Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1893 — THE PRINCE OF PORK. [ARTICLE]

THE PRINCE OF PORK.

Remarkable Career of Philip D. Armour, of Chicago. New York Press. Phil Armour, the Chicago multimillionaire, who has just given the city $2,400,000 to build the ' Armour Institute” for the free instruction of young men in the roeehameaPafts and sciences, is a remarkable man in his traits, in his methods and in the success he has achieved. He has followed the wisest philanthropic example of his day in giving back to the youth of his own generation a part of hi 3 colossal fortiiue, a.T Pratt did in Brooklyn, as Drexel has done in Philadelphia, and as Morgan is now doing in New York. Mr. Armour began life a poor farmer’s son in New York. He sailed for Europe recently for a brief vacation from his enormous business, in which over $30,000,000 is invested. The ptur roll of his employes is about $4,000,1)00 annually. He gives away a fortune every year. He has made several fortunes by speculation apart from his legitimate business. He said a year ago to a writer for the Press: * “My first transaction was a love scrape. It wasn't successful, and it was the turning point in mv life. It led to my expulsion from sehool. Forty years after that expulsion from school a man wulked into my office in Chicago, and I recognized him at oi c: as Professor Hyde, one of my boyhood instructors. He said he had heard of my success in life, and he had come to tell me that in the matter of that expulsion he was" the Only member of the faculty who had voted for myretention. I said to him: ‘ You have - been a long while coming with your explanation.’ He went out. 1 meant what I said. I have had the action of that faculty laid away in my vest here (indicating his heart) ever since. It is known that P. D. Armour was born on a farm in New York State. It is known that he did what mSst of the farmer’s boys do—slave from morning until night. It is known that at the age of twent} 7 . after he had loved and lost, and had been expelled from school, he put iron in his heart, joined tlie-proces-sion westward and became a gold seeker in California. It is known that he was taken sick and lingered in the vicinity of death away out in California, penniless and alone. Escaping death by a close shave, he left the fields of gold and returned eastward as far as Milwaukee, where John Plaukington was then buying and killinir hogs. •'Plaukington gave. Armour employment as a clerk, and from that time grew in favor until the firm of Planicington & Armour was established. It is known that Armour made himself indispenbable to the firm, aud from then until the present moment fortune knocked at every door and window and keyhole of Mr. Armour’s place of business. This rare good fortune, which is •so fondly wooed, huuted and begged for by countless thousands without avail, has refused to leave Mr.. Armour even for a moment for many years. “It walkcth with him by tlay.” and when he “wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams" it nestles in the silken folds and greets i his waking moments with a golden : caress. A Chicago merchant who I knows him well adds this. It is | Armour's will that has made him j what he is. He fixes his eye on ! something ahead, and no matter what ! rises upon the right or the Ijeft. he | never sees it. He goes straight ahead in pursuit of the object ahead and overtakes it at last. He never lets up on that for which he starts ! out. He is the most faithful friend in the world. No one entering his ! personal service ever leaves it if he j can avoid it.” t 1 The best idea of a Sabbath day’s journey til obtained when one tries to run through a Sunday newspaper.