The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-12-17
VAN SNER|NGEN
BROTHERSARE
WORKERS
Cleveland Men Stirring UE
Railroad World Have No
Other Hobby.
BY GRAHAM CAMPBELL
Copyright. 1923, by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)

Copyright, 1923, by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio. Dec. IT,
Oris p. and Mantis j. Van Swerin-
gen are two young men in Cleve-
land who are doing things in
American railroads.
They are brothers. It is within
the last seven years that they have
begun gathering I'm railroads. Their
| properties are in the heart of the
Middle West. They consist Of the
consolidated Nickel Plate and the
Chesapeake and Ohio lines. The
Nickel Plate is Western granger
road set down in the industrial
East; 1t is a carrier that special
ICES in agricultural and animal
products more than any other east
of Iowa. Into that Nickel Plate
is tied the Lake Erie and Western.
as well as the Toledo, st. Louis
and Western. But the Nickel
Plate has no entrance to the At
iantic seaboard; that is where the
purchase Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio came in.
Big Realty Operators.
In addition to railroad holdings,
| involving nearly 5000 miles Of
track, the Van Sweringens control
a rapid transit line within the city
OF Cleveland; they are building a
| $50, 100000 Union Station; they
own the Cleveland Hotel, this be-
ing the first completed unit Of the
terminal project and they are the
largest real estate operators in
Cleveland.
These brothers were born in
Wooster. Ohio. and while still
young, the family moved to Geneva,
small town to the east, where the
boys received common school
education. The family was poor
not Economically poor, but, still.
quite poor. There were no funds
to send the brothers through high
school or college, and when they
moved to Cleveland 1t was neces-
sary that they sell newspapers and
light lamps on the streets. The
brothers were tremendously in
terested in figures and, at nights,
they studied everything that came
their way.
Then. as now. they had no hobby.
excepting work.
Today. Oris P. Van sweringen
says: 1.-THE only thing I am in
terested in is work. 1 don't play
golf. I don't motor. / don't sail a
boat. I simply haven't time, or
come fatigued on one job; but when
that occurs simply switch to
another and my mind is refreshed"
Being fascinated by figures the
brothers became bookkeepers for a
fertilizer concern. That work heIu
them for a time. Neither had any
intention Of remaining with 1t. IN
their spare time they studied some
thing else-and that Something
else" in view of later Developments,
was more important.
They studied Cleveland.
Are Inseparable.
One day Oris F. remarked to his
brother that he was going to re-
sign. Mantis j., resigned with him.
They were inseparable then, as
now, in their likes, dislikes, ana
dealings. They entered the real
estate business together, specializ-
ing in improved property in the
neighborhood of 1O5th street and
Euclid avenue, in Cleveland. 1t
was on this corner that, as young
sters, they had sold newspapers.
They selected that location because
they knew it best.
have. But they plugged hard and
earned a limited reputation for be-
ing energetic and reliable. About
this time Southern horseman,
named Lamb, secured an option on
a large farm, east of Cleveland,
owned by religious colony known
| as the Shakers. Lamb purposed
making the property over into a
| race track, but was unable to put
the deal across and from him the
farm went into the hands of three
Buffalo men, named Albright.
Greene and Gratwick. The property
was held in escrow by the Guaranty
Title & Trust Co.
Through the bankers the brothers
became selling agents for the prop
erty. They did so well at it that
within short time they advanced
to real estate operators on their
own hook. They took an option on
q strip Of the land, paying over
practically their last cent to got It.
In making up their syndicates
they were careful to select men Of
standing in the community. To
head one group they might choose
a Y. M. c. A. leader; to head an
other they might take a banker,
and so on. They were careful in
the division Of their groups, not to
have conflicting selling forces, and
they werc so agreeable to the other
fellow making an interesting profit
for his work, and his investment,
that 1t wasn't many years before
the entire farm was under their
control.
A couple of stories that typify
the buying methods of the Van
Sweringens were related by an as
Sociate.
A Quick Trade.
mot long ago." said this man,
20. p. Van Sweringen decided he
wanted a small farm out near
Shaker Heights. as the property is
now known. He telephoned this
farmer. 1t so happened that
was sitting nearby during the con-
versation.
"'Hello, Mr.. Smith, said o. P.
Van Sweringen. I understand
you are the owner Of a certain
strip of land There was a desig-
nation Of the property, Of course.
"I am
This is o. p. Van Sweringen
speaking. How much do you want
for that property"
FIFTY thousand dollars
"'AI right Draw up some pa
pers that will be satisfactory 20
I'll give you a check
1.-The farm was actually worth
about $4,000. I wouldn't have