Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-03
END COMES TO PROMINENT CiTl-
ZEN AND BUSINESS MAN
TUESDAY NIGHT.
CLOSE OF INTERESTING AND
SUCCESSFUL CAREER
One of the Founders Of Marshall Oil
Company, Started With Borrowed
Capital, Now Largest Independent
Oil Concern in Country-Many Poor
Lose Friend-Funeraf Thuroday.

Death claimed another of the prom
inent men of Marshalltown Tuesday
| when l.. r. Willard. president of thu
! Maj shall Oil Company, died at TIL
| Deaconess hospital at i:io Tuesda.
night. The end came not unexpected
ly, altho after brief illness, due tt
chronic diabetes The members o
Nil. Wizards family We're prepared fol
| the shock in measure owing to thu
| serious condition of the patient sinc'
! Saturday.
! Mr. Willard has been Il sufferer iron
| the diabetic trouble in chronic form
| for. probably twenty years. He has
not laid the strictest of attention tc
the die: prescribed for sufferers IRON
this a;lnent altho efforts he did make
| 10 combat the disease very likely pro-
| longed his life ten years. Three weeks
ago. while in Chicago on business. he
developed a small carbuncle. 1t was
trea ed and the patient felt but little
ala.m over the symptom that is often
sodnd in diabetes. Two weeks ago
today Mr.. Willard left for Excelsior
Springs. Mo-, thinking that the baths
and water would help him. The car
buncle. however, began to grow
worse and last Thursday Mr.. Will
lard returned home. He has been
growing worse steadily, absorption
from the carbuncle, and others that
formed. causing a general toxic condi-
ton. Since Saturday the patient has
been in a semi comatose state, and
Tuesday morning, following consul
tation of physicians, Mr.. Willard was
removed to the hospital, where the
carbuncles were opened to a greater
extent to provide further drainage.
For time Tuesday evening Mr.. VIII
lard showed symptoms of improve
ment, but they were only temporary.
and the end came without the patient
regaining consciousness.
End Of Interesting Career.
Mr.. Wizards death marks the end
OF an interesting business career and
a life that has been filled with many
good deeds.
Starting a business career at the age
| OF 20, without any capital further than
a determination to succeed, Mr. VIII
| lard closes his life's book as one OF the
wealthy men of Marshalltown. and the
nominal head of the biggest business in
| the city.
Mr.. Wizards first business activity
was an association with his father. the
late Hiram Willard. and brother-in-
law. Charles H. Hull, in the organiza-
ton Of the firm of II. Willard. Son &
Co.. hides and wool. This was in 1854.
her T.
full for Hiram Willard had established
it in 1868, and had prospered. Mr.. VIII
lard continued with the concern until
1896. when he embarked in a venture
and venture is used advisedly-in d
business that was to spell fortune.
Forms Oil Company.
The venture was the forming of an
independent oil company. In company
with G.. II. Ruth, who, for several
years, had been manager of the Con-
solidated Tank Line Company, owned
by the Standard Oil Company, Mr..
Willard decided that the oil business
was a good business. The principal
thing in the way of forming COM
pany, however. was a lack Of capital.
A little thing like money or lack of it.
young men. They went to the most
likely place to find money, a bank,
and, after much talking and the pre-
sentation of a solid front, finally Sc
cured it.
"Tom" Fletcher Responsible.
The late J. P. Woodbury.. then pres
ident of the First National Bank, did
not like the idea or loanlng to the
two young men $4,000 without any
collateral, no matter how good talk
ers they were. But T. J. Fletcher the
cashier. looked upon the venture with
more favor and Willard and Ruth
cultivated Fletcher. He really was re-
sponsible for the starting OF the Mar
shall Oil Company, for he finally
loaned the money, and had the loan not
been secured things might have been
different.
The Good Luck Of "Thirteen."
The Marshall Oil Company was
formed as a copartnership with $4,000
borrowed capital, and entered upon
! business in small building on
Twelfth avenue, along the Iowa Cen
trail tracks. A stock Of oils was
bought, and the new concern started
out after business The first customer
sought by Mr.. Ruth was Louis Metz
ger, superintendent of the glucose
works Glad to help new home con-
Germ, Mr.. Metzger gave what Mr.. Ruth
considered was quite an order He
| hurried back to the office, happy as a
school boy, to show his partner what
| he had done. The barrels Of oil were
| counted-there were thirteen.
Since then the number thirteen has
been dominant in the business of the
Marshall Oil Company Strange as it
may appear, $13 was the amount of he
first deposit Of the new company.
Every serial of checks new written by
| the company begins with -, every
tank wagon has 10 in it,. and every
! warehouse bears the number in some
form.
Biggest Independent Company.
The small beginning of Messrs. Will
lard &, Ruth in the oil business has
crown to such proportions that. at the
i time Of the death of the president, the
i Marshall Oil Company is the largest
j independent oil company in the United
4 States and from the small business
4 done twenty years ago, has grown t.
Il the proportions of millions yearly
4 with over $3,0O0,O0O worth Of business
i done this year The business has
Il grown out of the scope OF oils, greases
land oil products alone, and extended
II into paints automobile accessories
and tires