Chapter I: Front Matter

Letters from
A Self-Made Merchant
To His Son

Being the Letters written by John Graham, Head of the House of Graham & Company, Pork-Packers in Chicago, familiarly known on 'Change as "Old Gorgon Graham," to his Son, Pierrepont, facetiously known to his intimates as "Piggy."

Boston: Small, Maynard & Company: 1903

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_Copyright, 1901-1902, by_
_THE CURTIS PUBLISHING CO._

_Copyright, 1901-1902, by_
_GEORGE HORACE LORIMER_

_Copyright, 1902, by_
_SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY_
(_Incorporated_)

_Entered at Stationers' Hall_

_Published October, 1902_

_Sixtieth Thousand December, 1902_

_Plates by_
_Riggs Printing & Publishing Co._
_Albany, U.S.A._

_Presswork by_
_The University Press,_
_Cambridge, U.S.A._

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TO
CYRUS CURTIS
A SELF-MADE MAN

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CONTENTS PAGE

I. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont, at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. _Mr. Pierrepont has just become a member, in good and regular standing, of the Freshman class._ 1

II. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago,
to his son, Pierrepont, at Harvard University.
_Mr. Pierrepont's expense account has just passed
under his father's eye, and has furnished him with a
text for some plain particularities._ 15

III. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in
Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont, at Harvard University.
_Mr. Pierrepont finds Cambridge to his liking, and has
suggested that he take a post-graduate course to fill
up some gaps which he has found in his education._ 29

IV. From John Graham, head of the house of Graham & Co., at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont Graham, at the Waldorf-Astoria, in New York. _Mr. Pierrepont has suggested the grand tour as a proper finish to his education._ 45

V. From John Graham, head of the house of Graham & Co., at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont Graham, at Lake Moosgatchemawamuc, in the Maine woods. _Mr. Pierrepont has written to his father withdrawing his suggestion._ 57

VI. From John Graham, en route to Texas, to Pierrepont
Graham, care of Graham & Co., Union Stock Yards, Chicago.
_Mr. Pierrepont has, entirely without intention,
caused a little confusion in the mails, and it has
come to his father's notice in the course of
business._ 69

VII. From John Graham, at the Omaha Branch of Graham & Co.,
to Pierrepont Graham, at the Union Stock Yards, Chicago.
_Mr. Pierrepont hasn't found the methods of the worthy
Milligan altogether to his liking, and he has
commented rather freely on them._ 81

VIII. From John Graham, at Hot Springs, Arkansas, to his
son, Pierrepont, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago.
_Mr. Pierrepont has just been promoted from the
mailing to the billing desk and, in consequence, his
father is feeling rather "mellow" toward him._ 93

IX. From John Graham, at Hot Springs, Arkansas, to his son,
Pierrepont, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago.
_Mr. Pierrepont has been investing more heavily in
roses than his father thinks his means warrant, and he
tries to turn his thoughts to staple groceries._ 113

X. From 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 the house, and has started out
on the road._ 127

XI. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago,
to his son, Pierrepont, at The Planters' Palace Hotel, at
Big Gap, Kentucky.
_Mr. Pierrepont's orders are small and his expenses
are large, so his father feels pessimistic over his
prospects._ 141

XII. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in
Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont, at Little Delmonico's,
Prairie Centre, Indiana.
_Mr. Pierrepont has annoyed his father by accepting
his criticisms in a spirit of gentle, but most
reprehensible, resignation._ 157

XIII. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in
Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont, care of The Hoosier
Grocery Co., Indianapolis, Indiana.
_Mr. Pierrepont's orders have been looking up, so the
old man gives him a pat on the back--but not too hard
a one._ 177

XIV. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago,
to his son, Pierrepont, at The Travelers' Rest, New Albany,
Indiana.
_Mr. Pierrepont has taken a little flyer in short ribs
on 'Change, and has accidentally come into the line of
his father's vision._ 191

XV. From John Graham, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago, to his son, Pierrepont, at The Scrub Oaks, Spring Lake, Michigan. _Mr. Pierrepont has been promoted again, and the old man sends him a little advice with his appointment._ 209

XVI. From John Graham, at the Schweitzerkasenhof, Karlsbad,
Austria, to his son, Pierrepont, at the Union Stock Yards,
Chicago.
_Mr. Pierrepont has shown mild symptoms of an attack
of society fever, and his father is administering some
simple remedies._ 223

XVII. From John Graham, at the London House of Graham & Co., to his son, Pierrepont, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. _Mr. Pierrepont has written his father that he is getting along famously in his new place._ 243

XVIII. From John Graham, at the London House of Graham &
Co., to his son, Pierrepont, at the Union Stock Yards in
Chicago.
_Mr. Pierrepont is worried over rumors that the old
man is a bear on lard and that the longs are about to
make him climb a tree._ 259

XIX. From John Graham, at the New York house of Graham &
Co., to his son, Pierrepont, at the Union Stock Yards in
Chicago.
_The old man, on the voyage home, has met a girl who
interests him and who in turn seems to be interested
in Mr. Pierrepont._ 275

XX. From John Graham, at the Boston House of Graham & Co., to his son, Pierrepont, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. _Mr. Pierrepont has told the old man "what's what" and received a limited blessing._ 301

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ILLUSTRATIONS

_By_ F. R. GRUGER _and_ B. MARTIN JUSTICE

1. "Young fellows come to me looking for jobs
and telling me what a mean house they
have been working for." _Frontispiece_

_Facing p._

2. "Old Doc Hoover asked me right out in Sunday
School if I didn't want to be saved." 4

3. "I have seen hundreds of boys go to Europe
who didn't bring back a great deal except
a few trunks of badly fitting
clothes." 20

4. "I put Jim Durham on the road to introduce
a new product." 38

5. "Old Dick Stover was the worst hand at
procrastinating that I ever saw." 50

6. "Charlie Chase told me he was President of
the Klondike Exploring, Gold Prospecting,
and Immigration Company." 62

7. "Jim Donnelly, of the Donnelly Provision Company,
came into my office with a fool grin
on his fat face." 72

8. "Bill Budlong was always the last man to
come up to the mourners' bench." 84

9. "Clarence looked to me like another of his
father's bad breaks." 98

10. "You looked so blamed important and chesty
when you started off." 128

11. "Josh Jenkinson would eat a little food now
and then just to be sociable, but what he
really lived on was tobacco." 146

12. "Herr Doctor Paracelsus Von Munsterberg
was a pretty high-toned article." 166

13. "When John L. Sullivan went through the
stock yards it just simply shut down the
plant." 184

14. "I started in to curl up that young fellow
to a crisp." 200

15. "A good many salesmen have an idea that buyers
are only interested in funny stories." 216

16. "Jim Hicks dared Fatty Wilkins to eat a
piece of dirt." 248

17. "Elder Hoover was accounted a powerful exhorter
in our parts." 268

18. "Miss Curzon, with one of his roses in her
hair, watching him from a corner." 294

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+------------------------------+
| No. 1 |
+------------------------------+
| From John Graham, at |
| the Union Stock Yards |
| in Chicago, to his son, |
| Pierrepont, at Harvard |
| University, Cambridge, |
| Mass. Mr. Pierrepont has |
| just been settled by his |
| mother as a member, in |
| good and regular standing, |
| of the Freshman class. |
+------------------------------+

LETTERS _from a_ SELF-MADE MERCHANT _to his_ SON