B M 177 SDl LETTERS from a SELF-MADE MERCHANT Written in Gre$§ Shorthand GIFT or 0^^^^-^ <.f >^v>^ U.^<^^ • Letters from A Self-Made Merchant To His Son Being some of the letters written by John Graham, head of the House of Graham & Company, Pork Packers in Chicago, famiUarly known on 'Change as " Old Gorgon Graham," to his son, Pierrepont, facetiously known to his Intimates as "Piggy." By GEORGE HORACE LORIMER Written in Gregg Shorthand Published by kind permission of SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY, BOSTON 9^ Gregq ^u6fisFina Company New York Chicago San Francisco ^. ^ \ % .*^ 2>^- Preface l^ilNE of the most interesting and helpful books published UJ in recent years is " LETTERS from a SELF-MADE MERCHANT to his SON," by George Horace Lorimer. We read these letters with much pleasure when they were appearing in serial form and made use of them — as did many other teachers — in giving advanced dictation to shorthand students. They were a welcome relief from the monotony of continuous dictation of business papers and correspond- ence, and at the same time they enforced many valuable lessons in such a way as to impress them vividly upon the minds of the students. The dictation of something in a lighter vein is desirable occasionally, and for this purpose there could be nothing more suitable than the letters con- tained in this book. In issuing this selection of letters from the original book we desire to acknowledge our indebtedness to the publishers, Messrs. Small, Maynard and Company, for permission to use a certain number of these letters in this way, and also to the artists, B. Martin Justice and F. R. Gruger, for the use of some of the illustrations. To those who enjoy reading these letters we heartily commend the complete work, which contains a number of others equally entertaining and helpful. The Gregg Publishing Company. Chicago, November. 1903. 314600 ^^ / "Old Doc Hoover asked »te risht out in Sunday School if I didn't -aant to be saved. ' ' No. 1 ]ROM John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Picrrepont, at Harvard University, Cam- bridge, Mass. Mr. Pierre- pont has just been settled by his mother as a mem- ber, in good and regular standing, of the Freshman class. ^ ^^ /^ yj^f- ^•• X ^ ^ r <^ ^ r .2_ ^^ '> y ^ I Y <_a> ^ ^ ^-^^ S (f ^ ^ 9 ^ ^. -^ -J -f -y ^^^. ^- ^ ^ A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S Cff . J^ ^^ ^ "-:2 ^ ty •.j^ . J' ^^ _ r J 7 ^ ^ ^ ^ d^r^ X, ^ ^ $ ^ ^ ^.^ ■9 C -^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. -■^ _ y-^ 1 / ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ c::^^-^ /-^__^ ^ ^ a-y 2^ ^ o ^ 6 ^ *^ -o ^7^ . ^.^ >^' P ^ 9 ^-^ 10 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S O r > ^J c^. r > ^ c -^ / % J^ ^ Z^ ^-z -^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. ^^ ^ / ^ >^ :^ . >'. >^G^ 12 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S r -J ^ / ^ y^. / C - . c, ^^z^ ^ -^-^ . .i'^'-^ ^ y / ?— ' o ^ ^ ^^ ^ ' C^^ / -r -^ ^-^ ?- 2; LETTERS TO HIS SON. 13 ^ ^ / ^ .^ ^ L ^ " ^ ^ '^^' >^ ^ . ^ ^ ^ . ^ ^ H A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S -^ -^ 6 ) C^ ^^_ . 6 c^ Qy^ > ( o ^^ /^ '^z:-^ - / J. ^ -2 ^^ ^7 v^ ^ ^ /f ^€f^ ^^^ y f ^ ■ -, ^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 17 ^ ^^ ^ ^^ ^ ^^' ^ ^_

