Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 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, Mil
Mayer Quality Shoes.

Mayer Quality Shoes.
Most OF us see only the present We
see success only as we are brought face
TO face with 1t today. How many of us
ever look back for the cause, the vital
things that make success possible?
mat the key to real business success
IS OFTEN based on a sound principle, rath-
er than money, is best illustrated by the
reproduction of the following biograph-
lcal sketch of Frederick MAYER. founder
OF the d. Mayer Boot Il Shoe Company.
reproduced from an issue of the German
American National Alliance:
ieuerlck Mayer, founder of the fac
tories at Milwaukee ana Seattle now
bearing his name, came to this country
from Nlernstein, HeSsen Darmstadt. in
May, 1851, and Immediately proceeded TO
milwaukee,, Wisconsin, where he entered
the employ OF R Suhm as a journeyman
shoemaker.
The spirit that prompted him to sock
ms fortune in the new world was soon
responsible for another change, and in
1907 year later, he embarked in bust
ness on MS own accord, making boots
ana shoes to order as only a German an
prentlced artisan knows how. Suisse
Quently stock of goods was carried and
retail business conducted until 1880.
when the manufacture or shoes was en-
Sdsed IN at Wholesale to the trade
Inc business succeeded from the be-
ginning and 1t was here that the staid
QUANTITIES OF German honesty and persist
enc!, together with the knowledge of
snoe making gained by n strict German
apprenticeship, came to the aid of n
young business destined TO become a
factor IN the production of shoes in
-AInerlca, Tor IT soon became known that
Lhe SHOES manufactured by +. Mayer'
hau qualities not ordinarily found in
SnoeS, ana business began to expand.
~ Ao9O the business was we'll estab-
aIshed' the foundation firmly laid and
the policy well determined. From that
tlnie on the growth was more rapid Fac
torres, additions, more factories and more
audltlons 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-
ploylng sixty-tive statesmen who travel
a states in the interest of Mayer shoes
Frederick Mayer died on March 49,
cessful business. He was succeeded by
his sons. George P. 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 man of strong character
and amiable disposition. He believed III
square deal for everybody. He was
popular and had hosts of friends, es-
pecially among the early settlers of Mil
waukee, who admired him for the quail
ties that were responsible for his sue
cess He of SImnlp tn sizes
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 f. Mayer Boot & Shoe Co are:
"Honorbilt." for men; Leading Lady,
Shoes, Martha Washington" Comfort
Shoes, 'Yerma" Cushion Slices, Special
Merit" School Shoes.