The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-24

One evening in midsummer SO years
ago there was domestic disturbance in a
modest home i'm Berlin. The disturbance
was chiefly between a strong headed IA
Their and a son, aged 10. who had inherit
ed his parents sense of personal independ-
ence and was just finding it out.
There was a heated alteration, in which
the son stubbornly held his own. IL was
one of those alterations which do not end
In words Terrible family tragedies have
grown out OF them. In this case there
was no tragedy-only sudden breaking
of family ties that were destined never TO
be resumed
Finding that argument was futile, the
father seized one of his heavy boots and
struck the son a blow on the head with 10.
That ended the domestic disturbance in
this modest German home That night
che boy came into his inheritance-of in
dependence. While the other members of
the family slept he stole down from his
room and left the house. In his pocket
was one gold coin and few silver pieces
His wardrobe was on his back His only
luggage he carried under one arm-a VIC.
lin in its case.
This was the real beginning of Oscar
Hammerstein, who recently made an as
sgnment in New York
On the following day he bartered the
gold coin for passage to America in the
steerage of the sailing vessel Isaac Webb.
One of his silver pieces went 70 purchase
a blanket Some weeks later the boy
sailed in through the Narrows and landed
at Castle Garden. There was not one
pfennig remaining in his pocket He was
gaunt and hungry, and he had TO throw
L u \ . full Of
fleas, the involuntary contribution of his
fellow steerage passengers.
But young Oscar Hammerstein still had
with him this strong head and his newly
acquired independence Together they
found him friends, and presently he found
himself installed as clerk of a little cigar
store Back of the store was room where
the proprietor worked, when not attending
20 the wants of customers, at his trade of
cigar making. Oscar thought that he
would have firmer grip on his independ-
ence if he learned TO make cigars. He
was not long at this task Then IL oc-
CURED TO him that there was more indie
pendence in selling cigars at wholesale
than one at a time, and soon he had estab-
lished a route of small stores throughout
New York, which he visited as sales
man.
He made great many acquaintance In
this way One of them interested him in
a scheme TO export American tobacco of
the lower grades to Gibraltar, where it
was distributed, so the story goes, among
knowing merchants who got it into Spain
without the knowledge of the government.
But of this it was not necessary for Oscar
Hammerstein, plain exporter. to know
anything
Meanwhile the strong head kept up
constant thinking 1t thought out ma
chine which would make 100 cigars while
a man was making one. Oscar Hammer
stein thought so hard on this machine that
his exporting business was neglected He
had married some months back and was
living in fat One day the rent for the
fat was due when there was no money to
pay it with. Neither was there much of
anything in the cupboard, though the
Hammersteins were good eaters
This was the same day that Mr. Ham.
merstein having secured a patent on his
machine, went out after breakfast TO see
what could be done with it. He was late
for supper 1t was not much of supper,
but it tasted good to Hammerstein On
the table in front of his plate, where he
could look at it between mouthfuls, was
a certified check for sos, 000-the lump
sum realized from the sale of sole rights
TO use his cigar making machine.
The year 1874 found Oscar Hammerstein
still down in Water street among the big
tobacco men The strong headed young
man was feeling strong ali oter He felt
that he must have new worlds to conquer.
Suddenly he remembered that a man need
ed to be very strong indeed TO be an editor.
So Mr.. Hammerstein became an editor
the next day He established The United
States Tobacco journal, and the tobacco
hen were not long finding it out. They
did business with Mr.. Hammerstein, and
the paper prospered.
The Hammersteins lived frugally and
saved the profits of the paper. These profits
be invested in real estate.
Oscar Hammerstein gave his personal
attention to every detail of his publishing
business and was still troubled for lack of
employment until an accident started him
on a new career of inventing things His
printing shop was in an upper story over
tobacco warehouse. One night a water
faucet was left open by careless printer
The water dripped through the floor and
spoiled a lot of tobacco The owner of the
tobacco brought suit and secured dam
ages in the amount of several hundred
dollars.
1t wasnt more than month after that
when Hammerstein had applied for an
other patent. 1t was on a sort of burglar
alarm apparatus by the use Of which the
last person leaving a building and closing
the door fixed all the faucets so that there
would be no flood through anybody's care
lessness. This patent Mr. Hammerstein
sold for s5, 900 in cash
Mr. Hammerstein is also the inventor
of a continuance designed to make linen
collar set better on the neck of a fat man.
His troubles with his own collar gave him
the idea. and he is said TO find much com
fort In its use. But what is probably Mr.
Hammerstein' S most unique invention is
not patented II Is his secret and careful
ly guarded method OF cutting his own
hair. A great many of his acquaintance
have begged Mr.. Hammersten TO divulge
this secret, but he has thus far kept it,
On one of his pieces of real estate Oscar
Hammerstein had built an apartment
house which he named the Kaiser Will
helm" He might have gone on building
apartment houses, but anybody can do
49, M HarnnprStpin had IN find Son,e