^ (P ^ 9 . ^^ ^^ ^ ^ ti—-, -^. ^ ^ (T - ,^ K -^ ^ _. ^ ^ ^- ^ <^ ^ r ^ . c A' y ^ C ''^^~i o^ -7 <^:^-- <^ ^ -^ >-^,^ ^ -^ ^ 21 22 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S ^ c^- ^ .--- ' y ^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 23 O ^. ^ -"-z. ^ - c^ /^^^^- ^ /^ CT^ ,-^ >^ ( ^ c. c r >2^ > 3^ .<^ y^ iz^ c^ ^ >^ ( ^ 24 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S "^2r> o ;^ -^ (/^ ( ^^ ^ ^^~^ ^-^- ^ ^ e ^ - /^ X ^ >^' "^ V^ -r- *^ 9 -7 O " ... -^ ■ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 25 ^ •^ ^ y (^ ^ . . A r r -^ ^>^ ^ J- ^^ -^/ -^ ^ i^ >i- J ^ ^ ? /-^ ^ 'V ^^ 'y 28 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S c3^^ <^ J-^—^ jL— ^ c^ }^ -^ /^ ^ v_^ CP ^-^ ^ ^ <^ ^£^ ^ - CZT^ 5 ^ f ^ f - .->^ ^ ^ . P . >^^ ^ ^ . -2- . ^ ^ r ^ ^ r^ •^ ^. LETTERS TO HIS SON. 29 -^ ^ ^ c^ i^ --'^ ^^ ^ ^ ^ / ^ -2 -^ ^^ .tf^ ^ i? X, ^ . >- ^ ,^ .^ ^.-^ /^ r ? ^/ .^ 7 ^ /^ 7 <:^ ? c:^ >^ —X. ^'-"'^ ^ P <:^ ■^ 32 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S > jy ^ -. ^ y "2^0 t^ X. r ;^ <2/ ^ ^- 2^ / -7 ■ '/ p7U Jim Durham out on the road to introduce a tteiv product ^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 35 ^ . y 7 _ ^ ^^ - 2 o / <^ >- . ^ .i?^ ^ /6 --zr? ^ ^ ^ ^ r^ /- ^^ 36 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S ^ ^^ <^ 7 ^ ^ J^ ^ O- clips' \ c/— - f ctf? — J tP ^ ^-^ — ^ — ^ -r^ ^ . ^ -^ ^ i ^ r a^ ^ $ .^^ -> V ^. / LETTERS TO HIS SON. 37 CP J r? 4 ^ / / ^ ^ - ^ ^7 ^ :p ^ 38 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S y ^ ^ ^ ^ -^-^ ^ 2, ^ No. 4 a ROM John Graham, head of the house ' of Graham & Co., at the Unio.i Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont Graham, at the "Waldorf-Astoria, in New York. Mr. Pierre- pont has suggested the grand tour as a proper finish to his education. LETTERS TO HIS SON. 41 y ^ -- c7— zr -^^-^ r / ^^^v^ ^ ^ ^-^ y -^ ^ ^ ,7 ' 7" r 6' ,'=' -^ ^ ^ -J c 42 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S -^ — -^ - ^ ^=^ C< 7 ^ .^ .^ ^ c^ r — > - ^ f . <" ^ (^ ^ c^ -^ (. ^ ^ 7 ^ ^ '^ J y^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 43 2— ,^ ^ r^ X rw — >— a -, 2 ^ -^ I ^ / i;^*' ^ ^n \ "Old Dick Stover was the worst hand at procrastinating^ that I ever saxvy LETTERS TO HIS SON. ^ ^ . ^ / _ ^ o^ . f r ^ ^ " -7 J «:* — ^r ^ (Pa 7 - -^ - c 2^ . ^>«' 7 -^ -7 48 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S ^ ^^ ^ y i^ c<^ C> ^ ^ F LETTERS TO HIS SON. 49 2 ^ S^ K A-. ^^ Z -^ <^-^ n^ V -^ ^ c f . ^i— -^ ^-5 ^ ->- ^ (^ J <:> J-- 50 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S i>-^ ^ ^ ,^ _-f=' ^ f <^>^ — ^ cr- e^ ^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 51 c^ ^ ^^ ^^^^ ■^ — ^ I. .