New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-02-13

ID
Little did G. A. Ottomeyer dream
wien he left his native home thirty
five years ago that he had so success
ful a business career in store for him
as he has enjoyed or that from penny
less youth he would come to be the owner
of tie finest and largest business blocks
in the city of New Ulm. But that is
what he has accomplished and in his
case it can be truthfully said that he
accomplished it all by himself, because
he has no strong relationship nor strong
church or other organizations to back
him in his struggle for business.
Born Oct. 8, 1868, in Tipped etmold,
avery small principality which is known
for having the original Herman's Monu-
ment, he came to America in the spring
of 1882 with his widowed mother, his
sister and brother. He was barely 18
years old at the time but was imbued
with the spirit of prospective opportun-
tiles that possesses nearly every German
youth that leaves his home country for
tie United States.
The first work that MIR. Ottomeyer did
was to paint wag ons in the wagon shop
of II. G. Kiesling near the river front.
This work lasted only very short time
and tie summer found the object of our
sketch working on farm during the
harvest. During the fall of the year
he was apprenticed to Chas. Sommer, one
of TIE. pioneer merchants of the city,
and for him he worked for the munifcent
sum Of $6 month and breakfast, the
then going wages for clerks in the city
of New Ulm. He worked for Mr.. Som
mer for nearly one year and then took on
a position with Frank Kuetzing, who had
a couple of years before come to New Ulm
and started a five cent store. For Mr..
Kuetzing Mr.. Oottmeyer worked for
over five years and then he went to Chi
cage where he worked in merchant
tailoring establishment for about half a
year. Chicago, the windy city, did
not appeal to Mr.. Ottomeyer and he
came back to New Ulm. With nothing
to do and the prospects Of finding suit
able and Iemunerative work not Of the
very best, Mr.. Ottomeyer decided to
engage in business for himself and in
August 1889, he opened store in the
Leibold block now occupied by the
American Express Company. It was a
very modest venture, the total stock on
hand being consid erably below the $500
mark. AS matter Of fact, he used only.
one half Of the store building and even
at that he had to introduce empty boxes
to the shelves to make it appear as tho
he had some stock on hand. Business
kept on increasing and getting better and
after tie end of the first six months he
was doing business enough to warrant
him in using the entire floor space Of
the Leibold block. About three years
he stayed there seeing gratifying in
crease Of business from month to month,
and then he decided upon and did pur-
chase the Beussmenn block on the corner
Hof Center and Minnesota streets. Bust
ness continued to improve and grow and
in 1897 he found this store building al
together too small for his needs and so
decided upon building the Ottomeyer
block with his brother and DR.. j. T..
Schoch. The corner building he rented
to George Hauenstein who conducted
in it the Red Front Grocery. About
four years later he found that he again
did not have enough floor space and took
over the corner part of the building also
for his business and since that time he
has occupied the entire block, ever in-
creasing the quantity and the quality
Of his goods.
The strain Of business, however, com
menced to tell on Mr.. Ottomeyer and
last summer he found an opportunity to
transfer the responsibility Of the business
to younger shoulders and he did it,
Me-. Ottomeyer realizes full well that
tits up to the business men here to reach
out and get the automobile trade which
is bound TO come to the city which offers
the biggest and best attractions and New