Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1916-05-06
KIRK ADDS Ste, TO FAME Of
Manufactures Has Made Chicago
Products Household Word
the World Over.

On the site Of the first house erect.
ed in Chicago today stands the most
famous soap factory in the world.
For It is not too much to say that
James 8. Kirk & Company occupies
position in the business world
where its name and product is as
well known on the other side Of the
world as It is within q stones throw
Of the factory doors.
It was in 1889 that the soap manu-.
featuring business Of the great Ameri.
can house Of Kirk was founded In
Chicago. Since then three genera.
tions Of Kinks have developed the
business until 1t has become one Of
the modern giants of industry, call.
ing to its aid the sciences of chemis.
try, botany and geology, and combin.
ing in coherent whole elements Of
success which have made Kirk prod.
ucts household names In millions of
homes.
Progress Has Been Rapid.
From 1889 to 1914, though but
step in older communities, Is far
stride In Chicago, where progress Is
being made at rate the old world
has never seen. From the struggling
line of shanties. which lined the low
marshes. to the magnificent skyline
OF q world capital. there is separa.
ton Of far more than seventy.five
years. From the pioneer days to the
busting present there Is q change as
great as between England and
Cathay. The change IL not SO much
in men as in mind, in methods more
than in products. The soaps manu-.
featured In the tiny factory nearly
four score years ago were as good In
cleansing power, as pure in their con.
stituent parts. as any Kirk product Of
this year of grace. But how far the
cry between the methods Of that early
day and the vast machinery which
hastens and controls with automatic
precision the Kirk products now! It
is safe to say that not single man,
woman or child in America able to
read either English or any of the mod.
ern tongues, but has become &C.
quainted with the fact that Kinks
soaps are good soaps. Familiar with
the name, they have tried the prod.
uct, and, finding 1t all right, they con.
tinued to buy ever after.
Products Known Everywhere.
It is not chance which has wrought
this tremendous industrial success.
It Is no lucky stroke which has
brought the name and fame of the
American Family Soap or Jap Rose
to the attention Of the civilized
world. There Is the meritorius prod
uct, which is the basis of growth, as
in every industrial success through.
out all time, and there Is the per-
sonality, the real active presence OF
the man behind. This suggestive
phrase, which sticks In the mind with
persistency suggestive Of its funda
mental truth, answers the eternal
; question, "Why this success?" by pic
turing the driving force. impelline
the hundreds and thousands of loya
employees to their best efforts all the
time.
Mr. Hoiloway's Fine Record.
To Edwin G. Holloway, president
of the James 8. Kirk Company, ma!
be credited very largely the new ers
In the business. Twenty-seven years
ago Mr.. Holloway, then young emf
grant just from England, started II
the packing room of the Kirk estab
lishment as clerk. He noted, learned
watched and studied until, having
mastered the mysteries of the pack
ing room, he was transferred to othe
departments, learned the why an
wherefore Of their being, saw HOY
, business was routed through tn
plant, came to understand the under
lying principles Of the industry, an
q found out that there were processe
he could better learn without tina
within the factory.
g, Having been thoroughly grounde
4 in the principles of chemistry. h
|. asked to be transferred to the chem
cal department in the factory, stain
that he was studying In night schot
and wanted to learn in practice tn
J. working out Of the formulas taught hi
. theoretically. As assistant chemii
= he sought to know what method
would result In better soap rattle
than in cheaper soap. He studied
Q learn economy in methods, scientifl
d management. and right buying, shor
!. ly rising to higher position In tn