^ ^ o ^^ - o ^ 2^ -. A^ ^ ^^ y r 2^. ^r > 52 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S ^ ^ . ^ ^ /^ y <^ ^ -^ ''^ — . Z -7 ■ J ^ 7^ > / -^iT 7^ i^ o y-^ ,-^ ^-J 2 u. J ^ / LETTERS TO HIS SON. 53 a^ ^ ^ ^ ^ - ^ -"t. No. 5 I ROM John Graham, head of the house of Graham & Co., at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont Graham, at Lake Moosgatchemawa- muc, in the Maine woods, Mr. Pierrepont has -writ- ten to his father withdraw- ing his suggestion. A Z^/' ^ «^ ;^ ^ ^z ^ -. ^ L /^ x. -^ -^s cP Y r ^^ ^. / ^ -y -^ -^ ^ ■7 -^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^-j. • ^ 57 58 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S ^ . ^ ^-^ ^ ^ -9 ^ •^ tf* ^ ^^ ^ J ^ y -S ^ t '3 ^ . 7 ^-^ ^ o °^ ^^ — r r • ^ ^ >-. - ^^ f^ y^ r /?' <- ■ ^'^ O) - £ <^ /", ^ / '' r 60 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S ^ (^ .<^--- -^f ^ ^"■^^ y ^ ^ ^-'3^'^ ^ ,- ,^ ^ ,~^ ^^ / „ — /^ (^ ,^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 61 y r ^ -7 -i^^ ^ - ^ 7^ ' ^ ^-r- >^ - 7 a ^ y- / c^ .^c- ^^ O ^ o^ ^ O-^ -^ 62 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S ^y >^ ^^ <:::^ V ,i>- ^ ^. ^ r ' "^ -2- ^ ' -^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^ ::::7 J . / . -^ Op <- ^ -^ ^ ^ ^ . ^ ■ Oy _^ .^ n ,^^ J^ .^jCP ^ ^ 4 ^ ^ r ^ ' - p ^ ^ ■^ V ■ LETTERS TO HIS SON. 63 j^ ^ -/O, 'J > ^ c ^ dT Cj^ c^ ,/^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ;t-^ y J in 2^ C^ ^ y Q_p _ ^ -^ ^ ^ 64 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S -2 a G -/ Xl^ g^ ^ ^ '<^" ,,' — >= r ■ / iT. ^ ^ . O^ O^ -^ ^Z' V -^ - ^ ^ - f >^ >^ —/^ ^ .^^ x^ -r lorin^, Gold Frospectins: and Iinmisra/ion (^o)iipanyy LETTERS TO HIS SON. G) cL ^^ C^' c3S^ 'V ^ "J ,>-^^ ^ /> -^^ ^ ^ _ ^ <^ ^ '1^ r ^ r -^ / No. 10 m IROM John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont, at the Commercial House, Jeffersonville, Indiana. Mr. Pierrepont has been promoted to the position of traveling salesman for ihe house, and has started out on the road. '^ n Yoii looked so blai)icd i»ifo)ta)it .xiid ■Jiesiy IV hen yoti started o/f'." y ^ s r. 7 (7) C^ '-^ 2^ -<^ ^. ^ ^ J^ ^ r / . 7- ^ ^ /^ >^ <^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^ 7 ^-.^^ J' / ^ :? ^- ^ ^ ^— ^ . 2 74 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S =7-s» /^ ^ ^C__^ ^' r? y u > XT? <^ ^ "^ Y - ^. -^,,^..£^ / o^ -/" ^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. / --^-^ a ^ C? ^—^ ^ P ^ / «r ^ ^ " ^ ■^^ ^ -:^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 9 7 ^ J? ^- -2-. r •s. 84 A SELF-MADE MERCHANT'S <2^ CP ^ ^^ f y ^ ^ -^ ^ J^' -^ y ^^^ 5^ J <:r' -y ^ LETTERS TO HIS SON. y ^ O ^ J ^ ^ f ^ ■^ ^ y ^ ^, J, ^ . ^ ^-^ ^y r

^ P ^^ z a^<^ -y -^ ^^ ^""^^ ^^ ^ ^2- z ^^r-^ 7 LETTERS TO HIS SON. 87 ^ ■^ > J-. ^ y ^. ^ ^.