Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-21
ENDS HUNT
and RESUMES HIS TOUR


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enough, they didn't They believed Sc
cret societies of all kinds were wrong,
and they gave the friend who had en-
lticed Fred into the lodge a piece of
their mind"
Fought by Competition.
The difficulties of getting a start in
business are elaborated upon at some
length. Mr.. Weyerhaeuser was the
object of attack from competing mil
men in this vicinity who sought to
prevent his securing credit to take
| over the mill of Marsh, Mead & Smith
after the latter had failed. The story
| goes on:
"Weyerhaeuser called upon his
brother-in-law, Denkmann, for help.
Denkmann Was not mill man. He
knew nothing about lumber But he
| was a good machinist and a thorough
mechanic He could oversee the en-
gine and the technical part of the
work.
| ''Weyerhaeuser bought some logs
from a rafter and they fired up the
old mill and began to saw. At that
time it was simple matter to stock
up a lumber yard. All they needed
was some rough boards and some
scantling and some stuff that would
do for floors and ceilings. Your Old
time carpenter didn't expect the mill
to do two-thirds of his work for him.
He made his own porch columns AMI
doors and frames and molding and
cornices. He had his own planes ani
at a pinch could even tongue and
groove his own flooring.
when they had made sufficient sup.
ply for the Coal Valley lumber yard
they closed up the mill and gave the
keys back to the creditors.
Sc" L knew there was a way out said
Mrs Weyerhaeuser triumphantly.
"a few months later when the stock
was low again Weyerhaeuser paid an
other visit to the creditors and pro-
lposed to rent the mill.
Again Talks to Wife.
We are going to- sell it at some
price, they said. Why don't you and
lDenkmann buy it?'
"Weyerhaeuser talked to his wife
and she declared that the idea was 4
good one. 1t would make him inde
pendent of those mean spirited fellows
who wanted to drive him out of busI
mess. Denkmann was willing to take
the chance and the creditors offered
easy terms.
"Thus the firm of Weyerhaeuser 8
Denkmann was organized and a bill
: lion dollar fortune was founded-a bill
lion dollar fortune and many millioi
dollar fortunes, for many men have
obtained riches through that old firm
: and its side lines and alliances"
| Only One Way to Account For 1t.
Then follows an account of the rapi(
: strides toward affiuence made ID!
Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann and tn;
, later timber operations of the seni0,
member of the firm together with III
teresting incidents and side light:
upon the character of the man. The
; article concludes:
After all. it is hard to account fo
, that billion dollars on any other thar
, the Weyerhaeuser basis. The luck ha
, been with him always Only. he calls
it Providence. He is not Learned
man, having picked up his knowledg'
of written English without the aid o
, schools since he came to this country
' But he knows enough of Shakespeare
, to quote it, and this is his favorit'
lpassage:
There's a divinity that shapes on
, ends,
Il Rough hew them how we will
II "The moral is-if a man is tireles
q worker and takes advantage of ever
! opportunity he may become billion
: aire-if he has the Weyerhaeuse
e luck"