Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-26
JOHN ID. RYAN
Master OF AircrGtt Construction
WHAT the Government did to speed up


w shipbuildng when it put Mr.. schwab
in charge Il, has now done in the manu-.
facture OF airplanes by making John d.
Ryan the director Of production.
The manufacture Of airplanes has been
delayed by red tape. Nothing could be
done until half dozen different commit.
tees or bureaus had acted. Each took It's
own time. Arrangements had been made
to cut the red tape before Mr.. Ryan was
appointed. The new director will put into
effect all the plans which meet his ap-
proval and will devise others of his own
where needed. He Is to build airplanes as
rapidly as possible.
LLIE KNOW all about Mr.. Schwab. But
w who is John d. Ryan? Has he ever
done anything to justify the faith that is
now put in him?
An examination of his record will an.
swer these questions Mr.. Ryan is the son
of the discoverer of what are now known
as the Copper Range Mines of the Lake
Superior district. lie was born at Han
cock, Mich, on October 10, 1864, and is
now ifty.three years old While he was
still small child his parents moved to the
Calumet and Hecla mine AS he grew up
they wanted him to go to college. He
preferred earning his living at once. At
the age of seventeen he became a clerk in
one of the general merchandise stores OPP
Grated by his uncle in the copper region.
Until he was twenty-five he worked twelve
hours day behind the counter, weighing
sugar, measuring off calico and selling
pins and needles. Then he decided to go
to Denver to better himself \ brother
and sister had preceded him. For six
months he looked for a job to his taste.
And I was not hard to please" he said
once. lie finally found employment as
travelling salesman for one OF the rivals of
the Standard Oil Company. lie handled
lubricating oils. He travelled all over the
Rocky Mountain section from Montana TO
Mexico. Marcus Daily was one of his Gus
toners and he became we'll acquainted with
this powerful capitalist.
DYAN was not growing rich, but he liked
~ his work better than that which he left
to take it up When he was thirty his
earnings ran from 800 to $3.50 a month.
When he was thrtytwo he married Nettie
Gardner, of his native town. Then he de-
lie looked about for something that would
make it possible for him to live at home.
1t occurred to him that the banking busi-
ness offered attractions. He had saved a
little money and had friends willing to lend
him more. Marcus DAILY had a chain OF
small banks in Montana and he decided TO
| get an interest in them. He bought out the
minority shareholders and took charge of
the banks with Days consent
! THIS was the beginning of his rise to
wealth and power. 1t was in 1896 that
he took charge Of Days banks as part
owner. Eight years later, when he was
forty years old, he became managing di-
rector of the Amalgamated Copper Com
| pany, intrusted with the duty of managing
all its properties and all it's employees. One
| of his first tasks was to eliminate +. \.
| IIeinze from the Montana copper field.
After negotiations extending over six
| months he succeeded in buying out Heinze
and consolidating under one management
the copper mines of the State. He demon-
! strated his organizing ability by bringing
| all these properties together in such way
that they could be operated economically
and efficiently. 1t took time and diplo.
| macy, but he did it and retained the con-
fldence and respect of the men whom he
beat in the courts when they tried to block
his efforts. In 1910 the Amalgamated and
its subsidiary companies were merged with
the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, of
which Mr.. Ryan is now the president.
MIR. RYAN was not content with devot-
A'A ing himself to mining alone. lie saw
the possibilities for the production of cheap