Montana labor news., 1938-09-15
BUTTE ENTERTAINS
FAMOUS DISTILLER


most famous distillers. For more
than three score years he has been
making whiskey. 1t is said that he
has made and sold more whiskey
than any other mar alive.
AT "a Kessler is hale, hearty and
president of Julius Kessler Distill-
ing Company, Inc, makers of "Kess-
ler's Private Blend" Just how ac-
tive he is will be demonstrated the
latter part of this month when he
begins a five months trip which will
take him through Illinois, Wisconsin,
North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana
and the state of Washington.
To most statesmen that would seem
a rigorous itinerary, but the octo-
genarian dean of the distilling in
dustry does not regard it as any
thing out of the ordinary.
Il shall not meet more than 10000
persons on this trip" Kessler said,
I'm the days when l was really alert,
l used to shake hands with as many
as 100000"
Besides believing in the old pre-
cept of doing a thing yourself if you
would have it done well, MI. Kessler
continues to travel because he likes
to keep in touch with his old friends
and to make new ones. He is espe-
cially interested in his forthcoming
visit to Cheyenne, where he has not
visited since the first railroad was
laid through to Denver.
julius Kessler's life has been close
ly identified with the West, where
he started in business when it was
just being opened to industrial de-
velopment. Those were exciting
times. In the mining town of Lead
vile, Colorado, whiskey was selling
at two dollars for three fingers and
road agents were making very
handsome profits.
To reach Leadville, Kessler had to
transport his whiskey 80 miles over
land by donkey. After one such
trip, which had Melted him $8,400,
he was attacked by highwaymen
many miles out in the lone, desolate
country. After a fierce gun battle,
in which he was wounded early in
the fray, Kessler managed to fight
the bandits off and then, weak from
loss of blood, he rode nine miles to
the nearest habitation. 1t proved to
be the cabin of an old Chinese, who
took him in and nursed him back
to health.
The Chinese spoke little English
and conversation between the two
was restricted mostly to signs and
gestures, but a warm friendship
sprang up between them which last
ed until Kessler's benefactor died
many years later.
Adventure beckoned Kessler to
seek enlistment in General Clusters
campaign against the Indians, but
he was prevented from doing so be-
cause of his extreme youth.
However, he has had plenty of
fighting to do. More than a half
century ago the powerful whiskey
trust, as well as other distillers,
found themselves unable to compete
with Kessler's activities. Selling
directly to bars and making his own
calls, his winning personality and
thorough knowledge of whiskey en-
abled him to obtain business
throughout the country.
By 1893 Kessler was one of the
dominant figures in the industry, his
direct sales method resulting in
enormous whiskey sales. The trust
nearing bankruptcy, offered him the
presidency of the company. He &C
cepted and two years later the entire
bonded indebtedness was paid and
stockholders received their first divi-
dends in years.
In 1919, when Prohibition became
effective in the United States, Kess-
Ter retired to his native Hungary.
There he spent some three quarters
of a million dollars in feeding var
orphans. In his philanthropies he
was as vigorous and as tireless as he
had been in fighting the whiskey
trust.
When prohibition was repealed,
MIR. Kessler returned to this country
to live and resumed his position as
a leading distiller.
One of the most important factors
in his great success has been his
close friendship with his customers
all over the country. Many of his
present customers are his old friends
or their sons. And wherever he
goes, they all welcome his as Papa
Julius"