The Washington times., 1924-01-14
MOTOR CHIEFS
RIVAL ALGER
STORIES
Many Millionaire Manufactur-
ers Today Had Humble
Beginnings.
BY Cosmopolitan News Service.

BY Cosmopolitan News Service.
NEW YORK, Jan. a4.--Are you
little newsboy?
Or do you sweep floors and run
0rrands?
Does your mother fondly tell her
neighbor about your secret ambi-
ton to become President?
Don't be ashamed to come out
IN the open with that ambition.
Lots of poor youths have become
'.'president"-of motor manufactur,
\ Ing companies.
They have proved America is a
land of opportunity-in the auto.
mobile industry no less than any
other.
The stories of many millionaire
automobile manufacturers in, the
United States reveal that the
promised land has kept it's prom.
Use to them and most of these are
stories Of the rise Of poor boys. out
to make their way in the world,
to wealth and power through am
bition. work and determination.
Worked for Cents an Hour.
There is Walter P. Chrysler,
manufacturer of the newest auto
mobile on the market, the Chrysler
He began, work at the satisfying
salary Of cents an hour. Starting
out at the age of seventeen in the
Union Pacific railroad shops at
Wamego, Kan, he increased his
earning capacity to 7la cents an
hour in six months. At thirty-three
ne was superintendent of motive
power for the Chicago and Great
western railroad and later works
manager with the American Loco
motive Company. Then he began
vice president of the General Motors
corporation, attached to the Buick
organization. Finally, after joining
successfully the Willys-Overland
and the Maxwell Chalmers Company
ne now works for the best boss of
all-himself.
Charles w. Nash, president of the
Nash Motors Company, left the old
Homestead in Michigan" in the
pest Observation-Disclosures style at
the age of thirty beginning his for.
tunes by sweeping floors in the old
Flint Road Cart Company for 81 50
q day. Even floors can be we'll and
efficiently swept, giving rise to
Mr.. Nash's career.
~ AA-S N"PoSllV as a sweeper,
Mr. Nash had an opportunity to
prove MS other abilities. AS a
workman for the Durant- bort Ca.
rage company, he learned some.
tnlng ABOUT making buggies. Then
the horseless buggy" was invented
ana Mr.. Nash became foreman of
the Buick Company. From one DO.
sltlon to another he continued the
ascent and now he makes his own
machines-and those of many other
people.
How MarmOns Stand.
Then there are the Marmons, Wal.
ter c., president, and Howard, vice
president of the Marmon Motors
Company. Their father, back in
1900, was one of those reckless
daredevils" who was among the first
buyer of an automobile. He paid
$500 for it, but it didn't run par.
ttcularly well. He bought another
with no better results. Howard
stepped in and saved his father
from being the laughing stock of
his more conservative neighbors,
tinkering with the thing until he
made it run. Then with his brother
he turned "Marmons" out of his
fathers old flour machinery fac
tory.
There are the same tales in other
parts of the automobile industry.
J. j. Hunt, new York distributor
Of the Rickenbacker cars, once sold
bicycles. Changing at the psyche.
logical moment, Mr.. Hunt switched
to selling automobiles.
He admits that the chance was
decidedly good.
Even the manager of the Auto
Show tells the story of a poor boy
making good in the automobile
business. Mr.. s. A. Miles was an
athlete who came from Bristol,
England, twenty-five years ago to
show Americans what good bicycle
riding was and decided to stay. He
has never regretted that decision.
When automobiles were still prac.
tfcally unknown to the public, their
manufacturers wanted to boost
them. Mr.. Miles had an idea-and
the first auto show was one result.