The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-21

had found the largest American nag to bs
had This he took back to his packing-h house
and had it raised joining the hosts of other
streamers. all proclaiming American victory
overNSpa.n.
With this anecdote an evidence Of his
regard for America. and at the same time
his intention to never be behind the pro-
cession, SiF"Thomas believes that London to-
day is the best place in the world for an
energetic man to make money. sss
An active. hustling man." he says, "can
find better opening for business in London
today than anywhere else"
Thirty eight years ago Sir Thomas Upton
was messenger boy in a stationer's shop In
Glasgow and his father was a day laborer.
The boys wages were shillings and pence
per week. At night. when through with his
work, he attended school and in that way re-
ceived his education. Some five or six years
later or about the time he was 49, he ran
away from home and took passage in the
steerage of an Anchor liner for New York.
Among his fellow passengers he found
many who were sick and who needed the lit
tie comforts of life. He did for them the best
he could and won their friendship. Arriving
at the dock in New York city. the place ~as
lined with runners for various boarding
houses, all eager to capture the passengers.
Upton pushed through them and ran to the
nearest hotel Boiling In In s on the surprised
will you board me free for month If
bring you forty patrons?
The proprietor said he would Then Upton
returned to the docks, found his friends of
the Storage, brought them to the friendly
hotel and lodged them. The landlord gave
him room with two other men. and there he
lived, board free, for a month. During this
time he obtained work on the docks and saved
a little money.
Two years ago, sitting at dinner in Chi
cago, Sir Thomas turned to a Western friend
and said to him:
'sWhen I came over this time I was offered
the best cabin and quarters for my man and
secretary The best on the ship was at my
nd think first
ney over in the steerage, it was so different.
Do you know I never come to New York but
what l go and look at that hotel where I was
lodged. the room in which slept, and talk
with the proprietor? You may smile you have
always travelled first-ciass. Itonce was not
ehle to-
After short stay in New York he Travelled
to South Carolina and worked in the rice
fields then visited Texas, and finally returned
to New York as a. stOwaway on a steamship.
cat that time" he said years afterward,
my sole ambition was to make enough
money to buy a barrel of American flour and
American rocking chair for my mother.
had the money in years time, and then
started back to Scotland with the -four and
the rocking chair | reached home in the
night and waited until morning before going
to my parents house. I then took, cab.
loaded myself, the -four and the chair into it,
so that all the neighbors would see the col
lection, and 1 drove to the home of my
mother
Ore looks in vain through TIE life of Ern-
est Terah Hooley for such touches of heart
nature as this, such simplicity of purpose,
such evidence Of democracy. ~
The business start OF Sir Thomas a
humble merchant of provisions, meats of the
inferior order. His parents lad $500, and
they let him add to this what he brought
back with him. He believed that the world
was Always hungry and always wiling to pay
q decent price for something to eat He de-
termined to be provisioner. In the little
store he started with he was his own clerk,
and manager. He put up the
shutters at night and took them down in
tie morning. He was particular to study
what his customers wanted. His own pecu-
liar individuality was kept before them until
Upton, one of the smallest provision dealers
in Glasgow was better known than those who
had been in business for years. BY and by
as he prospered no found means with which
to advertise. He put the name of Upton
where every man. woman and child in Scot
land and England must see it. Naturally.
after they knew, the name they desired to
further know what he did, and when they
gained that knowledge they patronized him.
Possibly, though the patronage would never
have come if Upton had not adhered 80 the
rule of being honest with his trade and of
underselling old time merchants who sur
rounded him and who did business in old
ways
Sir Thomas worked necessarily. justifying
his own remark that he labored twenty-five