Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1916-05-13
KIRK ADDS TO FAME OF
CITY
Manufacturer Has Made Chicago
Products Household Word
the World Over.

vi tne Slte OF the nrSt mousse erect.
ed in Chicago today stands the most
famous soap factory in the world.
For 1t is not too much to say that
James 8. Kirk & Company occupies
a position in the business world
where its name and product Is az
well known on the other side Of the
world as It is within 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.
lions Of Kinks have developed the
business until II 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 a 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 q far
stride In Chicago, where progress IL
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 world capital. there Is q separa.
ton Of far more than seventy.five
years. From the pioneer days to the
busting present there Is a change as
great as between England and
Cathay. The change II not 80 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, AZ 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 tho 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.
to buy ever after.
Products Known Everywhere.
It is not chance which has wrought
this tremendous industrial success.
II is no lucky stroke which has
brought the name and fame Of the
Family Soap or Jap Rose
to the attention Of the civilized
world. There is the meritorius prod.
act. which 10 the basis Of growth, a.
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, impelling
The hundreds and thousands of loyal
employees to their best efforts all the
line.
Mr.. HoiIoway's Fine Record.
To Edwin G. Holloway, president |
of the James s. Kirk Company, may
be credited very largely the new era
N the business. Twenty-seven years
ago Mr.. Holloway, then q young emf.
grant just from England, started In
he packing room of the Kirk estab.
ishment as clerk. He noted, learned.
and studied until, having
mastered the mysteries OF the pack.
ing room, he was transferred to other
learned the why and
wherefore of their being. saw how
was routed through the
plant, came to understand the under.
ying principles of the industry, and
'ound out that there were processes
ne could better learn without than
within the factory.
Having been thoroughly grounded |
n the principles of chemistry, he |
asked to be transferred to the chemi. |
,al department In the factory. stating |
hat he was studying In night school |
md wanted to learn in practice the |
working out Of the formulas taught him |
theoretically. As assistant chemist
10 sought to know what methods
would result In better soap rather
han in cheaper soap. He studied to
earn economy in methods. scientific
and right buying, short.
y rising to higher position in the