Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-12-31
BUILT BIG BUSINESS,
Where Staid Qualities, German Thrift
and Industry Made Possible the Great
Shoe Business of the F. Mayer
Boot and Shoe Company, Nil
waukee, Manufactures of
Mayer Quality Shoes.

Most of us see only the present. We
see success only as we are brought face
to face with it today. How many of ms
ever look back for the cause, the vital
things that make success possible?
That the key to real business success
is often based on a sound principle. rath-
er than money, is best illustrated bv the
reproduction of the following biograDb-
zeal sketch OF Frederick Mayer. founder
of the +. Mayer Boot a. Shoe Comnanv
reproduced from an issue of She German.
American National Alliance:
Frederick Mayer, founder OF the fac
tories at Milwaukee ana Seattle now
bearing his name, came to this country
from Niernstein, HeSsen Darmstadf IN
May, 1851, and Immediately proceeded -
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he entered
the employ of r SuhIn as Il journeyui...,
shoemaker.
The spirit that prompted him to -eel;
his fortune in the new world was soon
responsible for another change. and in
1852, year later, he embarked in bnSj-
ness on his own accord, making boots
and shoes to order as only German APP
prenticed artisan knows how. Suisse
quently a stock of goods was carried ana
a retail business conducted until 1SSU.
when the manufacture OF shoes was en-
gagged in at wholesale TO the trade.
The business succeeded from the be
ginning and it was here that the st9i,t
qualities OF German honesty and persist
ency, together with the knowledge III
shoe making gained by strict German,
apprenticeship, came to the aid of n
young business destined 10 become a
factor in the production of shoes in
America, for it soon became known thar
the shoes manufactured by +. Mayer
had qualities not ordinarily found in
shoes, and business began to expand
In 1890 the business was we'll estab-.
Gshed. the foundation firmly laid and
the policy well determined From that
time on the growth was more rapid. Fac-I
tories. additions. more factories and more
additions were added, until now the
plant occupies a substantial group of
buildings in Milwaukee and Seattle. The
capacity of the present Mayer factories
at Milwaukee and Seattle is 5000 pair
per day, giving employment to an army
Of people, paying annually over six hun
dred thousand dollars in wages and en-
ploying sixty-ive statesmen who travel
"A states in the interest of Mayer shoes
Frederick Mayer died on March 16,
1888 after building up large and sue
cessful business. He was succeeded by
his sons, George Z. Mayer. Fred j.
Mayer and Adam j. Mayer, who, BY rig
Idly maintaining the policy of the foun-
der, have succeeded in bringing the bust
ness up to its present magnitude where
1t stands as monument of Ger
man thrift and industry. Frederick
Mayer was a mar of strong character
and amiable disposition. He believed in
a square deal for everybody. He was
popular and had hosts of friends cs-
pecially among the early settlers of Mil
yankee who admired him for the quail
ties that We're responsible for his sue
cess. He was man Of simple tastes.
who loved his home and believed in the
strict observances of his duty to God and
man. He left behind him a striking ex-
ample of what has, in at least one in
stance, been contributed by a German to
the welfare and prosperity of this great
country.
The leading brands manufactured by
the +. Mayer Boot & Shoe Co. are:
@Honorbilt." for men; Leading Lady"
Shoes, Martha Washington" Comfort
Shoes; "Yerma" Cushion Shoes, Special
Merit" School Shoes.