Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-07-01
pEHDERsONv1IE BOY HoEORED.
Melvin SpoffOrd Hatch Receives VAL
liable Publicity From Bic Magazine.

liable PUBLICITY From Big Magazine.
The American Magazine, publica-
tfon of a big circulation over the Uni
ted States and published in Springfield.
Ohio, in the department OF interest,"
ing People" carries in the July num-
Der an interesting str<y OF Melvin
spofford Hatch. the fifteen year old
son of Mr., and Mrs. James A. Hatch
on the AsheEille road
The partner referred to in the hog
raising business is understood to be
Mrs. A. NJ. Cover.
The story, which was illustrated by
two pictures of the young farmer and
his farm and hogs, follows:
The late representative Anderson of
Ohio never failed to include in his
biography in each issue of the Con
gressional Directory" the fact that at
sixteen ne had saved enough money
to buy home for bis mother. This
was, indeed, a record OF which he
might justly be proud, but ia ,yoslng
boy in the mountains or western North
Carolina, Master Melvin Spofford
Hatch, has, to adopt popular phrase.
gone him one better" he had bought
a small truck farm on, the outskirts of
the town of HendersonvilIe when he
was thirteen, finishing payment for it
by the time his fifteenth birthday had
arrived, last September.
And the remarkable ching about his
achievement is that it isn't remarka-
BILE at all. Thousands of boys are as
favorably situated as he is for doing
the same thing; it is only that they
could do it and he did it that makes
the difference. His methods have not
been spectacular; he bears not the
slightest resemblance 10 the heroes of
various popular boys books, nor has
he been spurred by any dire necessi-
ty; he has not been goaded into action
IN any way, or required to drudge
away his boyhood; he has merely been
given sympathetic announcement,
and been allowed to do his own think
ing and planning and to reap his own
reward The fact that at fifteen he
has achieved success that might be
envied by a fu1l-grown man (and that
without the loss of single day at
school or the loss of too great part
of his boyish p1easures) is to be att
trfbuted to three virtues tnat should
be commonplace: thrift, industry and
good judgment - - -
Hendersanvf1le is summer resort,
where for several months of each year
every other house resolves itself into a
boarding house for the accommodate
of throngs of tourists from the north,
south, east and west. The farm that
Melvin bought is located just outside
the town limits and is two aces In
extent; the house has four nice rooms
and front and back piazza; there are
fruit trees and good stable, and
hedge of roses and Hlacs adds atouch
of beauty 1t was a wonderful bar
gain at 1888, as our business man of
thirteen could see. Just then he had
exactly eighty dollars in his bank.
Fifty of this he had saved from nickels
and dimes given him for running er-
rands, doing odd joBs, and for gifts on
birthdays and holidays.
This fifty does not represent gratuf-
ties to very great extent, either, for
when he was three years old he began
to earn money picking up chips at one
cent basketfu1. Thirty dollars he
had earned by services to persons
wholly outside of the family ten col
lars came froEa the sale Of water
lilies; the rest from the sale of old
iron, bones and junk of various kinds,
and of vegetables from his own little
garden, and kindling and. pine c7Ees.
All these he hauled TO his S4.iols cl's-
toners in his little goat wagon.
Some of his boyish investments
reaped a fabulous profit. A promoter
who promised a profit of ever four
thousand per cent on an investment
would be regarded by most intelligent
persons as marvellous fabricaton
but this is an understatement of the
profits of one of Me1yin's business