The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-03-02
- cridisy Now Has Milton
noIIar Holding in Kansas City
in Automcbiis 0uss-
nesa
|Ap DRUG STORE HERE
VA. Educated In pharmacy in the
keokuk Medical College and
was in Business in This
City.

million dollar automobile bust
there. began his career on a
n nyer a hundred dollars. His first
ost to success came through a little
N ad. and since then he has al
80 believed in advertising value.
" Gridley ia a son OF Mrs. Clara
Iuaon Iliff of Hamilton. and a
.rdson OF Francis ]. JOlidon who
IA and operated the largest i'm
,rt;nr ranch in the west at the time
III death. Mr.. Gridley attended
old Keokuk Medical college and
|ndied medicine for several years.
studied pharmacy and graduated
nm the school OF pharmacy In 1906.
Ne had a drug store at the corner
Fourth and Main streets and really
red in Keokuk as long as he lived
This part OF the country. His edu-
ton before he took up his college
|ork here, was secured at the Bishop
cott Military school for boys at
|mtlsnd. and the Minneapolis high
Ehools, Wesleyan university at
elena, Montana
The story of his development is
bld IN a recent issue Of the Kansas
|ity Star as follows:
Sir years ago he had $168.
Today his retail business amounts
over one million dollars a year.
The success of B. e. Gridley in the
rotor business is far from being the
hy one in Kansas City. The many
milar successes have pushed Kan
g City up with the motor cities of
|e world. Fifty million dollars is a
bnservative estimate of the amount
hanging hands for motor cars,
ucks and accessories here in a
nI.
b. E. Gridley wasn't brought up on
ksoline and speed. He studied. medi-
me. He was operating drug store
Oklahoma when he caught the
sion Of success II the right man
Is failed. A plunge in real estate
rned out Unexpectedly and Gridley
me to Kansas City broke.
A position with the Kansas City
hburn Auto company netted him a
fing and for two years Gridley took
monthly pay check for selling
nburns and making friends.
That was six years ago. At that
me Gridley, selling cars for another
an saw the possibilities of Kansas
ty as a motor distributing center.
e determined to start out for him
fH. A small want ad in The Star
)lshed Gridley off into the business
(orld, and today he is doing mil
lon dollar retail business exclusive
! his wholesale department.
4 Want Ad Pushed Him OF.
Gridley's plunge came early in
|SA. He had s168. The. following
lay this advertisement appeared in
Fhe Star: will buy cheap second
land car. See Gridley, 1924 Grand"
That afternoon a rafting, squeak
ng motor car jolted up to the Grand
venue address where Gridley had
ented space for one car. Gridley
fas not dismayed at the sight of the
an. He bought it for SOS and ran
into his space. A few hours later
man paid SIS for it after a short
nat with Gridley. The same after
Don Gridley bought another car and
ne following day it changed hands
profit to Gridley. Then he knew
9 could sell motor cars.
There We're several days of such
apld.fire work. The want ad pages
me Star carried larger lads"
rom Gridley. He rented two more
PAGES in the shop and began dealing
higher priced cars.
Az the end Of the tenth day in
uslness Gridley found his bank ac-
ount totaled $1,000 and he had two