Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-30
BY w. e. BATTENFIELD.
Editor the Des Moines News.


DIES MONIES, Ia. Jan. 39.-F'rom q
penniless boy Of an Iowa farm to secre.
tary of agriculture in President Wilson 5
cabinet has been the rise of Edwin T.
Meredith in his life span OF forty three
years.
Born on a farm near Avoca, Ia, Dec.
49, 1876, Meredith of necessity early be-
came interested in the game Of making
money. His first chance came when his
father gave him a little runt of a pig and
told him that with proper care the pig
might be sold at a profit.
Meredith thought it was the opportu-
nifty of a lifetime. Boylike, he jumped
at the chance. and from that minute the
runt of a pig was handled, watched over,
sheltered and protected. 1t grew and
waxed fat and young Meredith soon sold
it at a nice profit.
Leaving the farm, Meredith entered
Highland Park college, at Des Moines.
He had no money from home except a
little he had saved, so he paid his way
through college by tending furnaces and
waiting on tables. Mathematics was his
favorite study.
His first job after leaving college was
as a printer with a Des Moines firm. In
1899 his uncle, Thomas Meredith, started
the Tribune here and young Ed became
his assistant, doing everything from. writ
ing news and chasing advertisements to
setting type.
The paper was started as political
organ to support the greenback party.
Neither the paper nor the party gained
much strength in Iowa and Meredith and
his uncle had a grim struggle to make
expenses. In 1901 Meredith and a printer
friend bought the paper. In 1902 Mere
dith founded Successful Farming now
Ia Cu%
farm publications in the country.
The initial number carried the an
nouncemept that only clean" adver-
Using would be accepted. The first few
issues were refused by the delivery wag-
ons hired to take them to the postof-
fee until payment was made. The post
office would not mail them until the
postage was paid. ~Few believed in the
ultimate success of the magazine. But
Meredith had Il way with him" and 1t
was but a few years until farm pub
fishers of the country were forced to
reckon with a Conner
Imagination spells the difference be-
tween small success and big success
Meredith said.
Service to his readers is one Of Mere
diths hobbies One of the biggest things
the farmer can do is to keep the boys
interested in the farm, Meredith says.
in this way the drift to the cities can
be checked he says. Il believe the boy
Will be interested in the farm II he has
a stake in it. He wants to make money"
So Meredith will lend any boy money
to carry on farm work. boy can Dor
row $25 or $50 or 800 to buy a pig or
a COW or whatever he may want. The
note bears per cent interest and ma
lures In one year. If he has bad luck
his note is extended and he is urged to
try again.
Meredith also loans money to young
men working their way through college.
So far he claims he has lost compare
lively nothing and he feels well repaid
for having helped hundreds of young
men get a start in life. He got the idea
from his fathers plan Of giving him a
pig to raise.
Meredith married Edna c. Elliott in
Des Moines, in 1896 They have two
children, son and a daughter.
At present Meredith is president Of
the Associated Advertising Clubs of the
World and a director Of the Seventh
district federal reserve bank.
He was a democratic candidate for
United States senator in 1914 and demo
cratic candidate for governor in 1916.
Both times he was defeated.
He was a member Of the industrial
war labor commission that toured Eng
land and France in 1918 and later was
chosen as a member of the public group
in the first industrial round table con
ference at Washington
81 believe agriculture is the basis Of