The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-01-14


a K
|aRe night. an he nov isad tp 40 was Vas
rs sen he JUST had toy carry the
brlcks upsto the top q the building
where somebody else would do all the
work Of laying them. There is alot
Of difference between having some.
thing to sell, with the accent on the
to, and getting it on half the breakfast.
tables in the land. But, anyway, 1T
did sell. so that today the man who
came to Battle Creek seventeen years
ago now owns ten acres OF factory
buildings. hotel. an Office building,
a theater and town site. My Battle
Creek friend whispered into my. ear
that his income, whether he sat at his
desk with his sleeves rolled up Of
played SWITCHBOARD on his yacht, was.
$4,000 week. ~
The offices didn't look like offices,
didn't smack OF the treadnlill where
most employees have TO stay six days
"a week TO get an envelope on Saturday
hill,the looked like houses where q
man OF means lived whose hobby was
his lawn: Colonial architecture, vines
and a home air that set yon looking
for the hammock. Inside 1t was still!
more OF a home. and yet an Office
beautiful rugs. big leather chairs and
an art gallery. In the midst Of the OF.
flee | found Lena Stark, as CHEEKY as
a hostess and as busy as a bee. In a
moment We we're chatting as though
at a reception:
How long have you worked here?"
! asked.
Seventeen years"
"And you now own three houses"
She smiled.
Seventeen years ago she started 10
take a course in business college,
but did not finish It. One night she
went TO c, W, Post, who had just
started his business, and applied for
position. Coming there before the
supper hour, Mr.. and Mrs. Post insist
ed that she eat supper with them, and
aGterward Mr.. Post took her out to
the little Office and dictated two let
tiers to her to see her work. AS she
says now. he dictated them very SLOW
Is and carefully, and even beginner
could have taken the letters; but he
was satisfied with her work and start.
ed her in his Office the next Monday
morning al SIS per week. The second
week her salary was advanced to So.
AT that time the office force consisted
OF Mr.. Post. u bookkeepcr and herself.
The office at that time was in one OF
the cottages on the property which
lad been purchased by Mr.. Post. Her
duties, besides the stenographic work,
were to sweep and. dust the room and
ill the lamps, rs ut that time they had
10 gas nor electricity. Miss Stark
was the first stenographer employed
by the Postum Cereal Company, where
to-day they number into the hundreds.
She was an absolute stranger in the
city, and at first lived in a boarding
house, where she paid $3.50 per week
fer room and board. AS the business
Increased, her salary was raised liz
proportion.
When Mr.. Post advised his employees
that he would build them homes and
sell to them on the easy-payment plan,
Miss Stark purchased a double lot for
$I95 and paid for it. Then Mr.. Post
built her a house on it which cost her
500, and she rented II at once at $6
per month, turning the rent back into
the Postum Company, together with
what she saved each month toward
the payment for her home.
III 1899 Mr., Post built her the sec.
ond house on her double lot, which
cost her about 5000 more to build than
the first house, on account or the in
creased cost Of material, so that the
two homes cost her about $l,750. They
now rent for $l2 month each and
nave had desirable tenants in them
ever since they were built.
In 1898 Miss stark purchased two
more lots on Post avenue, held them
year and sold them at all increase
of $150 over the cost. In 1905 she
bought her present property at 225
South avenue, and paid for the lot.
She then borrowed money from the
Postum Company and built her pres
ent home, which cost her $4,000. This
little home is on a lot so feet front
T.. Foot 5,nY on1 10 riuipIo6 II,