The Washington herald., 1921-04-03

uIs first jo6 was errand boy In country
IL store, for which he was paid wage Of
81 every Saturday night. When. under the
urge Of ambition, he first uplifted his eyes
toward the phantom castles Of success, and
decided upon q mercantile career, he was
drawing down s. week a. bookkeeper-and
out Of it paying his father board and lods-
ing.
Today-vith still more worlds TO conquer
-he b vics president and one Of the potent
figures In q mammoth chain store organis-
alton eapitalissd at close 10 800, 900 900
With . narkst value Of many more millions
and doing business On two continents. They
call him ''one Of the retail kings Of the
arth."
The first money he ever saved was hand
ful Of nicksls and dimes, eked out Of his
earnings By dint Of thrifty self denial. With
this he started Q savings account in the eoun-
Try bank. He vas vrstchedly poor. His
rather, q farmer. was getting twenty five
cents for potatoes, ffty cents q bushel for
wheat, Ss ton for hay, and barely able to
keep the little farm solvent and the family
cut Of the poorhouse- SO the boy had to 90
without an education and dig for himself
tn the country store.
Today be is immensely wealthy In his own
right, 30 much 10 that recently he was able
to settle $3.50 900 on his home city-Wilkes-
Barre-for the creation Of beautiful munic-
tpal park, and to set aside 1000 shares Of
the common stock of the company with which
be is associated-par value 500, ,000-for
the perpetual endowment of q professorship
h one Of the nations leading educational
Institutions
His first capital was S5O0-every cent Of
n represented his accumulated savings IN
pennies, nickels and dimes. He denied him
self the pleasures of youth in order to save
s>zre money. The first store he ever oper-
,ated was made possible when he matched
his $500-plus an additional 500 that he
had to borrow-with another 5000 put up BY
q friend whom he had known back there in
the country store-a friend who had conf
dencs In him.
! Today he Is one Of the presiding seniuses
IN a corporation controlling 1881 stores IN
the United States and Canada.
The first days sales In his first store
amounted to between $16 and ST. The turn
over for the first year was less than S15, 900.
Last year the sales Of the company with
which he now n associated-an over the
counter; no mail orders flled-amounted to
S119, ,496, lot. They represent approximately
1000, 900 900 distinct transactions.
They have q store in every town of 5000
population or more in the United States and
Canada There are 100 stores in Great Brit
ain and others being established throughout
Europe. Between $1,000 and IS 900 men
and women are employed In these stores
And the merchandise purchasable in these
stores is made up Of the Insignificant nick
hacks Of LIE that can be purchased for the
sum Of five or ten cents-anything from a
tackhanmsr to a spool Of thread.
Here ID a sample retail sales list of this
giant corporation for q recent year: 90, ,OOO.-
600 pairs Of hosiery, $4,000, 900 pounds of
candy, 20 0,000, 900 sheets Of music. II .OOO.-
COO pounds Of salted peanuts, $3.50 900
neckties, A, o0o, 900 boxes Of safety matches.
100000 domestic toys, p 900 900 sticks
Of chewing gum, 1,700, 900 nursing bottles,
100000 cakes of soap, 5000. 900 phono-
graph records, 5000 900 papers of hairpins.
5,5o0,00o rolls Of wax paper, 5000 900
papers Of common pins, and Z, $50, 900 boxes
OF crochet and embroidery cottons.
II is business built up on nickels and
dimes, having its very foundations upon the
mail change that these men were prudent
enough to save in the days Of their youth.
! 1t Is business materially typifed in size
and importance by q notable building that
scratches the skyline Of the metropolis Of
America: building 1872 feet hish-the hisb.
est building in the world-reared at a cost
of s14. 900 900 worth of accumulated nickels
and dimes
Nov, can you guess who it isl Yes.
IN Fred Morgan Kirby, vice president Of
the f. W. Woolworth Co., the Five and
Ten Cent Store Kings.
How did you do it?'' I asked Mr.. Kirby
the other day. Saw him in Wilkes Barre,
high up In his Office in the Miners Bank
Building, overlooking the splendid Wyoming
valley. from which the nation and the world
at large draws 50 much of its precious an.
thrscits coal supply.
''What Is the secret Of your success?' 1
Inquired, eonjuring a mental picture Of such
Q remarkable enterprise builded with thrifty
nickels and dimes on the sale of merchan.
disc purchasable in nickels and dimes-a
picture to intrigue the imagination.
The story Of my success-as the world
terms its no different from that Of the
average successful merchant: Candor and
honesty in dealing with manufacturers and
eustomers," was his matter of fact reply.
And the oasic principle upon which you
proceeded-your business policy" I per-
sisted-
w. b. Moore, one Of the first men
worked for in the country store of Moore 4
Smith, in Watertown, N. T. reminisced
this merchant king, was one of the most
eonscientious men ever knew. He would
disparase the purchase Of new goods IL he
thought they were not what the people