Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-08
BEGAN LIFE AS FARM BOY

John Henry Patterson. who starte,
/ life as a farm hand near DAYTON. Ohio
| and established the biggest business OF
! its kind in the world on the land thai
! he had plowed as a boy, retired as
| president of the National Cash Regis
| ter company on July Is. 1921. Upon
retirement. he was elected chairman
of the board of directors. an honorary
position. At the time of retiring, he
/ was a years old. having been born
on a farm Dec 13. 1874
He did farm work. canal toll collect
! ing. retailing of coal, mine operating,
and finally went west" to seek his for
tune as a ranch and orchard owner be-
fore he hit upon the central idea of his
career-manufacturi and selling
cash registers.
Mr.. Patterson mother, i'll telling of
her sons life on the farm. said: "He
used to be called at 4 o'clock in the
spring, summer and fall. He had to
make his grandfathers fire. carry up
enough wood to last all day. split kindl-
ing and get it ready for the night
After breakfast he would turn the
calves out, put up his dinner and go
to school. In the evening it was nee
essary to drive up the calves. feed
and bed them. carry up wood to fill
the boxes and after supper to study
lessons"
Mr.. Patterson studied two years at
Miami university at Oxford Ohio.
and afterward at Dartmouth.
After his venture as ranchman in
Colorado. he returned to Dayton, where
he set up factory for making cash
registers, employing at first 13 men.
After achieving success. he aided to
transform a slum factory district into
sanitary and better working conditions.
In 1901 France made him chevalier
of the Legion of Honor in token of his
interest in employees and in 1919, Mi
ANA university, at Oxford, Ohio. gave
the honorary degree of doctor of laws
for welfare work and advanced business
methods.
In the Dayton flood of 1913. Mr..
Patterson STAYED off the threatened de-
struction of his business and helped
the city TO recover from the disaster
His civic work resulted in placing
the city under commission manager
government and his appointment as
chairman of commission by the gov
ernor of Ohio. Through Mr.. Patter-
sons personal supervision. $1,000 900
was raised TO prevent future floods in
Dayton.
An indictment was returned against
him in 1912 for alleged violation of
the Sherman antitrust law. followed
by conviction and sentence to one year
in Jail and fines. The case was ap-
pealed. the judgment reversed and a
decree was entered. While
the case was in progress, prominent
persons wired President Wilson and
asked him to pardon Mr. Patterson and
his associates from the sentence i'm
posed. but when Mr. Patterson learned
Of this he sent President Wilson a
telegram saying he would not accept
a pardon and that all he wanted was
simple Justice ....
Refused Cost Plus Basis
In the world war he placed his fac
.ory at the disposal of the government.
)ut refused to accept contracts on a
,ost plus basis. He said it was not
light to work on basis where the
more he spent the more he made, be-
.ause the taxpayers of the nation had
o bear the burden.
He termed business a battle of wits !
md the man who thought the fastest |
'lmost always was declared the winner. !
Mr.. Patterson was the son of Colonel |
efferson Patterson and the grandson |
# Colonel Robertson Patterson. found |
r of Lexington. Ky His mother, |
lula Robert Patterson. was the daugh- |,
er of Colonel John Johnson, famous
)hio Indian agent Of the United States !
government His wife was formerl,
Katherine Beck Of Brookline. Mass.