The Wisconsin weekly blade. [volume] (Madison, Wis.) 1916-1925, 1916-07-06
Ex-PEDDLER RICH.
After Thirty Years He Distributes
$4,000 Among Employees.
BEGAN WITH NINETEEN CENTS

New Yorker Invested That Sum In
Suspenders and Sold Them on the
Bowery--Now 10 Able to Share Sue
cess With Those Who Helped to
Make II.
New Hork.-Bernhard Bitter OF
gas and electric appliance company In
this city arrived in New York from
Austria thirty years ago with 10 cents
In his pocket He invested his 10
cents in suspenders and sold them on
the Bowery. Recently he distributed
more than $4,000 among the twenty
seven heads Of departments and sales
men employed by the firm of which he
Is the president
Mr.. Bitter told the story Of his life
mt n dinner in the Hotel Belleclaire
given by his firm to the travelling sales
men.
II came TO America from Austria"
said Mr. Bitter, when about eighteen
years old. and when landed had
Just 10 cents met an Austrian friend
who ran small hotel near the Bat
terry, and he offered me room and
meals on credit until | was able 10 pay
for them. accepted his Kindness, and
with my 10 cents bought II few pairs
Of suspcnders, which peddled. When
they were sold I put my principal and
profit into suspenders and peddled
again. / kept this up. always putting
every cent OF profit into more stock,
until | rose to the proud position OF
pedder merchant. In those days a
pedder merchant was one who had a
cart and paid a man 81 day to push
1t while he sold merchandise"
After time Mr. Bitter was able to
pay his landlord In full. and some time
later he was able to marry. From ped
ding merchandise be went to work for
the gas company Of New York. and
there he had his opportunity and his
idea
II saw the possibilities Of manufac-
turing and selling lighting fixtures ne
told his statesmen. II investigated and
found that thousands upon thousands
Of New York homes were without ell
Their gas or electricity | realized that
sooner or later every home In New
York would have one or the other, that
many new homes would he built and
that fixtures would be necessary wher-
ever gas or electricity went SO | de
termined 10 90 into the business Of
manufacturing and selling lighting fix
lures. | took all of the money | had
saved II wasn't very much. but it
gave me II start and | persuaded my
brother In law. now the secretary
treasurer OF our company, Charles \.
GOttcsman. 10 put I'm all of his money.
and together we began business at l3S
Bowery. This was in 1893 Our place
was small and our business was little
at first I was the salesman. and Mr..
GOttesman was packer. shipper. credit
man, store manager and dozen other
things.
lit was slow going Mt first. but we
were headed In the right direction.
People began 10 use electricity and gas
more and more, and we began To sell
more and more fixtures. The rest OF
the story Is simply one OF steady
growth. each year being better than
the year before and last year being the
best Of all
And now think we have got To the
position where we can begin to share
our success with the men who have
helped us make It. We are therefore
presenting a little gift 10 each man.
and wish 10 announce that in the fu-
/ ture the profits of the firm will be
shared with those who help make the
| profits"
I At a dinner given previously to the
heads ~ departments checks were dis
/ trihutcd to the guests.