BRITISH GENIUS IN AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 59, 3 December 1917, Page 6

BRITISH GENIUS IN AMERICA

BUSINESS ORGANISER'S CAREER A MATTER-OF-FACT STORY (By J. C. M. Hampson, in the London "Daily News.")

Once upon a time—this is not a! fairy story, but a matter-of-fact tala of business success and achievement— a small office boy sat licking stamps in. a dingy office in the City of London. That boy is to-day the most powerful, man in the business world of Chicago> and the Wesi. and Middle West of America. More than that, his name, Insull, of old Worcestershire stock, is so famouß in tho electrical field, that very many of tho workers in that great industry in America think thp term "insulato" and "insulation" are do- ' rived from his name and discoveries.. But of course it is not so, and his particular gejiiuß has been in the organisation and administration of the fin all' cial and business side of the production, distribution, and sale of electrical energy in the States. He left England in 1882, when ho was 22 years old, to be Edison's first private secretary. Mr. Edison had j discovered the incandescent lamp, and was seeking money to promote his discovery. In ten years young Libull had become tho business and financial genius of these early enterprises. "lie word genpis is used advisedly, becausa of all business men he is a man with' a soul. Nothing daunts him, no enterprise is too great; and while today lie is absolutely and ao the head of investments representing : over two billion dollars, and'at tho head of the five great groups controlling electrical in Amenca the Insull properties—his name is synonymous with generosity, broad-gaug-ed feeling' and sagacity, and he ha® done more, for Englishmen in America than any living Englishman to-day. He is at tho head of every public utility company in Chicago—gas, electric light and power, ana street railways, surface and elevated. He hoa crossed the Atlantic over seventy times,\on occasion just to walk from the bauk in his beloved city to his club in'tho West End; and as he did not marry until lie was over 40, he ia a member of more clubs than anybody one can think of . He is now chairman of the Illinois State Commission of Defence, and is, ex officio, a member of the National Commission of Defence of the United States. Seeints that since the war started he lias contributed privately probably more than: any other Englishman outside of his own country to the needs of his suffering ' fellow-countrymen and women, he, at any rate, is entitled to all tha honour that ..can ever be paid him. The writer would liko to, toll a littlo story of Mr. Inßull in Chicago. Ono day, a few years ago, being m one of the sub-stations, a message camo from' the president's office that there was a man with a note from the British Consul waiting to sea him. "Sena him over here, and I'll wait ; and they did. The man, nearer seventy than sixty, camo over with a note stating that he was an old British Army pens:oner. Could he be given a job, as ho could no longer do tho outside work.ha had been doing for the last ten years? The writer-promised to let mm hear in two weeks, and would see what could be done. -He called up the company's employment bureau, and made a special request. That afternoon ho had an engagement., with Mr. Insull, the president of the company; and, after the business talk was over, he mentioned this incident of the old British soldier, formerly trumpeter m the Royal Horse Artillery. The president immediately' grabbed the phone, and called for the head of the employment bureau. "Mr.—— '(quoting tlie writer's name) "spoke to you this morning about work for an _ol« British soldier. Give'him a job. Mart him to-morrow at 60 dollars a r lo '™! Ps watchman in tlic Fisk Street plant. That was all. A month afterwards the old trom-> peter, of the Royal Horse Artillery told,, with tears in his eves, how he and his- wife were hanpv for life. JVli/Mi Instill took hold nf tho Chi-cago-Edison comnany in 1S!)2. it had a capital of 500.000 dollars. To-dav its capital is 50.000,000 dollars,, witli :v bond issue of another 50-000.000 dollars. He is also at'the head of four or five other companies as large and larger, and, interested in many others. One of his vic-presidents in Chicago for years was Robert T. Lincoln, eldest son of America's greatest President.: and amonq; his officials and staff will be.found the brightest brains in the country.

Such' rnon arc what tlio late Lord firomcr would call the pillars of ill® JSnglish-snenlsinir raco. No wonder, then,-thai America is with us.