The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-08-15
CARY ADVISED
START ON FARM
FOR SUCCESS
Fought First Big Battle With
Union Labor, but
Changed Views.

NEW YORK, @Aug 15.-The story
of Judge Ebert H. Gary's lie is an
other tale of From farmer boy to
capitalist" more typical and sue
ceSsful even than thsoe Horatio Al
ger used to write
81 have no rule for success" he
told his townspeople out in Whea-
ton, ILL.,, one year recently when
he went back to the farm for
family reunion, "but / would advise
every young man to get his start
in the country. 1t makes him heal
thy, physically, Intellectually and
morally"
And Gary might have added for
his own case ''rich." Gary was born
on his fathers farm near Wheaton,
twenty-five miles west of Chicago,
Oct. 8, 1916. He was educated in
public schools. Wheaton College and
the University of Chicago. He
started in working on the farm, and
later was clerk in the court at
salary of $12 week.
Gary a Fighter
Gary was a bristling fighter. Some
of his biographers have character
lied him as "inScrutable and per-
picking" But there was never any
doubt about him being fighter. His
first big fight of national prominence
was against union labor. His policy,
as publicly announced at one time,
was: Hit the first kicker on the
head with shovel and throw hsn
out" If this policy could be sue
cessfully carried out, Gary insisted
that there would be no such thing
as labor troubles. He did not be-
lieve in organized labor, ne said, be-
cause the laborer himself did not be-
lieve in it.
But after the twelve hour day hat'
been in vogue many years in the
steel industry, it was Gary who
sounded the note of the capitalists
for a change to the eight-hour day.
Despite the cost involved, he Or
dered it put into effect in 1923 in his
own mills.
Heads Steel Corporation
In March, 1901, came the an
nouncement that the United States
Steel Corporation had been formed
and a syndicate with a capital of
$200,000,0 900 organized to finance it,
Judge Gary became its first presi-
dent and, although Morgan was the
man behind the scenes, he has been
generally recognized as the founder
of the corporation which became
known as the first billion dollar
corporation"
One by one the various smaller
steel accompanies were consolidated
under the United States Steel or
ganization until today it is I'M
disputed as the dominating factor
in the worlds steel trade. y
Through all the years which have
followed Judge Gary has been the
active head of the company. After
a few years as president he became
chairman of the board which was
the position he held at the moment
of his death.
Always Was Optimist
Throughout his career Judge
Gary was one of the most interest
ing characters of the financial
world. He always was optomistic
on Americas business outlook. Wall
Street can hardly recall a disparag-
ing statement from him. He
preached optimism at all times.
Although he owned interests in
many large projects, Steel was his
chief interest and he gave 1t all
of his own time, devoting prac-
tically none to the other concerns
in which he held stock.
Among his friends Gary was
known as far from the gruff and
domineering type of man f1nanciers
are so often found to be outside
the Office. He delighted in social
visits which friends paid to his Of
fees and on these occasions would
talk on a wide variety of subjects.
The nome where Judge Gary died
was few blocks from his old town
house at Fifty-Seventh st. and
Fifth Ave, which he built number
of years ago. In the last year it,
like the homes of the Astors and
the Vanderbilts, succumbed to the
tide of business which had driven
many private residences from Fifth
Avenue, and wreckers were at work
even today. DESTROYING it to make
way for business building.1
One of Richest Men
After disposing of his old home,
Judge Gary had lived for a time at
a hotel on Fifth Ave-, but more re-
Gently had moved to the address
where he died. His country home
was at Jericho, on Long Island.
Just what his fortune might be
no one today could say. In 1915 it
was estimated at 100000 but in
the ten years following it doubled,
trebled or even went beyond that,
f1nanciers said today. Many persons
ranked him among the upper ten of
the country's richest men.
Judge Gary had been married
twice. His first wife, whom he mar
ried in Aurora, ILL.,, in 1869, died in
1902. In 1905 he married Emma
Townsend of New York, who sur
wives him. Some time ago he was
understood to nave made a generous
financial provision for her, in the
form Of a trust fund.