The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-31
President Of Wells Fargo Stops
in Topeka.
He Inaugurated System Of Holi
day Gifts to Employees.
WILL GIVE MEDALS.
Company to Present Each En-.
pIOye with Silver Souvenir
President Valentine Is Slightly
Ill in Topeka

John j. Valentine, president Of the
Wells. Fargo & CO. express, is in To-
peka today inspecting the Topeka offices
of the company, and paying his respects
to the officials Of the Santa Fe railway
Mr. Valentine is accompanied on his
trip from New York to San Francisco
by Raymond A. Wells. manager Of the
central department OF Kansas City; p
r. Mervine, division superintendent with
headquarters at Kansas City. and g.
Il Gardiner
at the invitation of Mr.. Mervine, agent
OF the company at Topeka.J- n Nichols,
agent OF the company at St. Joseph, and
the following route agents, were guests
of the party at the Hotel Throop today:
=. f.. Lyle, Topeka; J. W. Bruce, ST.
Joseph; Joseph Dawson, Newton; E. Fl.
Stevens, Wichita and c. w. Simpson
Hutchinson.
About the first thing Mr.. Valentine did
after reaching town was to go TO bed
He was suffering with a slight attack Of
indigestion, and so withdrew from the
party soon after his arrival at the
Throop. Mr.. Valentine and his party
came in on Santa Fe No 5 at 11.20 a. m.
President Valentine said:
This is our regular tour Of inspection
which we try to make twice every year
My visit to the Santa Fe offices will be
purely a social call. Our company has
and 7 Ike to meet the officials
BY the way" observed Mr.. Valentine,
please get the name of the company
right. If you have the occasion to use 1t.
Most people call it the Wells Fargo Ex-
press company Correctly, 1t is the
Wells, Fargo & Co. express. You see
the company il organized for other pur-
poses besides handling express business.
In Salt Lake City we have a large bank.
and in San Francisco we operate a bank
which Is one OF the largest in the city
Mr.. Valentine said that from Topeka
the party would go to Denver, thence to
Salt Lake City and thence to san
Francisco. They will leave Topeka at
$3.50 this evening over the Union Pacific.
There is one thing which Wells, Fargo
& Co. does which has touched a popular
chord with the people of the United
States Tt gives TO every one OF its
employees, great and small, a turkey for
a Christmas present This custom was
originated twelve years ago by President
Valentine and this is what he says
about 1T.
I'VE and that It is good business
policy to give away these turkeys. Our
employees like the little attention, and
give US more faithful service than they
otherwise would Our confidence in the
value OF this policy is manifested by
what we propose to do for our men on
March ~, Of next year. That date Will
be the hfrieth anniversary of the found
ing OF the company. We are going to
give TO every empIOye a medal struck
for the occasion. Each medal viii con-
tain about an ounce and a quarter Of
silver. 1t viii take about 1000 medals
TO go around The design for the medal
has not been fully decided upon. but
the one proposed by a san Francisco
firm Is being very favorably consid-
cred"
At the time Of the Columbian exposi-
ton, when the government issued the
Columbian half dollars. the Wells. Fargo
g. Co. bought one for each of its en-
pIoyeg, thus assisting the government
and at the same time giving its men a
pretty souvenir of the occasion
Some time this afternoon the Wells
Fargo party will make its official visit
at the Santa Fe offices.