The copper era., 1906-04-05
THOMAS F. COLE.
The Greatest Factor in the Copper
Business in the World.
THE RISE OF A WORKER. =

'O@-~~---'
In the Houghton Mining Gazette,
Horace J. Stevens thus sketches the
career of Thomas F. Cole:
To the average man the present
prominence in. mining of Thomas F.
Cole will come as surprise, but to
those who have known there is no as
tonishment Born A years ago in
Keeweenaw county, he was left faith
erless at six years old by an accident
in the Phenix mine. He was the
eldest of family of small children;
and it became necessary for him to
take up life's battle in deadly earn
est. At eight years of age, he was
working on the rockpiles and about
\ the mills
? From washboy in the Cliff mill, he
was advanced gradually to higher
positions. He never faltered in de-
termination to gain an education.
He entered manhood with fully the
equivalent of a common school educa-
tion and, of greater Importance, had
laid the foundation of studious
habits and learned early that all OBJ
stacles can be surmounted by those
who strive.
PROGRESS IN HIS TEENS.
While still in his teens, the lad at
tracted favorable attention by two
qualities he has retained undimin-
ished. These were his unhagging
zeal as worker and his determina-
tion to learn all there was to be
learned about his work. At fifteen
he became a brakeman on the Hecla |
q Torch Lake railroad of the Calu- |
met & Hecla. His work here earned |
him a place as office-boy and then as
clerk. When a chief clerk and |
cashier was needed on the Chaplin,
the largest iron mine of the Menomi-
nee range, Cole was selected on the
strength of his Calumet & Hecla
work, although not yet legally of
age.
His experience was here again up
ward, and resulted in his being
chosen by Ferdinand Schlesinger,
known fifteen years ago as the ''iron
ore king" as manager of several
small iron mines. Under Cole these
iron ore interests grew surprisingly,
so that soon Schlesinger, with Cole
as manager, despite the latter's less
than thirty years, became the largest
miner of iron ore in the United
States.
BATTLING THE PANIC.
In 1898 Shlesinger, who had ex-
panded beyond his capital, was in no
condition to withstand the panic.
The whole burden devolved on Cole.
Money for men and materials was
lacking, freight bills were unpaid,
and when the railroads attached the
stockpiles, it was believed the end
had come. 1t was then Cole showed t.;
two other attributes-courage and !
loyalty. He worked twenty hours a
day. Personal appeals to the men
were met with steady response, for
they believed in him. For six weeks
he kept the mines going, though they
were bankrupt. His own small saw
ings were thrown into the fight with
out hesitation. When the mines had
to close, he worked constantly to see I
that the men were paid in full. Cole =
was left without a job, but not for
long.
He secured a choice position on the
neighboring Gogebic range; and later I
when the Steel Corporation combined {
a vast total of iron ore holdings in |
the Oliver Mining Co., Cole was ap- Z
pointed vice-president, and within a :
year was made president. The ,
changes in conditions that he
wrought here were striking. Where
there had been suspicion and lack of r
cooperation, he bred enthusiasm and
created efficient team work. The {
company has paid higher wages than
prevailed before its organization and :
has never had a strike. Cole gave {
every man a fair chance to prove his I
worth
For a man not yet forty, position
as head of the mining department of
the worlds greatest corporation
would seem to the average man the ,
limit of ambition. But with Coles :
extraordinary energy and inclination
to look ahead for the next big thing
to do, it was far from comprising his
activities.
FROM IRON TO COPPER.
People do things in broad daylight :
to make themselves ridiculous and
then blame a paper for mention
ing it.