who
had seen her advice thrown TO the winds.
and her dire predictions all come true.
host no opportunity TO scold her hue.
baad for his folly. The reports OF the
Luetgert family disturbances Increased
throughout the neighborhood and vsr~
Tie object Of many conferences amons