The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-19
A Barefoot Bows Story

$. c. Forbes in Leslie's. A witty chronicler once said: "Elbert
 u. Gary, president of the United States steel corporation, the largest industry in the world, was born a barefoot bow" That was both true and untrue On his fathers farm where he came into the world, in Du Page county, 25 miles west of Chicago, the boy Gary did
 sometimes run about without shoes or stockings, but from choice not neces- sity.
 Curiously, the holding of blackboard
 races in arithmetic by his teacher shaped young Gary's career. One day an uncle, H. F. Vallette, a lawyer of
 local note, visited the Garys and the
 father, proud of his boys mathematical ability, arranged a competition between
 the two. Ebert won. And the uncle as
 reward, offered him a place in his office at Naperville to read law
 He attended Wheaton college, taught
 school in the country during two win ters, earned few dollars by making himself useful around the office of the clerk of the courts and, at 20, gradu- ated from the law department of Chi cago university He got job at SIP
 per week with the clerk of the courts in Cook county. He proved himself ca
 pable, and by and by was given $45 per
 week. His uncle then took him into his Chicago office.
 The day after the great Chicago fire, young Gary hired a room in a wooden
 building and hung up a lawyers sign. He made $2S00 in the first year. His ambition was to become a judge.
 By way of gaining standing and influ- ence he became the first mayor of Wheaton. He did not have long to
 wait to realize his ambition: he was duly elected a county judge. oft ba in iron and steel. He foresaw the world was entering the steel age. On leaving the bench he became attorney for sew eral corporations, though he retained his general practice. Even in those early days (1S91) he contracted the combination habit. Through his in- strumentality, several plants were rolled into the Consolidated Steel and Wire company of Illinois, a $4000,000 concern, then regarded as a veritable leviathan. More mills were secured sev- en years later and the enlarged enter prise was incorporated as the American Steel and Wire company, With $12,000,- 900 capital.
 Gary realized very clearly that combi-
 nation meant strength. He evolved the theory that if he could combine all the units of iron and steel manufacture and transportation into a single management, enormous economies could be effected, un- precedented efficiency could be attained and, as a corollary, handsome dividends earned. He had already become a factor
 in the Illinois Steel company was on iti board. So, along with Robert Bacon, then
 member of J. P. Morgan & Co.,, Judge
 Gary created the famous Federal Steel lcompany, the $2O0, 100000 corporation which caused both America and Europe
 to rub it's eyes.
 MT. Morgan later sent for Judge Gary
 and tol dhim that, of course, there was
 only one man fitted to take charge of the
 combina tion.
 The judge deplied that he didn't care for the job.
 ''Why?" demanded MT. Morgan? The judge explaine dthat he was mak-
 ing more than $75, 900 a year from his law
 business in Chicago. that his income was
 steadily growing and that he was not
 anxious oleave Chicago. We expect to pay you for coming
 here,' bluntly replied the banker. You
 can name your own salary-anything you
 want-and for any number of years you
 want"
 Finally Judge Gary agreed to come for three years at $10O,O00 a year, until then the highest salary ever paid. T expect to return to Chicago at the
 end of the three years" said the judge not long ago. but here I am."