The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-09-24

| that the well known dry goods store,
owned by w. Nicholas Williams, and
| conducted under the firm name OF
| Hurley & Williams, had been pur-
| chased by ]. Richard Smith, Esq,
who has been engaged in the insur-
arce and real estate business for sew
! eral years. At first the report was
! hardly credited but when the report
was confirmed by the gentlemen IN
! terested men upon the street admit
! ed that they were amazed, as they
( had never dreamed that change
| had been considered.
Mr. Williams, who is unquestion-
ably one Of the leading merchants OF
! the peninsula, became associated
with the business twenty-four years
| ago. For ten years he was an en-
ploye of the firm of Brattan and
! Hurley; for eleven years he was as
ISOLATED with the late John G. Hur-
! ley as a half owner, and during the
past three years has been sole own
er of the business, having purchased
Mr. Hurley's interest in the fall OF
| 1918.
The rise of Mr.. Williams from
poverty to attluence reads almost
| like novel. He came to Cambridge
in 1892, as a poor boy. His parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. Nathan c. Williams,
then living at Hurlock, had met with
financial reverses and MIR. Williams
came to Cambridge to seek work. He
found employment at the grocery
and meat store OF w. E. Trego,
where he was delivery boy for three
years. The salary in those days was
not large and when he paid his
board there was not much LETT,
either for spending or saving. He re-
manned with Mr.. Trego for three
years and then went to work for the
late Col. Elmer E. Braly proprietor
of Braly's Brick Hotel, remaining
with him for two years. While there
he formed the acquaintance of the
late J. Rush Brattan, then senior
partner of the firm of Brdttan and
Hurley, who offered him a position
in the store. He accepted the posi-
ton and his rise since that time has
been rapid.
Always noted for his courteous
manner and willingness to accomo-
date, Mr.. Williams Immediately be-
came favorite with the shopping
public He applied himself to work
in the store, studied the business
from the top to the bottom, learned
to Judge values, ayailed himself OF
every opportunity to acquire know
ledge of the various lines cOmpris-
ing the stock in the store, and, in a
remarkably short time, acquired the
reputation of being one of the best
buyers in this section. Realizing,
however, that goods, no matter how
well bought had to be sold before a
profit could be made, he applied him
self with characteristic energy to the
selling problem; recognizing that
confidence is the basis of all success
full business efforts; he set to work
to establish a bond of confidence be-
tween the store and its customers.
He has frequently stated to the writ
err that the store never sold an ar
ticle without it's being understood
that its guarantee stood squarely be-
| hind the transaction; if everything
did not turn out right, the store
would make it good.
Mr.. Williams success can be at
tributed to two qualities, first, he
put his heart and soul into whatever
he did; as a bundle boy for Trego
he was one of the best ever known
in Cambridge; did not spend his
time lettering upon the streets or
fool it away in idleness; he was &C
tive, attentive, worked hard, made
friends. secured the respect of bust
ness men who always recognize the
difference between workers and time
killers AS a clerk at Braly's Hotel
he was affable and agreeable, al
ways ready to do anything he could
for the comfort and pleasure of the
guests; secondly, he saved his
money; he did not buy everything
that was offered him; he did not feel
that he had to waste his money be
cause other young men did so, on
the contrary he recognized how fool
ish they were in doing so. These
two qualities, attention to business
and the saving Of money will always
result in success; this fact has never
been better eXemp1ified than in the
success of Mr.. Williams.
When declining health fourteen
years ago compelled the late ]. Rush
Brattan to give up active business,
his partner, did not decide to buy his
interest and conduct the business
himself, nor did he look outside of
the business for a partner, for right
there in the employ of the firm was
a young man who mad demonstrated
that he possessed the very qualifica-
tions that would make him a desir-
able business associate; an intell1-
gent, industrions~-~' honor
able young u naf already
then achieved an enviable reputa-
ton.
Devoting himself to the business,
working at night on the books and
correspondence, preparing his ad-
vertisements with the greatest care,
endeavoring to make them attractive
but never misleading, attractiyely
displaying goods, watching the styles
and all the developments of the bust
ness, the first year he was in the
business it showed an increase OF
twenty-five per cent, and every year
after it continued to grow until it is
now said to be the largest dry goods
business on the peninsula. When on
account of poor health Mr.. Hurley,
in 1918, decided to dispose of his
interest he told Mr.. Williams that he
wanted him to buy it and that he
could have it on any terms that ne
desired Mr. Williams purchased
the business and only short time
afterward was taken sick with intiu-
emit but states that he never Worrl-
ed over it as he knew that the splen-
did corps of help with which he was
surrounded would look after it just
as if it had been their own.
The financial success of MI. Will
liams has been phenomenal; twenty
four years ago he came to Cam
to Cambridge youth without means
practically penniless, with no re-
sources except his determination to
succeed; today he is one of the
wealthiest men III the city. Quiet
and unassuming he has saved his
money, made splendid investments
and is now independently wealthy,
as wealth goes outside of the larger