Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-27
oNDoN, July 17.-Americans az

prone 10 lUlhHlllt llltl Ai'NN hpS
sess q monopoly of all the biggest
businesses In the word They do.
in most lines, but there are some note
worthy exceptions, and for the chasteh-
ing of the pride it Is well that they
should hear OF them occasionally.
Therefore | propose to devote this ar
tiele to one of them, and the remark
able man who has made such pro-
diglous success of II.
Joseph Lyons runs in London what Is
by long odds tn most colossal cater
ing concern in the world. There Is no
aggregation of restaurants under one
management in America that comes
any way near feeding such vast null
titude daily. He makes 1t pay, too,
handsomely. His company has just de-
olared dividend of 3219 per cent, be-
sides adding $500, 600 to its reserve fund
There are few companies in the land OF
milionaires which can show such prof
its as that. From the rank of small
public proVider ut provincial exhlpi-
tons Joseph Lyons has risen IN ~ years
to the forefront of the restaurant ana
catering world, and today the rami,
fications of his business eXtenu
throughout the whole of Great Britain.
But the most amazing thing about
Mr.. Lyons Is that while building up this
stupendous business he has found both
time and inclination to cultivate MS
talents In directions remote from trace
and commerce. He has solved the prop
lem which stumps so many American
business men of how to make big
pile without becoming a money making
machine. As an artist he ranks so lar
above the average amateur that MS
pictures are accepted at the best ek-
hibitions in competition with the WORKS
of professionals. And now he has an
nounced that in collaboration with &C.
ell Raleigh. the famous dramatic auth
or. he has just completed novel ana
expects hereafter to turn out three nov
els a year IN the same way. Truly ms
claims to distinction are unique. But
It Is as a business man he should first
be considered
HIS MODEST AMBITION.
"To feed every person of Iondons
100000. who is able and willing to
pay for II, is his modest ambition, to
quote his own words.
Already, in his peaceful conquest OF
the English metropolis he has cap
tured 100000 prisoners, for that is the
stupendous number of the daily GUS
toners of the l20 Lyons tea shops scat
tered about London and fresh ones are
being opened every few week. Meet
ing them, as one does. at almost every
turn of the principal London streets
they must be almost as familiar to the
American visitor as they are popular
with the native Britisher.
But while the appeal OF these tea
shops IL directed mainly TO people OF
limited means, Joseph Lyons has not
neglected the higher fields of the cul-
mary art. Every day sees the elite of
London gathered In the Hobbies OF his
swagger restaurants waiting their turn
to book seats for luncheon. for tea, for
dinner. For the Trocadero, probably
the most famous OF the bohemian
restaurants OF London: the Throgmor-
ton, the Delmonlco's of the financial
district; the Popular cafe. the gather
ing place of Mayfair's $50" on shop
ping bent. the Blrkbeck. the Blenhem,
the Victoria mansions and the Challs
hotel are some OF the big restaurants
under the thumb OF this wonderful lit
tie man
CATERS TO RICH AND POOR.
Strange as It may seem. Mr.. Lyons
secs nothing incompatible In his dual
rOlc--thls entering for rich and poor Mt
the same time. For instance upon sew
eral occasions Mr., Lyons has catered
for the King and Prince of Wales,
and yet so well does he understand the
comparatively poor that he Is by gem
crul choice the caterer TO large part
OF hungernP London. He contends that
the same principle undcrlles catering
for all stations OF life and that sue
cess In one means success I'm all. But
to an outsider such a state Of affairs
II hard 20 understand. Imagine II you
can tho same man running the Dem
not and Chllds string of restaurants and
the ST. Regis cafe, Martin and Sher-
rey's In New York, and you win be able
10 form some idea Of the peculiar posi-
ton occupied by MIR. Lyons. The idea
~ absurd 10 the average man. yet this
little man delights In trying the "ab-
surd" and the impossible"
SERENE CONFIDENCE.
But his restaurants form only part
OF his immense business, lie is, besides,
general caterer, and no contract is
toO large for him 10 tackle with a
serene confidence which Is perhaps one
OF his most interesting characteristics.
A friend Of his recently told me he be-
leyed that II some one went 10 Lyons
and said Feed the world" he would
take the contract That is but one way
OF expressing the general confidence IN
the almost unlimited possibilities OF his
MANY IRONS IN FIRE.
lie Is, for all the world like the Jug
gler who keeps half a dozen balls In tho