The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-11-04
(ChicagO Ne wS.)

ANhlCdSU NC "S)
George NJ. Pullman's life story, told
in simplest English, reads like a rom
ance, and to every young American
must possess fascinating interest.
From $40 year to a fortune ap-
proximating $40, 900, 900 is one of the
greatest strides ever accomplished.
Mr.. Pullman was born at Brocton,
Chautauqua county, N. Y, March 3,
1891, and fourteen years later began
his business career in a general store
at Westfeld, n. Y, working for his
board and 50 cents a week Three
years as a clerk satisfied him that he
was not cut out for that sort of trade
and he joined his elder brother in the
cabinet making business at Albion, N.
Y, to which place the family had re-
moved. In a small way the Pullman
brothers struggled along until 1852,
when their father died, and at the age
of 2I George found himself the main
supper, Of his mother and five chill
dren of the family. The boy had
never known the school days and boy
hood pleasures forming SO large part
of the happy memories of most men.
Life was to him serious problem,
but the great load placed on his will
ling shoulders never caused him to
stagger. The boy had fixed purpose
in life. Make the best of your oppor-
tunities. Things did not 60 we'll with
the Pullman family. A small cabinet
making business in drowsy little
country town could not feed and
clothe half dozen growing children,
and George determined to abandon it
after number of very long and seri-
Gus consultations with his mother,
whom ne loved d-votedly and upon
whose judgment he largely depended.
George M. Pullman, boy and man,
never ran fast and SO never stumbled
in his enterprises.
Breaking away from the cabinet
bench he secured contracts from the
State of New York for the removal of
warehouses and other buildings made
necessary by the enlargement of the
Erie canal and within few years was
able to make the family more comfort
able and look with satisfaction on a
bank account of $500. In 1859
Mrs. Matteson, of Chicago, whose
husband was proprietor of the Matte
son House, was visiting in Albion
with her daughters and in making his
social visits young Pullman learned Of
the project then being agitated in
Chicago to raise the entire city eight
feet so as to enable the building of a
sewerage system. His father had been
builder and the gigantic feat of rails
ing city interested him SO much that
he finally decided to go West and see
what the outlook was. Visiting Chi
cago and making a close examination
of the field he was finally led to offer
his services to raise the Matteson
House, one of the finest blocks in the
city. He undertook the work and
raised the hotel, with sidewalk, and all
in such a way that business was not
suspended nor the street blocked in
any way. The feat at that time was
so notable that it was the wonder Of
the city and before he had finished his
work of raising city blocks the little
capital brought from Albion reached
S2o,o cash.
Then began the career that has
made the name of Pullman famous the
word over and that has builded a
beautiful city and made capable Of
earning 8 per cent. year one of the
most gigantic industries in the world.
At Albion he became acquaint ed
with Senator Ben Field, member of
the Stale Senate in 1S54-'56. Mr..
Field was interested in legislation con-
cerning sleeping car fares and the
Woodruff Sleeping Car company, in
acknowledgment Of his interest in its
behalf, had given him the right to run
its sleepers on a couple of Western
roads, Mr.. Pullman heard a great
deal from his friend Field about the
new car used for night service and told
with relish the story Of his first expert
ence in a sleeper He was making a
journey of sixty miles and hearing that
a night car was on the train he paid
50 cents for berth in it, although he
did not expect to use it. He wanted
to see how the car looked. 1t had one
bed near the floor, another two or
three feet above it and third rising
above the second. They were mere
hunks, but they were the best sleeping
accommodations that were provided
at that time.
While Mr.. Pullman was in Chicago
raising buildings he was called upon
by Senator Field with a request for
several loans, and out Of these accom-
modations an arrangement grew be-
tween them, 10 run sleepiug cars on
the Alton road, Pullman to pay the
Senator, who had secured the right TO
run the cars, half Of the prospective
earnings. Matters went on in this way
for a short while and meanwhile Field,
who had no business tact, lost his
sleeping-car service on the other two
Western roads which had been given
him. One day he came to Mr.. Pull
man and told him that he had an op-
portunity to buy back the privileges
on the other roads, and that he would
like to sell his half interest in the CO.
partnership line to Mr.. Pullman. A
bargain was stuck and Mr.. Pullman
paid his partner $4,000. This was at
the opening Of the war when the night