The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-08-30
THE SUCCESS OF ELI
MCDONALD IN FLORIDA
From Lincoln County Boy to Head
Of Big Concern by Hustling
and Hard Work.


stands one Of the finest furniture
stores in the state Of Florida. over
the door there is a large. sign read
ing: Mcdonald Furniture Co. The
head of this progressive furniture
establishment is Eli Mcdonald who
was born on farm near Brookha-
ven, Miss, on November 2Sth, 1884.
Mr.. Mcdonald is still a young man
but the success that he has accom-
plished during the brief span of years
that he has lived is well worth con-
sidering as offering inspiration to
others.
The first sixteen years of his life
We're spent on the little farm near
Brookhaven, on which he was born
and 1t is perhaps the lessons that ne
learned on this farm that have been
responsible for the success that he
has attained. Certainly those early
years were years Of character build
Ing and today in the midst of the
hustle of the city. Mr.. Mcdonald has
the snap and vigor that marks the
boy born and reared in the country
Gods country.
When he was 16 years of age he
left the farm and secured a position
in the furniture department. Of John
McGrath G Sons department store in
Brookhaven. The fact that he stay
ed there for eight years is indication
enough that he made good. The
eight years that he put in in the fur
niture department at McGrath's made
the young man love furniture and so
when he saw an opportunity to go
on the road as a furniture salesman
he grasped the chance. For the next
few years he covered the Southern
States for some of the leading furni-
ture manufacturers in the United
States. Included in his territory was
Miami, Fla, and while here on his
several trips he saw the opportunity
for the establishment of a high class
furniture retail store.
Together with few associates he
bought out the old Dade County Fur
niture Co., and began to put into
practice some of the rules of furni-
ture retailing that he evolved while
in the employ of the McGrath store
in Brookhaven and also some of the
rules that he had formulated while
on the road as wholesale salesman.
Not long ago he bought out the
Theo. Hirsch Co., and consolidated
the two furniture companies under
the name Of the Mcdonald Furniture
Co. The associates with whom he
bought out the old Dade County Fur
niture Company have long since been
bought out in turn so that today Mr..
Mcdonald is practically the owner
of the Mcdonald Furniture Co.
To talk to Mr.. Mcdonald one
would never thing that he was the
head Of such a large furniture es-
enlistment. He seems to still have
within him that freedom that one
finds nowhere except in the great
open country. The cares of business
we'll they just don't seem to exist
with him. 1t is said in Miami that
no one has ever seen him when he
didn't have smile on his face and
after all is said and done that is "a
bout the best sort of thing that can
be said about anyone. Certainly his
employees all back up this common
rumor and they are the ones who
should know.
Ttba AFonono1d ua,,r,, ;t,,ra Tto,,,ra,x,
is monument to the wisdom of
little farm boy born near Brookha-
ven who by force of character and
hard work has succeeded in building
up one of the most progressive and
livest furniture retail establishments
in the city of Miami.
II don't know just what the Sc
cret of my success has been," said
Mr.. Mcdonald in discussing his life
with a representative of the Leader.
I'm the first place don't know that
/ have been SO very successful. All
that have ever done is work as hard
and as conscientiously as I could and
put absolute confidence in those I
had associated with me-. That's about
all that can say"
Now isn't that just like a simple
little country boy? No glory, no
honor, no hurrah over the marked
success that he has made-just a, bit
Of misgiving that he has never done
anything worth while. contented In
the satisfaction of having lived as
men should live. And those who
know Mr.. Mcdonald best claim that
he is always just like that, unas-
suming and always very much hui
man.