The copper era., 1903-01-15
THE SHANNON CO.'S
 NEW PRESIDENT.
4 Successful Business Man with Good Record and a Bright
 Future.
From the New York Commercial.

From the New York Commercial.
 Every successful man has a story
 rarely told except to a few-that is oftentimes more interesting than q chapter from novel.
 From milking cows on his fathers
 farm to the vice presidency of one of the now familiar trusts" and presi-
 dent of bank, all in the course of q , omparativeIy few years is the story of George C. Gill of Holyoke, Massachu-
 setts.
 He was born in Hinsdale. Maseachu- sets, one Of the prettiest towns in the
 Berkshire Hills, in 1858. His youth vas about the same a. that of most
 farmer lads of his time. The "dees-
 trick" school a few hours q day and q
 multitude of "chOres" occupied his
 time so closely that Mr. Gill now says
 his early training is responsible largely
 for what success he has achieved. He
 saved enough money doing odd jobs to
 enable him to attend q business college
 in d nearby city; then he went into
 large woolen mill spending six months
 un1er an expert accountant and re- cciving no remuneration whatever;
 he was content tO learn all he could.
 At the age of twenty-one he entered
 the employ Of the Chester Paper com
 pany of Huntington, Massachusetts, starting at the bottom of the ladder, his intention being to learn the paper
 business practically and not thcOrc- tically y-which he did. Mir. Gill is in the country who has worked for six months sorting rags in the rag-rOOm. It must be understood that the basis of writing paper Is rags and the abil- fly to determine what stock to Use and hov to use il constitutes the funda- mental capability of writing-paper manufacturer.
 Three years devoted to practical manufacturing fitted him so thoroughly that the Chemical Paper company Of HolyOke employed him as book keeper and in less than d year he was made secretary of the company. It then owned the largest writing-paper mills in the world. He amazed the older manufacturers and the stock holders by nearly doubling the output without the outlay of an additional dollar for machinery, and he was soon made treasurer and manager of the com pany, becoming d stockholder at the same time.
 In 1891, at the age of thirty-three, he bought at auction the Winona Paper company, whose failure short time previous had astonished the paper world; he paid the creditors 9 per cent. on 1000, 600 of debts.
 Mir. Gill's judgment was criticised at the time-but his knowledge of ma chinery and practical manufacturing stood him in good stead. He changed the name tO the George C. Gill Paper company and in very short time as all by making the property pay splendid dividends. He worked so hard, in fact, that he had to resign as treasurer of the Chemical Paper and devoted all his time and energy to the Gill Paper company.
 In 1898, when so many consultations were effected, there was talk of com biniug the writing-paper interests, and soon Mr. Gill received an "inti- il was just there that very interesting incident occurred.
 The Gill Paper company had been making money, and Mr. Gill was ad- verse to selling the property. Inter- view after interview failed to alter his decision, and when finally he did con- sent to grant an option for thirty days, the bankers who were promoting the were overjoyed until he the price, which was sev- eral hundred thousand dollars more They had practically closed negotia tions with all the other mills, and the 1 Gill property was far too successful and ably managed to allow its compe- tition; so a pretty bit of finesse was | attempted. The Gill Paper company had 500. GOO loan with q prominent life insurance company, and much to !. Mr. Gilrs surprise he was informed l one day that the amount Cor large ! portion of iD must be paid in six . months. A bit of skirmishing result | ed in Mir. Gill calling on the above ] institution and surprising ] them by saying that he would pay the ] loan the next day. It is understood ! that the Gill Paper company received | q larger percentage or cash from the ] American Writing Paper company | than any other company on the basis l of its capital.
 He was made vice-president Of the ! American Writing Paper company, l resigning within year to accept the 1 presidency of the HOlyoke National | Bank, one Of the strongest banks in | western Massachusetts. He is also an | officer of the Holyoke Savings Bark, a | ia the Shannon Copper com. l