Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-17
FROM A BLACKSMITH
TO IMPORTANT POST
Remarkable Career of j. j,
Townsend, President of the
Chicago Stock Exchange.
From the New York Tribune.

= VIZ VioN = SiiVp w WIG piSSA>
dency Of a great stock exchange is a leap
that. to Il penniless boy. appears almost
as long as from the railsplitter's job to
the presidency OF the United States. New
eytheless the transition is easy v. accom-
~plishment. in the view of JirnJ. :. Town
send, who laid aside his hickory s...-s and
jeans trousers ~ years ago to become a
broker and is now the head of .he Chicago
Stock exchange.
Wall street knows this successful black
Smith-broker as James j. Townsend,
member of the New York Stock exchange
and stlckler for safe Investments rather
than negotiator of speculative deals. In
Chicago almost everybody likes him be-
cause of his Quaker integrity and demo-
cratic ways and dubs him plain Jim, or,
more Familiarity. Jimmy.
When he migrated to Chicago from tho
little Quaker town OF Lima, Pa. u
stranger among all tha hundreds OF thous-
ands, with less than 81 In his pockets, he
was compelled to earn the right to toll for
a livelihood by means of thrashing Tho
terror of the shop In a fist fight with
bare knuckles. Victory brought him a
job at s. a week. Within a few years he
became the boss IN a blacksmith shop Of
his own, with net profits OF $50 a day.
and was an Illinois state senator. Aside
from being president of the Chicago Stock
exchange. he is ii member Of the Board
or Trade and a thorn In the flesh of busi-
ness men who would stretch or ignore the
laws foT financial gain.
Hard to Find Job.
AS many another country boy has done.
young Townsend tramped from place to
place In the western city. AT each, after
ne had applied for work and given his
qualifications. the boss would grunt:
ftuinph. What can you do in q city
smithy? Go ahead now-get out!" He
was down almost IN h{o lo,k ,..A -
somewhat discouraged when he walked
INTO a west side shop and asked H. H.
Martlndale for a place. At the forge
stood a man six feet two inches tall and
proportionately robust. who held a pair
OF tongs with the grip of the giant he
was.
Can you fight?' asked Martindale OF
young Iownseno. who, though only a
boy. slowed a sharp and powerful frame.
~ can fight for a job, SIR replied the
y%oungster.
'lf you lick that fellow over there at
the forge III give you a job" sad Mar
tlndale. who. in justice to his memory. it
should be said was not serious when he
made the proposal. He believed the very
appearance of his strapping workman
would Take the fight out of the appli-
cant for work IL there was any in him.
When he found young Townsend was in
earnest he explained:
That fellow is the terror of the shon
we can't Keep any man at work with him
because he is so ugly and pounds every
one he sees mt: but he's so good a work.
man we can't discharge him. He got
MAD at a helper the other day and stuck
a red-hot iron into his eye. Do you stili
feel that you can lick him 2
Licked" tho Bully.
III try, sir. for a job" said Young
Townsend. who flew at the shops terror.
as he spoke.
The shops owner and an ever increase
ing crowd Of onlookers formed a circle
around the horseshoeing floor and tammed
the big double doors while the battle
ragged. After an hour and 20 minutes nf
fighting the terror" took the count. and
the boy stranger turned to Mr.. Martin
dale with:
do | get the job?"
You do replied the shops owner, then
one of the best known blacksmiths in
Chicago, but now gathered to his fathers.
The customary genialty was pictured on
Mr. IoWnsend's countenance when he re-
turned to his desk after comforting with
his partner, so the newspaper man mada
bold to repeat this story to him and ..k
If 1t were true. The question drew a
broad smile.
II haven't told 1t In 90 years." he said.
When l lived in Lima boxing was nv
stronghold. We used to go over to Al
Clark's I'm Philadelphia every Saturday
ilSht ana i enjoyed the SettOS. 81 I
wasn't afraid OF anybody. l was big and
strong, and when l had opportunity for
a job i saw I'd better grasp it. That's
the way boys get along. by watching for
an opportunity as they work and SELLING
1t when It comes along. Some people saw
Advancement is due to luck. It realiv
comes from keeping your eyes OFF the
clock and looking for opportunity. II took
just about all l was good for, but / won
that fight and never had trouble with INV
opponent. He was shot several wears
afterward in Kansas CITY,
Try, Try Again.
Later / went to work for JAMESON q,
Co, of Chicago" said MI. Townsend
and they set me to cutting the commons
off 100000 of gas bonds. 1t was the hard
est work ! ever did. l had to use a nair
of shears. My thumbg got tired and then
cramped. ! stopped. and one OF the firm
found me asleep. that was the only time
ever fell down. / clipped all those con-
pons, got messenger and other work IN
do and after a time was sent on the stock
exchange floor to trade. In course OF
time ] started my own business. was sue
cessful from the beginning, took In part
ners and here l am-that's all there is to
it. All I've got to say to the bows IS:
Don't let anybody make you his slave.
try. try again."