The weekly true Democrat., 1907-01-18
WINTER HOME
IN LEON COUNTY
Clement Acton Griscom.

ElNN Niltll NIllhltn a par lldl tuuNdllOns
Young Clement was sent to the public
schools, later to the high school, and,
when he had finished there, to the
Academy of the Society of Friends.
There his school days ended Upon his
graduation. he was given to understand
what he already knew-that henceforth
he would have to depend upon himself,
for the simple reason that the family
income and the family influence could
do no more.
The firm of Peter Wright & Company
gave young GriscOm' his first EN-
,)loyment. He was a hard and thor
ough worker, and advancement soon
came, When he was twenty-five, he
was taken into the firm. Now he is
president of the two-hlndred-m million
dollar and one million tonnage shipping
combine that is legally known as The
international Mercantile Marine Com
pany.
The man who is conversant with the
history of the American merchant ma
rine can realize what il meant that
Mr. Griscom was so early a member of
the Peter Wright firm, for the house
stands in the development of the mer-
camille service as does the firm of the
Cramps in the matter of shipbuilding.
As time went on, Mr. Griscom be-
came a more and more important fac
tor i'm the discussion of Peter Wright h
Company's affairs and in the develop
ment Of it's extensive enterprises. In
1871, the international Navigation
Company was established, with James
A. Wright, the son of Peter Wright,
the first president, and Mr. Griscom as
vice-president, In 1888, Mr.. GriscOm
succeeded to the presidency. He has
been reelected to that Office each year
since. When the international was
formed, it controlled the vessels of the
Red Star Line of Belgium, and owned
lnman Line, but these were not suffi-
cient for Mr.. Griscom. Under his di-
rection were built, for the American
Line, the steamships New York" and
Paris" in England, and, later, in
Philadelphia, the est. Louis" and the
"St. Paul, " the first American passen-
ger vessels worthy to be termed
ocean greyhounds. Built under
American registry. these boats were
the hrst fruits OF an idea or ideal which
had possessed Mr. GriscOm since he en-
tered upon his business life.
To see American ships sailing under
the American flag and American com
merce constantly increasing, has been
Mr.. Griscom's strongest ambition since
he turned TO the consideration of ship
ping problems. II was not sufficient
that his company should have vessels
enough TO transact its business some
of these vessels, he thought, must hy
the American flag and stand for Ameri-
can work. For many years he has
made earnest efforts to secure Congres-
siona action in the interests Of the
American merchant marine, and the
consummatiou ut The plans that led 10
the American ship combine" Is one
outcome Cf this same dream
ihis s gnOthciS SIDE 20 The complex
question Of shipping n which Mr. Girls
com il au adept From the first, he
has been An earnest St.dcnt of marine
architecture, esl ccWIF m its applica-
ton tu the devclOumppr OF the mer-
chant marine His know ledge Of this
has become so well known and so gen
~. .Ily recognized that he was chosen
The first president Of the Society of Ma
val Architects and Marine engineers,
and he is one of the three foreign mem
oeIs Of that extremely exclusive organ
Z,,tlon, the British Institute ur Naval
Architects. The Grand DuEc t"1stHn-
tine, of Austria, and Sorur d. de
LONE. Of Spain. are his fciuWs N shar-
my thle uOnor. tls
France and Germany have also recOg-
niZed Mr.. Griscom' = work i'm the science
II naval architecture From France be
received the Cross Of ChCvalier of the
Legion Of Honor, presented when he
arrived AZ one of the jury upon mari.
time transportation for the Paris Expo
sition Of 1901. From Germany has
come "a him the Cross of the Red Eagle.
given 10y the hand of the Emperor when
Mr.. Grscom was travelling through
Europe last July in tn" interests Of the
ship combine
MIR Griscom is not in the class of
men who are capable OF doing only one
thing well He has somehow found
time for other interests than those of
merchant marine, He plays large
part IN eight corporations, two Of them
Of worldwide repute, He aided IN
forming, and is president Of, the Ma
tIunal Transit Company, the largest
concern in the world for handling che
transportation of oil in pipes. and it's
storage in tanks And as a matter OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad directorate.
his influence in that corporation is sec
Ond only to that of its president, A. j.
Cassatt, who often seeks his advice.
Mr., Grlscom is also director of the
famous old Bank Of North America, of
CoNr,NuEp ON 9TH PAGE.