The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-08-12
FRUIT PEDDLER WINS FORTUNE
Greek Cleans Up 100000 in Atlanta
in Twelve Years.

A1lSlluSS OOuIlpllS, q vi CEN, wiz
had been residing in Atlanta for the
past twelve years, left the city one
day during the week for Columbus,
Greece, his native home.-NeWs
Item.
Behind that item there's story;
a story that reads almost like fiction,
for although the newspapers over
looked it, Aristides carried a COM
Portable fortune of 100000 in his
pocket as he boarded a train for the
first leg of of his long journey, a
fortune which he had made and saved
in twelve years time in Atlanta.
One hundred thousand dollars! Or
exchanged into Greek money, Aris-
tides has eight hundred thousand
drachm-immensel wealthy, and
he made it all in Atlanta, not in
speculation, but in the unromantic
business of peddling 'de banan" and
supplying "hot dogs" to customers
up and down Decatur street.
When Aristides arrived in Atlanta
in the spring of 1908, he was practi-
cally penniless. In a strange land,
without even a working knowledge
of it's language, no money and two
young sons, one seventeen and one
thirteen dependent upon HON for
support. 1t might be said that Aristi-
des was slightly "up against it,
However, he had a dogged determi-
ANTON, an ability to work, and un-
limited hope and confidence in Ameri-
ica, the land about which he had
heard so much, the land Of milk and
honey, where one must only work
and save to eventually become inde-
pendently rich.
And so he started. A rickety fruit
wagon, propelled by much more
rickety horse and varied assort-
ment of fruit, took all of his money.
He embarked onsa career which was
not only to bring him money and
ease, but fulfill his greatest wish to
return to the mother country rich
beyond expectation.
Peddled Fruit Four Years.
For four years he toiled with the
fruit wagon. For four years he was a
familiar sight on the streets, crying
forth his. wares, beseeching the
housewives to buy "de MICA banan'
or perchance apples, grapes or oran-
ges. His stock grew larger and he
made it a point to keep his stocks
fresh at all times.
Meanwhile, Victor Soumplis, the
syoungest boy, had entered school
and was wrestling with the intrica-
cies of the English language. Char
lie, the older boy, worked with his
father and studied at night. Today
both Charlie and Victor speak Eng
Hsh, Charlie still has trouble pro-
nouncing all the tongue-twisters, and
occasionally he lapses into his native
tongue, but Victor talks the Ian
guage like a native.
During the. four years that the
rickety fruit wagon was the sole
means of the three's support, Aris-
tides was slowly accumulating mon
ey. Not a day passed but what he put
aside certain portion of his daily
income in the bank-the savings tell
er of one of the principal banks of
the city vouches for that-and his
little pile began to grow and grow.
At the end of the four years, Aris-
tides decided to branch out. Casting
about he saw the opportunity for
business of peddling weiners-popu-
business of peddling weines-
larly termed "hot-dogs." So, he pur-
chased a portable hot-dog stand, and
started his eldest son in preparing
them for the crowd which constantly
surges up and down Decatur street.
Business proved good and pretty
soon another was added. Then the
third and finally the fourth.
Four years elapsed and Aristides
continued to make money out of his
weiner stands and his rickety fruit
wagon which he clung to all the
while. Then he bought out the soft
drink establishment at the corner Of
Piedmont avenue and Decatur street,
and gave up his fruit wagon to man
age this business Victor and Charlie
were called upon as assistants. And
the bank account doubled and tre-
bled again.
Just after the new year had been
ushered in, Aristides passed his six
tieth birthday, and he resolved to
return to his native home in Colum-
l,,. Croooo Co bo wound m his af-