The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-01-08

f1sit lT1eDG- | 1au not Seen there
twenty minutes until he began telling
NE about Battle Creeks best known
product-C. W Post-the man who
makes Postum and several well known
brands of breakfast food That at
isrnoon he took me across the car.
tracks TO see how Postum and Grape
Nuts were made, and that Is how
met Lena Stark. 2 stenographer; but
that is getting ahead OF my story.
Caught under the brow of a hill is
the first building that C. W. Post.
when forty-two years old and in i'll
health. used in making Postum He
used skillet and peanut rooster.
That was all he had. except belief IN
himself and a square chin. But when
person has those two things, il does
not make any difference if the build
ing is barn.
He rolled bran and wheat over and
over in his peanut rooster, testing and
testing unit, he found combination
that could not be told from coffee
with a bandage over your eyes. He
had something that tasted just as
good as coffee, named Postum, drink
that didn't keep one kicking around
half the night. All he now had TO do
was to sell it-he Just had to carry
the bricks up TO the top OF the build
ing, where somebody else would do all
the work Of laying them. There is a
LOT OF difference between having some
thing TO sell. with the accent on the
to, and getting it On half the break
fast tables in the land. But, anyway,
il did sell, so that today the man who
came 20 Battle Greek seventeen years
ago now owns ten acres Of factory
buildings, a hotel, an Office building,
a theatre and town site. Ny Battle
Greek friend whispered into my ear
mat his income. whether he sat at his
desk with his sleeves rolled up or
played SWITCHBOARD on his yacht, was
.o00 week.
The Office didn't look like Offices,
didn't smack OF the treadmil where
most employees have to stay six days
a week TO get an envelope on Saturday
afternoon at three Coming up the
hill. they looked Ike houses where a
man OF means lived whose hobby was
his lawn. Colonial architecture. vines
and home air that set you looking for
q hammock Inside, it was still more
OF home, and yet an ofice-beauti-
full rugs, big leather chairs and an art
GALLERY. In the midst OF the Office /
found Lena Stark, as CHEEKY as a
hostess and as busy as bee. In a
moment ne were chatting as though at
a reception:
How long have you worked hereg'
asked.
Seventeen years
And you now own three houses?'
she smiled.
Seventeen years ago she started to
take course in business college,
but did not finish it. One night she
went 10 c. VI Post. Who had Just start
ed his business. and applied for a pc
sitfon. Coming there before the sup
per hour. siT. and Mrs. Post insisted
that she eat supper with them. and
afterward Mr.. Post took her. out to the
little Office and dictated two letters to
her 10 see her work. AS she says
low. he dictated them very slowly and
lcarefullv, and even beginner could
have taken the letters: but he was
satisfied WITH her work and started
her IN his Office inc next Monday
II g. per week The second week her
s2lary was advanced to Sc. At that
tine the Office force consisted Of Mr.
I Post q bockkeeper and herself The
iofRce AZ that time vas in one of the
cottages On the property which had
seen Purchased b. Mr. Post. Her
de.tfes, besides the ntenographic work,
aere 10 gweep and dust the room and
III the lamps. az at that time they
llsd 10 gas or electricity. Miss Stark
wss the first gtenographer employed
by the POSTUM Cereal Company, where
tssday they number into the hundreds.
She was an absolute stranger In the
city. and AZ fret lived in BOARDING
louise. where rhe raid $3.50 per week
for room ard board. Az the business
Increased. her salary was raised in
proportion
When SIR, Post advised his employees
that he would baiId them homes and
sell to them On the easy-payment plan
Hiss stark purchased z double lot for
s1s5 and paid for II Then Mr.. Pos,
bpilf her house on ii which cost
her $3.50, and she rented ii at once al
Sc per month, turning the rent bach
into the Postam Company. together
sitn what she saved each month to
ward the Bagment Of her home.
IN 1898 Mr post built her the sec
ond house on her double lot. which
cost hef about $3.50 more to buiIt
than the first boiige. On account Of tht
increased cost Of material, SO that tht
Two ncnee cost her about s1,750. The-
now rent for sf2 month each an,
have had desirable tenants in then
ever since they we're built
In 1923 Miss Stark purchased twt
more lots on Post avenue, held then
. year afd sf.fd 4f,s.-., 81 a. s<,.