Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-10-02
ABOUT SIR THOMAS Upton.

-
His wealth is now conservatively
placed at $40, 900, 900. Report asserts
that he has made $50, 10000 in thirty
years, but ne himself lays claim to no
such fortune. He is not yatchman,
although member of the Royal Ulster
Yacht Club. His challenge, which has
awakened marine sporting men in all
parts of the world, is said to be due
wholly to his Interchangeable policy of
keeping the name of Upton before
the world.
Thirty eight years ago Sir Thomas
was messenger boy in a stationer's
shop in Glasgow, and his father day
laborer. The boys wages we're shil-
lings and 6 pence per week. At night,
when through with his work, he at
ed his education. Some five or six
years later, or about the time he was
eighteen, he ran away from home and
took passage in the steerage of an
Anchor Liner for New York.
Among his llow-passengers he
found many who were sick and needed
the little 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 was lined
with runners for various boarding
houses, all eager to capture the pas
sengers. Upton pushed through them
and ran to the nearest hotel. Boiling
in on the surprised proprietor of the
place, he shouted at him:
s'Will you board me free for N onth
if l bring you forty patrons?"
The proprietor said he would. Then
Upton returned TO the docks, found
his friends Of the steerage, brought
them to the friendly hotel and lodged
them. The landlord gave him room
with two other men, and there he liv-
this time he obtained work on the
docks and saved little money.
Two years ago, sitting at dinner in
Chicago, Sir Thomas turned to west
ern friend and said to him:
"When came over this time was
offered the best cabin and quarters
for my man and secretary. The best
on the ship was at my command. 1t
made me think of my first journey
over in the steerage, IL was so differ
ent. Do you know I never come to
New York but what I 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 class.
once was not able to-"
The business start of Sir Thomas was
as a humble merchant of provisions,
meats of the Inferior order. His par
ents had $500 and they let MIN add
this to what he brought back with
him when he went home from this
country He believed that the world
was always hungry and always will
ing to pay decent price for some
thing to eat. He determined to be
provisioner. In the little store which
he started with, he was his own clerk,
bookkeeper and manager. He put
up the shutters at night and took them
down in the morning. He was par
| ticular to study what his customers
wanted. His own peculiar individu-
atty was kept before them until Lip
| ton, 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
he found means with which to adver
tise. He put the name of Upton where
every nan, woman aud child in Scot
land and England must see it. Nat
urally, 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 cone
| if Upton had not adhered to the rule
of being honest with his trade and of
underselling time merchants who
! surrounded him and who did business
in old time ways.
The first popular advertising which
he ever attempted was to have two
fat hogs driven through the streets of
Glasgow. They bore the label: clip
toms Orphans"
Commercial men of aesthetic tastes
will depreciate his free use of adver-
Using as vulgar while seeing their
business pass to his hands. But Sir
Thomas Upton takes his age as he
finds it and appeals to popular Gu
riosity in the strongest way to move it.
He feels that it is necessary he should
do this to keep up interest in his great
enterprise, and he likes to do it. The