The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-06-22

Head of the Exchange Trust COMPANY
Full of Enthusiasm for the Awaken
ing of Boston, Massachusetts and New
England
John ]. Martin began his business
career with a horse trade
The president of the Exchange Trust
company, the president of the Massa
chusetts Real Estate exchange. the
vice president of the National Rivers
and Harbors congress, and the vice
president of the Riverside Boiler Works
Ito mention but few of his manifold
interests-showed all the qualities of a
great fnancicr in that early specula-
tion in which he made profit of
Iabout 1879 per cent. 1t rather a good
story.
In South Boston one day young Mar
tin, then Il years old, with a boy |
chum, was strolling about the streets, |
when he saw a lad leading a lame
horse by halter.
Where are you going with the horse
and what are YOU going to do with
him?'' asked Martin.
- m taking him to the pound to sell
him was the reply
8 What will YOU get for him
. A dollar =
The animal was not much to look
at and there were obvious defects that
would have barred him from participa-
ton in horse show. But young Mar
tin produced a dollar and bought the
beast then and there.
The buyer and his chum took the
horse to a stable whose keeper they
knew pretty well, and by doing errands
for him secured the free board of their
steed In their out-of school hours
they had a lot Of fun with the horse,
and when they had fattened him bit
and improved his general looks they
sold him for $40. And young Martin
says he ''fclt good. He had drawn
first blood and acquired first install
ment of confidence in his ability to
cope with the world.
Started Bank Account
There are a lot of stories almost as
good connected with the early career
of the president of the Exchange Trust.
When he got to work, after his faith
er 5 death, he used the first 80 cents he
d e: rncd to start Il bank account and he
rates that as enc of the best things he
6 ever did
AS boy he was always on the Job.
: One Of his duties in those early days
! was to put out the auctioneer 5 flag in
: front of the building in which he was
: employed, and he alawys had the flag
Is there on the minute One night wher
he kept pretty late hours at a dance his
> friends thought they had caught hin
9 off guard But the flag was fiutterng il
o the morning ahead of time. He went
from the dance to the office and hung
it out before he went home to sleep.
Many years ago his first employee
loaned Martin $500 while he was We
G minor. The young man answered al
q questions as to the investment h,
n wanted to make, and his superior wa
Y. satisfied with his judgment, furnishe,
ii him with the money and told him to g
ID ahead.
III At another time, when he was still
n small boy, he carried a heavy bag TO
woman from his mother house i
: South Boston to a home on Common
II wealth avenue 1t was a cold winter
II night She was ushered inside the doc
II and the door changed shut. The 10yea
ii old boy rather resented the omission o
III
II scampered away he turned about an
II said to the empty street and the in
II posing residences, Well, III own ON
- of these myself one of these days.
. About 10 years ago he made good tha
VOW, and he bought the home whie
= was nearest to the home whose doc
= had banged in his face 23 years befor
as nearly as he could recollect IL
location.
Boston Good Enough
- Once upon a time one Of his ear
advisers urged him to go into a certa
-. company in Kentucky. He thought
~ over. and made mp his mind that if
So could not make good here he could n
make good anywhere. ''The troub
- with most of US, he says, lis that v
- are willing to live on our ancestry al
their fame, and are not willing to
-