The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-16

interview on the SuDleCC OF Inc
Self Made Father Of college.Mad'e
Thomas H. Shevlin, head of the Shevlin-
Carpenter Lumber company of Mime
apolis, propounds sound advice, admits
startling sentiments for one so success
full and introduces droll humor that
makes him a most interesting philoso-
pher.
When sTom'' Shevlin is introduced,
it means to two-thirds of the city's
population one Of the most prosperous
examples of self-made men in the whole
northwest; to the other third, the fol-
might suggest that some new athletic
triumph, or pretty romance, has been
added to the long list Of achievements
Of the strenuous big son of the founder
of the fortune.
"What s the use9' is the favorite
expression Of the man-now 54Ewho
started, when boy, as day laborer
in lumber yard, and has since amassed
a fortune of some twelve or fifteen mil
wearies him. He says people will go
ahead lambasting corporate ownership
until they will stir up panic and re-
vive the acknowledgements days. He
does not like that. He'd rather pay
twice that, for he believes cheap wages
make cheap men and he can make more
with $3.50 men than he did when he
paid only $125. It's hard fight to
scale the ladder, and then a man dies.
GLOW completely, utterly man :, is
wiped out when he dies Mr.. Shevlln
reflects. ~: ..~: s..-..
All that causes Mr.. shevlin to ques-
tion if 1t g worth. while, and his conclu-
sion is negative. He says the man who
gets the fortune is Hcussed' for hav-
ing it and wealth becomes, in the COM
mon mind, evidence that a man is
crooked: Again he remarks, "What IS
the use4'
Welcomes Legislation.
CHOW, I I'll tell you WHAT Mr.. Shev-
lin is quoted as saying. IT am thru
trying to correct false impressions
The public doesn It want to be correct
ed. I'm thru trying to direct legisla,
ton that is aimed at me. I am in
favor of all legislatior that is passed
for correcting evils. I was told that 9
bill had been introduced providing that
lumber must all be sawed an inch thick
for inch boards. l dian It hustle "
them to 60 ahead; that I would give
$4,000 to see the bill passedA I woulc
keep one mill going saving lumber fo1
Minnesota and ship the rest of the pro
duct out Of the state. The law woule
keep the other fellows out. -.
"And I m in favor Of restrictive leg
islation. They can It pass too much .:
it for me. When the smash comes
don't expect to be down and out. Ant
I am really in favor Of an inheritanc'
taxes from the Rich. WEALTH is no
tangible enough for. the tax -gathere1
when the owner is alive. And m no
sure that it wouldn't be better for tn
! sons of rich men if they were com
PEELED to get along on a limited incom
say $4,000. If they knew they neve
could get more it would teach them t
''Tom'' spender.
"There is that boy Of mine. He !
twenty-five and spends-' The SUI
mentioned has at least four figures, an
would keep an average family in goo
circumstances. "He does it decently
without i drinking or gambling 2 H. N 10y
I look at the bill of fare I read til
: prices. I doubt if he ever gets beyon
: the name and only knows the pric
when he sees the check.
'The fact that we are getting I
class of men and women that know
3 what to do with leisure and none
9 doesn't help us fellows who are acc,
4 mulating money. I can't get away fro
9 this desk. Here is where I belong ar
1 here / relax myself by making mo-
n money that I don't want and don
t know what to do with. Go away al
i. rest9 Why, when I get away to re
I begin to look up transportation bac
A man must be educated up to fl
:. point in leisurely life before he cs
l. spend money so that he can enjoy
0 Buy yachts What g the use9 wa
+ my own people to associate with. Tai
il a bunch of them with mes Yes, 81
r every cuss would desert the ship at t
:. first port we touched and chase himse
back to his office in Minneapolis.
y "Now, I am not worrying about
o ing .disgracefully rich or any Of tn
" rot, but I am not going to try any SUI
!, foolishness as to engage in a disccl
. sion which might enlighten the publ
J, :, or correct the public attitude iowa
- =. the rich.
IL HAnd as to what the public thin
of me, that is nothing. After all,
= we stand right with the people who
10 regard we care for-our friends a.
n neighbors-what difference does it ma
Is about the rest? And if could chan
e. the attitude of the man whom I KIN
70 not at all and who is going about {
claringt that / ANA son-of-a gun, l wol
not try to do it. He wouldn It chan
his opinion if he was convinced.
: would just stop hollering-and / dol
care about him anyway ~. r.