The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-04-06

ping horses would yield him Q better
living than he could expect from farm
ing in New England. He bought cattle
At Barnstable. gradually branching out
to Brighton and Watertown, and later to
Albany In 1869 he discovered there was
more money in western cattle; then he
moved to Brighton, thence to Clinton,
in Massachusetts,. His dealings had
been small, and his field had been limit
ed. when he moved to Chicago in 1875.
Neither he nor anyone else guessed his
latent genius for large affairs, for or
ganizing and constructing. which in
very few years in Chicago had become
conspicuous by growth of business until
his reputation was national
Philip D. Armour. who started life as
blithe and barefooted country boy in
New York state went to Milwaukee when
he took Horace Greeley's advice to
young men to go west. A brother, Her
man o. Armour. had grain commission
business there. and to this in 1868 the in
dustry of hog packing was added. JOS
eph +. Armour. the younger brother OF
Philip. was in charge. and it was owing
to his failing health that Philip ID.
moved to Chicago in 1875. He had be-
come familiar with every detail of pork
packing. and had himself done all phases
of it.
Back in the fifties there was potter at
Callan. Ireland, by name Patrick Cuda-
by, whose four boys ran barefoot most
the time. and who begged for fresh
meat as a luxury. This family of Pat
rick Cudahy came to America in the
steerage, with their carpet bags and
slender purses. in 1S49. and settled at
Milwaukee. Michael Cudahy was old
enough to do chores around the slaugh-
ter houses where his father found en-
ployment, and by attending school in
spare hours he acquired simple educa-
ton. which he always improved upon
later. when he had opportunity. When
he was 19 he went to work in a packing
house. and at % he went into business
for himself as a retail butcher. But
Plankington & Armour offered him
charge of their packing plant, which
was worth perhaps $35 .OOO-considera-
BILE in those days. mere bagatelle in
these days of big trusts. His sue
cess as manager brought out an offer
from p. d. Armour in 1879 for Cudahy to
become a partner in Armour & Co. He
did so. and for 20 years had the practical
management of the stockyards end of
the business. He was rich, both in mon
ey and in good will of Mr.. Armour, and
in reputation. when he established the
Cudahy Packing company, which was
taken into the merger at valuation of
$l5. 600, 900.
Trust Magnates Live Simple Life. :,
All through their lives both Gusatav-
MS Swift and P. ID. Armour retained the
simple habits OF their youth. of early
rising. and OF going to bed early. With
all their wealth they cared little for So
ciety and were rarely seen. Both men.
but particularly Armour, were very ap-
proachable by any of their men. ready in
sympathy and prompt TO assist in times
of trouble.
The business of the Swifts descend
ed to Edward c. Swift and l.. F. Swift,
but ]. Ogden Armour. the only surviving
SON Of p d. Armour. is the nominal and
practical head of the packing interests.
Like his father. he is simple in his taste
and without aristocracy or snobbisn-
ness, as genial and unaffected with an
underling as with head of depart
ment.
What the profits of the beef trust are
cannot be estimated although Commits
sioner of Commerce Garfield, in his re-
port to congress. after investigation OF
the beef trust, gave them at 80 cents a
head for every creature killed. This did
not take into consideration the rebates
paid to the railroad. which rebates are
still matters for proof. Even ]. Ogden
Armour declared he did not know how
much they were. and his statement is
not questioned.
Present Leaders of the Beef Trust.
Whatever may be said in denunciation
of the system of the beef trust, no
,. charges are made of lack of integrity, or
truthfulness, or of immortality against
]. Ogden Armour. The operations of the