Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-25
MILLIONS FROM Dimes
Story Of WOOlWOrth, the Merchant
Prince
CLUNG FAITHFULLY TO GREAT idea

Had the Longest Chain Of Stores
Erected the TaIIest Building in New
York-Was Once a Laborer on a
Farm-Believed in Big Things Gen.
orally.
Richard Spillane in Commerce and FL
nance.
It has been printed that Frank w.
Woolworth left a fortune Of $66,OOO,-
600. To have amassed such a sum
as the result of retail in articles SELL
ing for or 10 cents Is the most extra
ordinary achievement in merchandls-
ing history.
Stewart Marshal Field, Altman,
Wannamaker and others we term our
merchant princes followed the beaten
lines and broadened them. Woo!worth
did something new. He made little
things big, small profits immense He
glorified the cent. His career, his for
tune, his building ). the most majestic In
America, II not the world typify the
mower of the smallest coin the country
knows. His success illustrates bet
tier than does that Of sny other man
in America the opportunities there
are in things considered email when
touched by the alchemy Of genius,
which Is nothing but having the right
idea and keeping at it until you work
it out.
Woolworth was genius and yet
what was his idea?
Simply IL a store specialized in SELL
ing at S cents all the goods 1t handled
the time saved in making sales and In
making change would be sufficient to
reduce the overhead charge greatly
and that people would buy more OF
what seemed like bargains than they
would ordinarily.
It was not his idea in the sense that
he originated 1t, The idea was that or
another person, but it took hold OF
him and he kept it before him always.
He was only a poor country boy. He
had labored on a farm, and when ne
sought a job in a country store, he
had to work several months for moth
ing for the privilege OF getting en-
ployed. He was a grown man when
he embarked on his first store enter
prise. 1t was a failure. That did not
daunt him. He tried again. This time
he succeeded. But he found the cent
| store idea was not wholly sound. Not
until he changed to and 10 cent trad
ing did he make real headway. Later
he sold some articles for more than IL
cents, but IS per cent orr possibly, Va
per cent Of his trade was In and II
cent items. .......
| In the light of the huge success ne
made Of his business it Is odd to learn
that in various instances, particular!
in the earlier stages Of his enterprise
Woolworth stores failed to succeed
II was not until he had trials enough
to test his patience to the limit thai
Ihe began to get full reward. When
nrof3t came big it came extraordinarily
big.
| Mr. Woolworth wasn't man OF
particularly fine sensibilities, and ne
was asked one day how it happened
that he got the ambition to build sucn
q structure, and particularly such a
ibeautiful structure.
| 81 built that magnificent affair When
y was a boy" he said. MY folks were
Door and we lived in a very smaIl
house. Back Of our house there were
stone piles and started to build house
Of nv own. After I was making lo'
of money as a merchant l wanted te
build something bigger than any 9TH
or merchant had. The WoolWortr
Building is the result"
A story that is little known apou
lWoolworth has to do with MS nrs
Iday as q merchant in pennsylvania
He put every dollar he had In tne
lworld. and he didn't have many, mt'
bis stock, his fixtures and his rent
His opening day was circus day. Th'
streets were crowded, but nobody cam'
into the store. The parade was a big
lger attraction. But along in the lat'
lafternoon there was a sudden change
latter the circus the people seemed u
find particular attraction in the new
store that had just opened. When III
lcounted his cash that night he fount
his total sales exceeded his early fore
cast. Later in life he said that hrs
lday was the most trying of his life.
| One thing the death of Mr. WOOL
worth may clear up Is the mystery O
1.-THE City Park of Watertown, N. I
The park was built, and year a1te'
wear the bills for it's maintenance nav
gone to a banking house in New YORK
There always has been more than
susnicion that Frank Woolworth wa
1.-THE man who paid.
Mr.. Woolworth had one great pas
sion aside from business. That wa
music. In his home at Glen Cove NJ
.ibad one of the most remarkable organs
oil sorts of mechanical appliances 10
ranro6ucing storm effects-lightnine
thunder and such. He did not pla!
particularly we'll and appreciated tnl
fact When he got talented organs
70 visit his home he was deilghteo
He was rather sensitive about his owl
limitations as a player. and when NJ
| had guests he could not be induced u
60 to the organ. But he would II m
was pressed, play the piano, on wmc'
he was a. fair sort Of performer
There are lot Of stories illustra
tive Of Woolworth's business methods
Once he went to Germany to visit
man from whom he had been buylnl
nenknives for years. Going into thl
mans office one day, he said: Here
Lnifa that YOU make. IT'S a prett