The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-03-13
A SUSSESSFUL FlNANCIER.

is large stockholder and one of the
officers, paying therefor the sum Of
$500. This latest purchase of Mr..
Roof is somewhat a surprise to many
people in Lexington, but to those
who have carefully watched the rise
and progress of this Napoleon OF
finance, nothing that he may do is of
a surprising nature.
What Mr.. Whaley has been to
Columbia, so Mr.. W. P Roof is to
Lexington. The brilliant financial
record of this remarkable man is
worthy of review. Commencing the
battle of life first as the son Of q
worthy farmer, then as clerk, by fru-
gality and perseverance and close
application to business rules and
principles, he gradually forged his
way to the front, until he eventually
became proprietor of perhaps the
largest commercial house in the
county. For number of years he
seemingly was content to occupy
this position and epjoy the distinc-
ton of being the largest merchant OF
his county. But not so, his restless
spirit and lofty ambition refused to
be confined in the four walls of his
narrow Office and scared out to enter,
which were to him, new and untried
fields of development and venture.
When the subject of organizing a
company and building a cotton
factory at this place was FIRST mooted,
Mr.. Roof at once became the leading
light and the warmest advocate of
the movement. The company was
organized and he became it's first
President, which position he still
occupies. Though inexperienced in
this line of business he more than
made up with an answering deter
mination to carry the enterprise
through the breakers safely and
make it paying investment for those
who had placed confidence in his
Judgment and their savings in his
care. Under difficulties that would
have utterly crushed one with less
rugged nature or business tact, he
struggled on and his marvellous sue
cess is witnessed in mill paying
handsome dividends to the stock
holders and which is forced to run
day and night to keep up with its
orders; the great improvements in
and around Lexington and the in
crease in it's population.
Not content with this he and his
associates took charge of the Red
Bank mill which was then burdened
to death with debt and notwith-
standing having sustained the loss
of that mill by fire, he went manfully
to work and erected the present large
and commodious mill now known as
SAKE Gotha upon the ashes of the
old one, which has also proven
financial success.
Still uncontented with his achieve
ments along this line, the idea Of a
mill in Columbia was conceived and
the project assumed shape in the
building of the Palmetto mill there,
of which he is the Secretary and
Treasurer and one of its leading
officers who directs the affairs of that
mill.
Scarcely had he accomplished this
when the inviting field of Batesburg
attracted his attention, and he to-
gether with other mill men purchased
the mill at Bstesburg, which had
been idle for a long time for want of
capital to run, and after making
many costly and modern improve
ments, has succeeded in placing that
mill on sound and paying financial
basis.
Not alone in the mill circles has Mr..
Roof demonstrated his sound busi-
ness judgment, for he has in connec-
tion with his mill interests managed
the Lexington Savings Bank, which
has been in successful operation for
q number of years. He is also a
director in the Murry Drug Company
and holds interests in many other
enterprises. He still continues his
mercantile business, which as the
town and country developes, is in
creasing its volume of trade and now
requires the presence of seven clerks
to wait upon the customers who trade
there.
It is now rumored that he intends
at an early day to erect q second
mill at this place and We are assured
that if he undertakes such an enter
prise he will push it to successful