The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-09
STORIES TOLD OF
PHILIP D. ARMOUR

America, His traits We're less Dictur-
esque, perhaps, than those of the Pater-
son locomotive builder. john :. Rogers.
one trait, however the two men had in
common and in a highly developed
EOfln- both were great at minding their
own business One day just after MI
Armour $ return from a European trip
chicago newspaper sent a reporter to
interview him IN regard to his Observa-
tons of life and business abroad.
The millionaire packer received the
reporter coUrteOusly, but added in his
brief, direct way; with quiszical
smile:
4 am no talker / made my money
by learning to keep my mouth shut.
When the teeth are shut the tongue is
at home Besides. you'll never be con-
Victed of foOlishness il you follow this
rule
When Mr.. Armour had any comments
TO make on travel, business. politics or
religion they were always terse and to
the point. but he never was anxious to
take the public into his confidence. He
was one Of the leading members of the
Chicago Commercial club, and was sell
dom absent from its dinners. but no one
can recall him ds an after-dinner
speaker
Mr. ArmOuT's pet projects in philan-
thrOpy were the Armour institute. d
school of technology. and the Armour
whose object is to promote the physic-
al. intellectual and moral Improvement
of children and youth. These institu-
lions stand side by side at Armour av-
enue and ThiTty-tniTd street. They rep
resent an investment by Mr.. Armour in
behalf of the education and ethical well
fare of the community amounting TO
g. 500. 600. While the first building was
being erected. fifteen years ago. it was
reported one day that the bricklayers
had struck because OF sympathy with
certain alleged labor grievances in
which the ArmoUrs figured at the
Union stock yards.
Are the bricklayeTs refusing to work
for yOu?" Mr.. Armour was asked.
'Oh. no." he said. with a. twinkle in
his eye. The mission is still going up.
They don't interfere much with my
Christian work I intended to build an
other mission house. but have pOstpOn-
ed operations for the present. You see,
1 have been a little short on religion
for some years. and I thought the best
thing 1 could do would be to try to get
even
= sent that young man sitting over
there out to see the contractors. and
he came back and said: BY Cod.
stop there. Dave said I. Don't swear
in talking about a mission house Per
haps though you'll be forgiven on my
account. so go on He told me that the
contractors advised postpOnement of
work for year or so. and l agreed l
VIII have to hustle a little harder then
to catch up on the religious end. that
is all. In the meantime 1 VIII kind o
struggle along. leaving the other people
to do the talking-and perhaps the
walking while Armour & Co do the
business" He then resumed his inter
rupted task of hlIing out an order for
new suit of clothes for clerk who
seemed TO deserve a reward for his eX-
ceItionai services. This form of reward
was always d hobby with Mr.. Armour
@ G. q
A little more than a year ago he
made his last gift of $4,000 to Armour
institute The first intimatiOn of the
gift was made on a Sunday afternoon,
when DR.. Frank w. GUnsaUlus, presi-
dent of the institute, was conducting
the Sunday school at the Armour mis-
sion. Mr.. Armour was on hand BEAM
ing on the exercises After the services
were concluded he said to DR. Gun
saulus:
Doctor. it seems to me You are TAX
ing a great many cares on yourself
yes, but they are delightful cares,
and 1 love TO assume them
We'll. doctor, 1 have been thinking
of tightening them. l have come TO
the conclusion that I will give the in
stitute more money. Call on me to
morrow and I will tell you more about
it."
When the transfer had been made the
next day DR.. GuHsaulUs said; MT
Armour, / feel that TINS institute Is the
greatest investment you ever made.
Z believe it." said the millionaire.
1T is paying dividends every day
That he was always deeply interested
in young men and happy when he had
the opportunity to encourage the young
and ambitious has been well illustrated
nv more than one incident. He always
showed desire to do the right thing
at the right time to shape the char
acter for growth in the right direction
in young persons in the plastic period
of life One day while travelling De
tween New York and Chicago he be
came interested in a cOlOred boy.
sleeping car porter whom he saw try
ing to read a book. He named the
boy General Forrest
general said Mr.. Armour, "TH
give you s. bill if you will read one
line of that book without stopping TO
spell out the words
The boy grinned, but accepted the
challenge and read out a line without
hesitation. He not only received the
s. note, but on further questioning
stirred Mr.. Armour to still greater in
terest He disclosed a desire for lInOwl-
edge that impelled Mr.. Armour to pro-
pose a way for his education. Soon
afterward General Forrest resigned
from the sleeping car service and went
to Oberlin college. where he was ed
ucated at Mr.. ArmOur's expense
Three or four years ago a Chicago
newspaper reporter called on Mr.. Ar
mour at his Office and asked him 10
contribute his views to a. New Years
symposium on this question: ION what
lines has the greatest progress been
made during the last year,
We'll" replied Mr. Armour with an
amused expressions, we Americans
have been progressing in several di-
reCtions. For one thing, speaking for
myself, I can assure you that we are
making better sausage than ever be-
fore. Have you any ministers out in
the part Of town where you live? They
would preach better sermons if they
included more of Armour's sausage in
their Diet
Only those closest to Mr.. Armour
during the last twenty years know TO
the fun extent the thousands of ap-
peals for assistance that came to him
in every conceivable form. No appeal
that was not d fraud on it's face was
ever ignored by him without investiEa-
ton. He once said that he did not
like the idea of refusing any modest
appeal without investigation, as it
might be from some person unfortu-
nate but most worthy.
Strange ups ana downs happen IN
this world" he added. 1T is among
the possibilities that my own son
nigh. see the time when he would ap-
peal Tor help TO some man that had
once been turned down by me. Stranger
things have happened. For this reason
I believe in relieving human misery so
far as it is in my power. For this rea-
son 1t is well not to turn deaf ear
to any deserving case Of charity"