The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-22
Editor Carmichael Tells
 of His Start.
HAS EVER BEEN SUCCESSFUL
Latest Deal Shows Return of
 Prosperity.
Even wbsn He Was Ia the Advancing Business. the wIregrass Capt. taiist Dealt in Big Thinss,
 and Avoided Disaster.

Editor Malcolm Carmichael, Of The Elba Clipper. wrote for his last issue an excellent article on the early business days of Richard Til1is, who has twice bought and once sold the Montgomery Street Railway system. piece of property that is worth considerably moro than a mil- Hon dollars.
 The Clipper reviews Mir. TiIltssa early business days in the wiregrass when he began that career that has been uniformly successful. In the last transaction Editor Carmichael sees a fine evidence Of returning prosperity.
 The Clipper says;
 "We folks in Coffee County have great confidence In Richard Tillis and his good sense. We have cause to have it. He is Coffee County's biggest product, her greatest son. Some of us have been watching to see him go broke, all through the years. but he has never done so. The bigger the job he tackles, the easier he does 1t. We remember when he-went to spread ing out at Andalusia; when he'd back a one-ox farmer or a big timber con- corn; we aaid He's doing. too much. he'll soon fall But he did not.
 Then when he went to Geneva, ana during, the hard times Of the nineties spread out and took on hundreds If customers. we did not stop to prophecy failurs-we just pointed our fingers ahead and said, 1t's right round the corner and will get Ttllis right away
 "Then when he went to mpnkeyfng with street railways, ioanlng a haif million dollars to the city of Mont gomery, and dealing in sums of six or seven rigures, we were real nervous about him until he pulled down 50 much money out of hts sale of his street car company. We then quit be- ing nervous about Tiilis. We won't ever get nervous about him any more. If we haNe any sympathy to shed out. why we'll let the fellew doing husi- ness with TiiIfs have 1t; Tiills does not need it. We do not mean that TIitis would mistreat the other fellow. not at Ali; all of our Information aboae the man is to the effect that he deals squAreiy but always looks for q little profit for his services and good Jn1k- naent.
 'tone thing is noticeable about z'iilfs and his business record; that is that he sells when times are good and buys when they have been bad and are just on the eve of being better.
 We remember that he did not quit business at Geneva whom cotton went low, but that he stayed on ana after times picked up, he closed out at good prices and went to a bigger Held.
 When the people were in behind the street railroad company at Montgom- cry for It's shortcomings some years ago, Mir. Tillis bought the railroad. Then about three years ago, when money was easy and plentiful, when the street railrpad was thriving, Mr. Tillis sold 1t out at an immense price, incidentally making a few hundred thousand dollars proft for himself
 For the past year or two thlnRs have not been going we'll with taa street railway company. Bad acci- dents. strikes, hard times. Iawsutts. etc, etc. have damaged it. Money la not easy, so that people who might ln- vest do not find the money to put in it. and if they do are afraid of hard times
 But Mir. Tiuis sees good times ahead. He believes that the cotton country that supports Montgomery will thrive and therefore that Montgomery and his railway will thrive. He thinks that the bad conditions are passing; and so he follows up his habit of buy Ing for the profits of better times.
 The Clipper believes TIflis Is right: he always has been on the right aide of money matters It certainly must be good time to begin to spread eut and put out cash. For MT. Tiliis ralsed up the million or more dollars that it took to buy the street railway com. pany at Montgomery and bought it out. all for himself. with no partners.
 We Coffee County people know Dick Tillis, as We familiarity call him. well enough to know that he has made no mistakes in the past: so we are constrained to believe that times are good just ahead; that we are already entering a period of better times. So we should follow suit Let us duft talking of hard times; let's spread dut. and do things and be In shape to rean the rich harvest just ahead.