Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-02-05

absorbed learning readily enough, hut |
ae never stood mt the head Of his clas,-
es. He understood the game Of "hoOky"
10 perfection. and played II frequently.
On one Of these occasions he persuaded
an old canal-boat man to take him on
a cruise down the canal. He repre-
scented that his parents w,re anxious
for him to learn the business. During
the voyage he fell overheard. inibibed
quantity Of canal water. and the lac.
terra told on his constitution danger
ously for time. At the end Of three
weeks holiday once he came near
drowning in the lake at the foot OF
Van Buren, street. where he was the
captain of scow manned by boys Of
his own size.
The severcst punishment Of his
school days. however, was administer
ed by Morton Culver, the real estate
dealer. who was at that time principal
of the Jones school, but over which
both gentlemen, now In their maturer
years. have many hearty laugh.
Young Revell. In a spirit Of Irritation
and as sort Of complimentary atten-
ton. Tipped a rubber at his sweetheart.
Matte. not percciving the source Of the
aattering notice. cried disinally. Mr..
Culver's eye lighted at once Oh the Of
| fender. and he administered a chastis-
| ing which he recalls 10 this day. when.
| ever he meets the President Of the
| Union League Club. The first CONNER
| clal transaction Mr.. Revell ever on.
gagged In was selling pictures Of the
! generals just after the late war. He
was u very little boy then. but the
shrewdness of his character asserted IT.
self. lie promptly traded of all his pie
lures Of generals with long and unprO-
uouncnble names for those more suited
TO his Evolutionary powers. On another
occasion he contracted to distribute
doctors circulars at 30 ceirtss a thou
sand. After getting rid Of 300 he dump
ed the rest In the river and went 10
playing marbles.
The Chicago fire swept away nearly
all the earnings Of the elder Revelrs
lifetime. lie died soon after and Alex.
ander Rcvell's schooldays and boy
hood came to an abrupt end. He owned
a good physique. and sturdy hands and
property to the extent Of an old horse
and wagon. Young Revell set to work
delivering goods to and from auction
houses. He never missed an OppOr.
tunlty to make money In small deals
Of his own. All was fish that came
to his net. He watched the goods Of his
customers. he learned the ways Of busl'
ness. and began to buy and sell at auc'
tlOn sales. Then. when dull times
threatened. with the shrcwd foresight
that marked the coming merchant
he sold his horse and wagon and bcgnr
selling goggles. Goggles were an item
then. when ChicagO's business center
was q heap Of cintlers. Then he estab
lishetl a small grocery shop; after tina
u little feed store. Occasionally III
went back to the horse and wager
and auction business. Once he los
1878 In bank failure. That banl
failure seemed to the boy as ''blacl
Friday" did to many New York mil
} liOnairc. lie had made the money Il
u shrewd deal In CASTLE soap. 1t wa
a transaction on small scale. but
was u pretty fair stroke for boy o
y IT,. 1t was Christmas time ana til
: young fellow was driving his hOrs
> and wagon. lie discovered stock q
i soap which u dealer had bought ut
: bankrupt sale. He bought ak bOxC
: Of II az 3 cents u pound and sold II
u merchant for q cents. The YOUTH,
e Spectator then went back and secure
an option on the whole lot at the sam
x price. Going to the merchant liz o.
J. fercd to dispose Of his bargain for
y cents. secured the price, and cleare
1878 In the transaction. This IL I'll
y 1878 which he deposited In the ban
j. and lost.
81 Pulling himself together for anOtht
II effort. young Revcii applied to IL
" Chicago house Of \. 4. Stewart for
=. position a. clerk. They offered hi
NJ 81 a week. He decided that he WI
worth ~ and refused the place. FlnG
y ~, after wearing out some shoe leath'
10 In a canvass Of the stores, he secure
d. the ~ In u furniture store. Out Of tn
ut salary, and by making an occasion
turn Ou uu OutbWc lTuue, Wv buNs
y $500 In two years. During all this tin
IN he studied and read. He attended mig
d. school and patrOnlxed the public libr
ne ry. With fellow clerk named
~ +. GeOghan he went into the furnitu
u. business at No. u Fifth avenue. IT
III business prospered and Revell so
III bought out his partner. Six years o.
he removed to his present place
H. business on Wabash avenue. He b
~ built up one OF the greatest houses
IN the west, and factory employing ov
IN 200 men.
~ Mr. Revell has not only won his spu
NJ AZ sOuna Anancler and business ma
er but as philaathr0pist and stude
~ Of civic affairs.
his the WEST SIDE A0AiMST the YE
nj LOW KID.