Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07
THE RISE OF A LOGGER.
Sol Simpson Began as Laborer and Be
came Captain of Industry.

came Captain OF Industry
From the Portland Oregonlan.
Sol Simpson. logger, died In Seattle last
Wednesday, leaving a wide circle of bust
ness and social friends to mourn his loss
The business of logging has never been
credited with the same degree of impor-
lance some other callings in which men
engage There have been loggers on Puget
sound for more than half a century, just as
there have been on the Columbia river and
in British Columbia. Sol Simpson was not
ordinary logger. He was one of those
rare captains of industry VINO prove by tnelr
life work that, while all men are created
free and equal, a few of them, by individual
effort and energy, soon dissolve the bonds
o. equality. Early environment and oppor-
tunity caused Simpson to drift into line
of Industrial effort where Drawn and brains
were alike necessary to success. The rare
executive ability and financial acumen that
developed in Simpson later in life is proof
positive that equal success would have fol-
lowed his efforts in almost any financial or
commercial line on which he might have
started.
Beginning as a common laborer on the
railroad grade. Mr.. Simpson saved his mea-
ger wages, and through his great industry
and ability to grasp the essential features
Of the most ordinary task allotted to him
was soon in a position to undertake sub
contracting on small scale. From that he
moved on UP the scale until in the railroad
building of the '70s he held number of
important contracts on the Southern PACING
With the decline of the railroad building he
went to Seattle and engaged in the business
of general contracting, but finding an insult
ficiency of that class of work. turned to
logging business in which for more than
twenty-five years he has stood at the head.
Beginning with a handful of men, half a
dozen oxen and few chains, the Simpson
Logging Company developed into an enter
rNrto r. nla M low yr1n
many miles of railroad, with numerous en-
gines and cars, and annually puts in the
water more than 100,000.0OO feet of logs.
business cannot grow from nothing into
such magnitude without the controlling in
fuence of a master mind and until the
foundation for his success had been firmly
placed Mr. Simpson remained IN the woods
with his men and oxen, directing every
movement. He reduced the work of trans
porting merchantable timber from the for
est to the mill to a science. and while less
enterprising loggers were still engaged in
hand logging or using oxen Simpson had
installed the donkey engine, the logging
railroad and other up-to-date equipment.
The world pays tribute to Industrial genius,
and In due season. by strict attention to his
work, Sol Simpson, logger, accumulated
more money than he needed in his work.
He bought steamboats, and steamships and
became heavily interested IN numerous
banks on Puget sound
Here IN Portland the mship Oregon had
of repairs, which her owners would not
make because they We're unable TO discover
a route on which she could make money.
Regarding her in this unfavorable light,
they sold her cheap and her purchaser Sol
Simpson, logger, repaired her and placed
her on the Alaska route. where, on her first
trip. she made enough profit to pay for her
purchase price and the cost of repairs. and
on her second trip added more than $50 900
to the Simpson bank account
No preference was shown Simpson in the
Oregon deal and his success was not due
TO luck. There were plenty OF other men
who had more money and knew more about
steamships than Simpson did but the same
keen Judgment which had made all Of his
ventures so successful disclosed to him an
opportunity not discernible to others less
gifted more tlmid. The death of a
stanch, rugged industrial expert like Simp-
son is a distinct loss to the country where
is best known. AS an example to the youth
on whom fate has not beamed kindly in the
matter Of birth or environment, the life OF
Sol Simpson, logger, stands forth bright
exhilarating and worthy of emulation.