The Washington herald., 1916-05-17
A Big Business Romance.

Three men sat down to lunch day.
Next day, October 10, 1914, they formed them
selves into corporation. Its capital was $1,000.
Within one year the $1,000 company had
done some $4,000 900 worth Of export and i'm
port business and had made close to $5,oooooo
profits.
The three partners had become millionares
for twelve months work-and are today piling
up millions faster than ever
But what a twelve months work they had
put in!
For sheer commercial achievement their rec
ord has never been equalled
The lightning growth Of CASTOR, Williams &
Wlgmore, incorporated, exporters and importers,
is the greatest romance in the history OF Amer
lean business.
\, From a one,room office at 80 Broad street,
New York, with not dollars worth Of either
war orders or peace orders, to colossal organ
lzation with important branches and service de-
PRIf[iiments Rfrin1 Gb in England France Russia, South
ada with agencies galore, including twenty-five
! In South America alone, with teeming offices
occupying whole floor in the Guaranty Trust
building and itching to cut through the wall
| 10 get two floors in new building to be rushed
up at the rear, with other large steamship
offices in the Equitable Building, with ships
owned outright and others under its control,
/ with assets valued at over $I7ooo,ooo, with war
orders and peace orders rolling in at the rate
OF far over million dollars weekly and profits
approaching halfa million monthly-that is a
bald, incomplete outline of the trumvirates s
amazing expansion.
How was it done?
who did it,
George A. CASTOR became an assct-a labil-
n.y. TatheT-to modcsty-circumstanced Ohio
early mbibcd the merchantile spirit After
leaving Washington and Jefferson College he
entered Western Reserve Law School (where
becoming, and remaining a lawyer, but to equip
him the better to battle in the business arena
., Transportation became his hobby-automo-
Tn G,Les, trans, street cars, ships The secret OF
bringing the thing needed to the place and per
son needing it.
0uns GastGn ton IN II2,i in COMPANY with the
took a trip round the world to look over its
trade and transportation possibilities.
/ So impressed was he with the commercial
and shipping pOtentialities OF the Far East and
South Africa that he brought back experts to aid
IN devlslng plans for the conquest Of their foreign
trade. His interests in coastwisc shipping be-
came extensive. He was branching out aggres-
tslvely in various transportation fields
Then came the war
CASTOR international dreamer, saw his op-
!pOrtunity to become international doer
He summoned to luncheon two of his closest
associates, William H. Williams, a 3o-year-old
Long Island flnancier and hustler who was
sighted, tweIvc-hours- worker Who had in
Ivaded Cleveland Pcnnilcss, but in ten years be-
came king OF its real estate operators, one OF its
foremost citizens, and, latterly, a factor in
Eastern cnterDriscs-all while still in the thir-
ties
They digc>tcd Gaston's ideas along with
their food. And the $1,000 Incorporation, Gas
ton, Williams & Wgmorc, chartered within
! twenty-four hours!
CASTOR hoped aboard the Lusitania three
days later. He after war orders.
! And he got thcm-by the millions. first from
one government and then from another.
George A. CASTOR, William H. Williams and
James \. Wigmorc workcd-worked, worked
worked. They have gathered round them stars
IN every department, paying gigantic salaries
IFrom $1,000 onc-room company they have de-
vcloDed in eighteen months into mammoth
corporation OF 100000 common shares Cof nc
par valued and $4,000, 900 notes outstanding
With the prestige conferred by the name Of
Charles H. Sabin, president OF the Guaranty
! Trust Co., charman-Mr. Sabin with keen
! !disccrnment having backed up the trio carly in
their cndcavors.
Today CASTOR, Williams & Wigmorc are the
largest exporting and importing firm in the
4 United States. They expert statesmen
They finding foreign markets for Made in
America merchandise at the rate Of more than
500 900 900 a year. They have done more since
the war began to conquer new commercial
hcldS than any other hali-dozen concerns.
They are filing more American pay envelopes
than any other exporting firm the United States
has ever known.-B. c. Forbes in Lcslic's