The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-05
FROM BOOTBLACK TO
CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS


lar on all of them had been paid
and paid out of his savings Sue
cessively he had served as q rail.
road yardmaster, bill clerk and cash
Ter; a travelling salesman of under
wear and the best in the country,
and the owner Of stock In several
commercial and Industrial enterprises
Ills name was synonymous with sue
cess and linked with progress.
1t was in 1904 that Mr.. Anderson
located in Fostoria. lie had decided
to go into business of manufactur-
inIg and was seeking a location. This
city appealed to him both as a place
of residence and also as place
calculated to bring seccess in bust
ness way.
A factory for the making of un-
derwear was opened. In 1906, two
years later, a new factory was built
here and branch factory was
started. There are now three of
them, all under his management, CIV
ing employment TO 400 contented and
happy people. There are no strikes;
no dissensions; no quarreling be.
tween employer and emploes
Opening new business in a strange
town would seem to be sufficient 10
occupy the attention and time of a
man for at least all of one month.
But in September of 1904 the month
in which he opened his Forsoria
concern, he was married to Miss
Nellie Ford of Fremont, a friend OIL
his boyhood days and splendid
type OF American womanhood. The
ceremony was at 130. An hour later
he was at his desk in Fostoria, die
tating business letters. Two DAYS
later the couple moved Into their
completed home, a handsome resi-,
dence on West TiHin street.
Events sometimes happen in al
mans life with remarkable rapidity
On the morning of the 9th of last
May Mr. Anderson became tho father
OF boy. He was in Tihn at the
time attending the Democratic con
gressional convention. On the after
noon of that same day on the six.
teenth ballot, he was nominated
These two circumstances were both
notable and of joyIgiving kind, but
in order that his cup of happiness
might be more fun his wife cele
brated her birthday on the same
date. Anderson hurried home the
moment the convention was over TO
receive the congratulations of friends
but the congratulations which most
warmed his heart was those of Mrs
anderson There wis great rejoic.
ing in the Anderson household tbat
night.
In political way, no less than in
a business way has this young man
achieved pronounced seccess. He had
the elements oil a strong candidate
been In Fortoria but = year when. in
1908 the Democrats seeing in him aIl
gave him the nomination for MAYOR
The town is usually Republican from
ooO TO 200. Therefore the members
oil the latter party had no fear OF
Aldersons e.oction. "Why, we will
deieat him as we have defeated all
'he olher Democrats for 30 wears r
they boasted. The campaign cl,v or
Anderson became, Greater Fostorio y
and he promised If chosen he wonld
really do something to advance the
Guy IN a substantial way. On el-
ection night, when the votes waro
counted he had the majority After
gong into Office he kent everv
pronise ne had made and through.
ou' an ONO became known as tbe
booster Mayer" The town took q,
new life. Manufacturing comcerrs
were sought and found ana cano 30
r"sJoria to locate. Tbev nooaa,,
puiiuiisS III which TO conduct tbeIr
business and homes in which thoir
employees could live A buiId,nn
Doom started but IL could NOT Laas
p"ce Wdth the increase I'm nonr1otiio,i
's ,aasor Anderson inserted advertise
inellts ,i In outside papers, boa,Io1
oVo noihcs waned at once. Eo,,a,,I'
ohlo and he raid for the advorti,' 20
lhehts himself. 1t told of tho arao,
promise the city held out TO lnve.t 49,
ors' Immediately there was an lnru.h
OF outside capital, and the sound NJ
the carpenters mammer and saw was
heard on every side The population
OF Fostora increased at the rate of
almost thousand q year. In 1901 II
had but 5000, IN 1907, at the end Of
his first term, It had jumped to 10000
and in that year he was reelected,
havin more votes tn nthe three men
who was against him. Ills second
term has been as satisfying to the peo-
pie as his first More new enterprises
have located here, more new homes
have been erected und the population
still grows. Conservative estimates
place 1t at $1,000 in 1910
Mayor Anderson is not only the
chief executive of the city, the Sec
ond Democratic one in thirty years,
but he Is also the president OF the