The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-04-28
COCA.COLA KING
DISCUSSES COTTON
WISHES HIS BUILDINGS WERE
VACANT so HE COULD STORE
COTTON IN THEM.


he owns more of venture than he
intended to, and that's how / became
the owner of Coco-Cola." declared Asa
G. Gambler, Sr., founder of the tre-
mendous enterprise, in one of the
most intimate and interesting inter-
views to which he has ever submitted.
"There were two young fellows al
ways mixing up things in our town."
continued Mr.. Gambler, talking to a
reporter for the Kansas City Times.
upon the occasion of recent visit to
that city. 81 was small-town drug
gist and my store was clubhouse
for lot of the town boys. l trusted
them all. Had to, in fact. These boys
had a soda fountain mixture, and
when I began to foot up my ledger |
found I had more invested in the
scheme than the boys, took it over.
"It didn't take particularly well.
it was more work to get it started and
more work to keep it going. l never
left it a minute until seven years
ago; then 1 turned it over to the
boys"
Mr.. Gambler informed his Kansas
City interviewer that he wouldn't
have sold Cola, but he added
that his boys drove "pretty keen
bargain" from sale standpoint.
"I have four fine boys" he said.
"But they are just boys. When l gave
them the business it was theirs. They
sold out big Share for fancy price.
I wouldn't have done that. but they
did, and from a sale standpoint they
drove pretty keen bargain
Mr.. Gambler, who has erected and
who owns big and little buildings ali
over the country, has one regret in
connection with his extensive build
ing operations. He regrets that all
of the buildings are so well tenanted,
or, as he states it, that they are not
vacant so that he might store cotton
in them.
Mr.. Gambler, who is now making
a tour of the west, studying business
conditions and renewing acquaint-
anees with many old friends, has
been the subject of many interesting
and illuminating newspaper stories
He has submitted to many inter-
views en- route to the Pacific coast,
and in these he has made it perfectly
clear that cotton and not Coco-Cola
is his chief interest and concern.
every time Asa G. Gambler re-
tires he assumes more work." reads
the story in the Kansas City. Times.
"He says it is the only safe way
for a man in this busy age to quit
business. Quitting business for him
meant taking hold of things in these
panicky conditions and whipping them
into running shape.
"In 1886 it was Asa G. Gambler,
druggist in a Georgia town, who be-
gan marketing >Coco-Cola. By pes
tering, as he describes it, in few fel-
low druggists, he was able to peddle
2s3 gallons of the drink that now
has an annual consumption Of some
IL, 100000 gallons. But, as Mr.. Can
dler told it to Kansas City friends,
Coco Cola troubles have been shifted
to his four boys and a 'boy-in-law.
Cotton is his adopted interest.
"That same interest, it is said' is
responsible for the tour-to-California-
recreation that Mr.. Gambler is max
ing"
Reverting to the sale of coco-cola,
Mr.. Gambler was asked if he had re-
tired from business seven years ago
when Ne gave the enterprise to his
sons. -.
"Lord, no. What chance had a man
to retire IN 1914 with the south and
the ma ton in such a crisis? Georgia
was the gloomiest state OF all when
exports were cut off suddenly. Cot
ton went down to almost nothing. The
recent slump is not even>a clrcum-
stance. had gotten into bank 50
I marshalled up what money | could
and began to buy and lend on cotton.
"When a man backs his judgment
with his money, other men will fol-
low. The south borrowed s3O,OOO,Ooo
on cotton at low rates."
The story remarks about Mr.. Can
dler's mammoth warehouse in At
lanta, which is now under lease to
the federal government, and which
MIR. Gambler is very anxious to have
returned to him. so that he may store
cotton in the present crisis.
Concerning present conditions Mf'
Gambler is quoted as follows:
"Things will come out all 1gnt l.