Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-15
STARTED WITH NOTHING.
Many Great Businesses Were Founded
on Small Capital

1t is really remarkable how many of
the greatest firms in England today
should have been started with very
little capital Take the case of Whit
ley's, Il firm which is going to build a
new home for itself at cost of $3.50.
900. It's creator. the late William Whit
ley,was little over 80 years of age
when he found himself possessed Of
92C0. With this small capital he
took shop and engaged an assistant
Today the firm employs an army of six
thousands assistants, does an annual
trade that runs into seven figues, and
prides itself on being able to supply
anything. The founder of it left Ct,
100000 for the purpose of providing
homes for aged and respectable per-
sons with limited means. and the pay
ment of this enormous sum will not
effect the business, which is among
London's greatest. And ali this from
an initial capital of 5000
Many persons will consider the ro-
nance of Lipton'S even more aston
ishine than Whiteleys, for Sir Thomts
Upton had only half of Williem
Whitley's capital when he took down
shutters for his first shop-opened ia
Glasgow. Investors have not vet for
gotten the sensational rush for Lip
tons shares that took place when
the business was converted into a linn
tied liability company. Statesmen,
Bishops, professional and business men
together with hundreds Of the labor
ing classes, were 50 anxious to become
shareholders in Liptons Ltd, that
HOY ,l,e.a- il,IJ .,
oral times. Less than 40 years ago
Upton was one shop with 600 worth
of capital Today it means hundrers
OF shops, estates in five continents,
thousands of employees. and millions
of money.
An article like this could include
almost every firm of Importance in
England, and while it is impossible to
mention them ALL there are some
which must not be left out. Harrod's
is one of those. 1t was begun by q
modest young man who had saved
f2Oo. but whose energy and resource
fulness brought such Il turnover that
his success was never in doubt. He
died not long ago. having made over
{ 1.00O,O0O although he took no active
share in the firm for the last decade
of his life.
Harrod's is owned by a large body
of shareholders, with Sir Alfred New
ton at their head while the manag-
ing director is Mr.. Richard Burbridge.
Il gentleman who has so identified
himself with the business as to be "a
part Of it. The huge building known
as HarrOd's is in reality "A yeritable
Of chonc
ed by its magnificent Systematically
one of the best in the worid--it has
accumulated a clientele which insures
its prosperity for ali time.
When Mr.. Andrew Carnegie was a
young man he suffered from lack of
money, but later in life he discovered
he possessed too much money and be-
gan to give it away. Everybody
knows that he made his money in the
iron and steel trade, and of course he
was very lucky to get a footing in
such a business with the small CAPT
tai of $1,000, or 5000 in English money
The PittrburS iron and steel trade
suffered great vicissitudeS and its
history has been told by many writ
crs. Mr.. Carnegie did not make his
6 40,000,0o0 too easily. The attempts
m his life exceed a dozen. but ne is a
sleeping partner now, and is more
in giving money away than
in making it.
Rockefeller, like Upton, saved G1Oo
before he started on his own Appar-
emily both believed that this sum rep
resented all the capital that was nee
assary. Rockefeller began with a
small oil foctory and today is 20 times
richer than Upton.
Money and Rothschildes are synony-
nous terms. but there was a time
when even the RothschudJ were hard
hp although that was so long ago
they might be pardoned for forgetting
T. toward the close of the eighteenth
century the first of the great Roths-
'hiids was jewler in small way of
business in Germany. Those were |
-rouplous times, and a Princess who |
1ad occasion 10 change her residence |
lurrldiy entrusted her jewelry to him, |
VINO thereby became a sort of depos1- |
0ry Tor ROYALTY for tho In