The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-12

the sale o. Ibis Olympic Music Hal only
a few months ago.
IL Us not am easy master to determine
the type o. greatness of "a living man.
It MAJ not Dee difficult 10 decide that lo
IS great but 70 define tho precise nature
Of his greatness is not so simple proc
blem. ia regard 20 oscar Hammersteiu
this IS particularly true The scope or
his endeayOrs have been many ana they
have been autagOuisuc.
He has won success rs cigar maker
Journalist. O dramaust. compose.
poet. an inventor. au architect, am artist
a puryeyor OF liquid refreshments and
capitalist That such o. man is ehull-d
20 be called great cannot De denied p..
the wise bi0grapher Will avoid the lllith
of attempting 90 classify oscar nam
merstcin under amy particular type o-
greatness
When Oscar Hammerstcin came 90
this country in 1863 boz. had few dollars
in his pocket. but an diIimitaoie supply
OF courage in his heart a few Weeks
before he had run away from his nome
IN Berlin because DEE objected % the
strict rules OF lie enforced boy his father
The trip from Germany q England was
made in a cattle boat and the voyage
from Hull 10 New York m the Storage
Once I'm this country he soon obtained
employment with cigar maker. Ine
pay was small something Ike g "a "eeh
at frst, but the boy was AN apt pup
and was soon earning - much as STU
a week At this salary he saved money
He had no bad habits but he spent his
evenings in DIS attic room writing, at
first for the German papers and later for
American publications. and ia l,o ne
established a trade journal. "The United
States Tobacco Journal and them the
struggle of his life cOmmenced.
The story of the experiences or the
next few years has never been told. Mr..
Haumerstein admits that the task OF
placing the paper upon paying basis
was by no means an easy one lie had
little money and trade journals were an
innovation that were not lully appre-
clated by the people % whom they were
supposed 10 appeal lie struggled on
bravelv. however. although cold and
hunger often threatened 10 get the bet
ter of him. and at last he had the salts
faction Of owning one Of the most sue
cessful trade papers Ia the country.
All this time Oscar Hammersteln was
making cigars. I'm his Office, when he
was not otherwise engaged, ana II was
this continuous sympathy WITH the ac-
tive worker that suggested the machine
the invention Of which laid tne iounn'-
lion of his fortune. Al that time cigars
were made entirely by hand JUST as Mr.
Hammerstein makes them now. Tor WINE
he has long been I'm nnanciai cohullloh
a. enable him TO purchase his tobacco i'm
any form nc may desire he still prefers
to smoke his own hand made cigars.
He realized the need Of a cigar ma
china and az last he invented II. That
invention revolutionlzed tho manuiac-
ture OF cigars aud It brought him one
hundred thousand dollars. Ihat was the
beginning. From that day M tt"hifi'ei-
stein's time was devoted 10 his inveh
tions. lie perfected nearly sixty. and
the money that he received from these
inventions. with his profits from MS
trade journal. netted very tidy sum.
Oscar Hammerstein's life has Deen
one long romance-a romance OF uo1-
lars and cents. perhaps. but mono the