The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-24
VISIONED FUTURE OF l
 MOTOR CAR INDUSTRY One Millionth Overland Car Brings To Mind The Early Struggles Of President John N. Willys One Of The Great Pioneers Of Industry, Which Has Now As sumed Mammoth Proportions

In reviewing the development of the Willys- s-Overland company up to building of the one millionth car which was completed on June 12, and in commemoration of which the week of June IS to 23 has been set as Jubilee Week, acknowledgment of the genius of John North Willys, president of the organization, must be taken into account. MT. Willys had the vision to see the future of the industry 20 years ago. He had absolute confidence in the ultimate destiny of the automobile, and stead fastly adhered to his faith. Initia- tive has always been marked char acteristfc of the man who now heads the activities of the company
 Even as boy in Canandiagua, New York, where he was born, he was fond of little business deals with his companions and one of h1s first ventures showed conclusively that he had more than average bus mess ability with no small amount of ingenuity.
 Being keenly observant he noticed one day that drivers were contn- ually having trouble with their reins which were always falling down ventative, he secured a dozen clamps for holding the reins. With the proceeds of the first dozen, he bought two dozen and quickly disposed of them all.
 When he was a little older about II or 12, he made a contract with his father to work in the latter's brick and tile factory for 25 cents each Saturday, with extra pay for working couple of hours after school on weeks days.
 Went Into Laundry Business.
 He next tried the role of book agent but the returns did not satis- fly hfs ideas of his earning powers and he gave it up. At that time he dry and little Johnnie Willys be- came interested in this method of making money.
 Before he was 1e he had talked his parents into allowing him to buy along with his friends, laundry at away from his home town. His par ents thought that taste of rough ing it in a laundry and in a boarding house away from home would quick ly cure him of his mania for busi- ness and drive him back home. to his school books.
 After some tough going. however, the budding knights of the wash board put the laundry on a paying basis and sold out at the end of year with a net profit of $100 each. Johnnie Willys then returned to his home in Canandiagua with the inten- tion of studying law but the death of his father forced him to give up that idea and he again ventured into business.
 Sold Bicycles.
 Bicycles were then beginning to make their appearance and young Willys thought he could see profit able outlet for his selling talent. With the S100 he cleaned up in the laundry deal he bought a sample bi. cycle and was duly authorized as local agent for the manufacturers. vest in the "safeties," and by the tina he was IS he had organized salea company, opened up store, estab- lished a repair shop and prospered to such an extent that shortly after wards he started a larger establish ment on the main street in Canan- daigua.
 This business was wrecked by the free silver runpus in 1896 and the next move of the future president to take on a job as travelling sales man for the Boston Woven and Rub- Der company. He worked hard and saved money against the time when he again expected to start in busi- ness for himself.
 Among his customers was the FL mira Arms company, sporting goods store that had bankrupted four pro- prietorS in succession. When the sklondyke rush broke out the owner of the store wanted to go north and was glad to sell his s2,500 worth of stock for $5o1 cash to MT. Willys,