New-York tribune., 1911-11-29
NORMAN B. REAM.

NORMAN B. REAM.
Like many other leading spirits of finance
and commerce. especially those whose In
itial steps have been fostered by the Middle
West. Norman Bruce Ream is essentially a
self-made man. 1t was through remarkable
native sagacity, unusual foresight, hard
work and the faculty of recognizing and
responding to the knock Of opportunity that
he has attained an important place among
fnanciers and the men Of affairs of to-day
Born on a farm, traditional starting point
OF so many successful men, in Somerset
County. Pennsylvania, some sixty-seven
years ago, Mr.. Ream was as fortunate In
his parents as in his environment, for they
were honest, God-fearing and right-revering
people. Through his mother he descends
from an old New Jersey family and from
English and Scottish ancestry. on the
paternal side he was Of Saxon descent,
and through his grandmother, who was
Polly Rheims, the family runs back to the
historic city Of Rheims, France.
On the farm the boy acquired the habit
Of industry, laid the foundation for excel
lent health and found time TO dream OF a
future in a wider world. 1t is said, too,
at that time was a valuable ally to him in
his business affairs for twenty years. His
education. so far as schools were concerned.
was scanty lie attended the district
schools and learned bookkeeping, arithme-
ctic and the fundamentals of a business
education, i'm commercial college in
| Pittsburg.
At the age of fourteen, when most boys
are only children, young Ream was teach
ing school and paying his own board. From
school teacher he turned photographer
finding that a more lucrative calling
In 1861, when the Union made an appeal
for troops, ready response to the call was
found I'm the person Of the young farmer
at that time only seventeen years Of age.
Fired with the idea Of serving his country
and unconsciously seeking an outlet for
energy and ambition that had hitherto had
/ little SCOPE Mr. Ream enlisted as a private
in the Sjth Pennsylvania Volunteers. He
followed the fortunes of war, gained pro-
motion to first lieutenant for gallantry in
action. and continued in service until, In
capacitated by a wound received IN battle
near Savannah, Ga, he was honorably dis
charged, and returned to his Pennsylvania
home. a commissioned officer, before he was
twenty
There is always a sameness in the per
sonal Biographies Of successful men, but
sameness that is stimulating and invigorat-
ing. II is a relation OF one mans fight
against conditions and his grasp Of oppor-
tunity Working I'm a store at HarnedsVille'
Penn. during the years Of 1886 he saved
enough money 10 take him to the West. and
become one Of the pioneers among the men
l,a H,f,gf fnf a a.
vast territory Of the Middle West.
Attracted by the opportunities offered by
the town of Princeton. H., Mr.. Ream
bought an interest in a general store there
In 1866. year later moving to Osceola,
Iowa, where he extended the enterprise To
/ livestock. grain, real estate and agricultural
Implements For a time his hope Of doing
great things seemed about TO be realized.
But il happened that this was the era when
plague Of grasshoppers, like unto that
which passed over Egypt settled over
Iowa for three years. Paying cash for
products and selling goods on credit did
not bring in exactly satisfactory results.
He failed in business. but later, in his Chi
cago career. settled every debt, with 10 per
cent interest.
In 1871, possessing little but the good
wishes OF all with whom he came I'm con-
tact, Mr.. Roam moved TO Chicago. engaged
i'm the livestock and commission business,
and at last found himself on the road 10
success. For the next seventeen years his
prosperity was phenomenal. He joined the
Board OF Trade built up large business,
and occasionally joined ia important specu-
lations When he emerged from the COM
mission business in 1855 he was n man Of
large resource. investments I'm real estate,
street railways bank stocks railroad stocks
and other securities had all testified to his
remarkable wisdom as an investor by
bringing In enormous returns. Aside from
the interests mentioned Mr.. Ream had also
turned his attention TO building, and with
some others among his associates erected
the beautiful Rookery Office building In
Chicago, which was the first steel fireproof
structure I'm the world A few OF the rail-
| roads i'm which Mr.. Ream is a director are
the Baltimore e. Ohio, the Chicago & Erie,
the Chicago Burlington & Quincy; the GIN
| cinnati. Hamilton & Dayton; the Erie, the
Seaboard Air Line & Carolina; the Chnch-
field g. Ohio, the Brooklyn Heights aud
Brooklyn Rapid Transit. Among the great
corporations in which he is interested are
the National Harvester Company the New
York Trust Company the Metropolitan
Trust Company and the National Biscuit
Company.
Some years ago corporate interests caused
Mr.. Ream to remove from Chicago TO New
York In 1876 he married Miss Caroline
Putnam OF Madison y. Y, and they have
six children. Marion Ream. who married
Redmond ID. Stevens, lives in Chicago.
Frances Ream is the wife OF J.. Kemerer,
OF Mauch Chunk Penn and New York.
while the four sons. Norman p, Robert
c., Edward X. and Louis NJ Ream, are liv-
ing in this city In his busy life Mr..
Ream has found time for other things
than the upbuildng Of railroads and cor
pcrauons lie has interested himself in
literature and is a connoisseur Of paint
| ings Of which he has a noteworthy col
lection. Social by temperament and
. something Of a bon yivant he is mem
Der Of many clubs among these the Chi
cago Club. Of Chicago; the Union. the
Metropolitan. the New York Yacht and
number Of other local clubs.
TUNlS c. BERGEN.
] Tuuis HsfIeu "a drN,euduut of the