The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1919-12-12
Have Not "a.
try, but Ms,,,
\ in Business
sOMEHAvEBECOME WEALTHY
y Several Thousand Discharged Anne, /
can Soldiers Remained In France
te Try Their Fortunes- News
paper Men Land on Feet.

american soldiers who remained In
France to try their fortunes are far
ing as must fare all pioneers. A few
have become reasonably wealthy
some are reporting progress the
majority, however, are flying rather
lower than they were when they set
out to "Americanize France"
Nearly 1900 American expeditionary
force men were released here, and it is
estimated fourth OF these have set
tied down to work here. The others
are visiting, sightseeing or have gone
home after a dlscouraging look at bust.
ness prospects.
Several hundred found employment
with large concerns, chiefly American
firms preparing to do business In the
devastated regions. Another group
\ took various small places to pay their
way while studying. The majority, 1t
was said, started to make good by
capitalizing American methods. But
most OF them agree that easy money
is not one Of the natural resources Of
France, but few have proved that II
is. A negro made 125,O0O francs
(normal value, $25,0o0) buying and
selling army and navy supplies az
Brest His case Is vouched for BY
well-known American commercial ex.
ecutive. N IA
Chicago Press Club Driver Wins.
The most striking success reported
is that Of "the fox-trot kings of Paris"
us they term themselves, Gerald Kiley,
who drove the Chicago Press club am
bulance, and Harold Fitch Of st. Paul,
who was at the wheel Of one Of Mrs.
w. K. Vanderbilt's ambulances and
later went to the front. Kiley and
Fitch, the former said, got their start
over here when the wife of an Amer
lean banker pressed 500 francs
tabout $100) on us when they played
ir three-man jazz band at dance
she gave. They organized Wilson
welcome ball at leading hotel when
the president arrived In Paris and net
ted more than 10000 francs on the af-
fair. This success, they said, they
often duplicated at "the Dixie club"
dances they organized.
Knowing that good things must not
be overworked, the men took over the
ice cream making equipment Of the
Y. M. G. A., which has a capacity of
thousand gallons an hour, and late
IN October began wholesaling Dixie"
ice cream.
Some of the most interesting Of the
American business experiences here
are those Of men who married French
girls. Three Of these are farming
east of Paris, making more money
than they ever thought possible In the
United States" their business ad-
wiser sail. One man married into a
dairy shop. Another returned to his
trade of tailoring in the same way.
Scores of American boys are in busi-
ness with their French fathers-in-law.
Introduce Rebuilt Typewriters.
Rebuilt typewriters. familiar to
Americans, have been introduced to
the French by Lieut.. ]. L. Mccain Of
Tuscaloosa, Ala, and George e. How
ard Of Pasadena, Cal. Their diflicultyis
too much business. Isadore Court, who
was paperhanger, boldly set himself 4
up In the decorating business in a
fashionable suburb. Lieut.. s. L. Tyler
Of Memphis, Tenn, became merchan-
disc broker. Harry Z. Drucker, pho
tographer, returned to his trade.
One man who wanted to bring in
carloads Of automobiles and bicycle
tires turned defeat into success by
opening tire sale and repair shop.
Another one with the same idea is
awaiting arrival Of a real steam vul-
canizing plant to give Paris taste Of
fast work. He said virtually all tube |
YepairS here now are made with ce-
ment patches instead Of vulcanizing,
and take week instead of an hour.
Newspaper men seem to have landed
Oh their feet most quickly. Nearly all |
Of tll5se who stayed are developing |
some idea outside Of office hours.
Ideas for wealth may result In the
of d chain Of hotels and
restaurants aIong the battlefront /
towns One young man who missed I
the American -shine" Is negotiating /
lease FOR shoe-shinfng parlor.
chIld pit ii $50 II Kitchen ssovs.