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Show HiNMEni SIMOIDBY DEATH Career of One of Chicago's Merchant Princes Closes "at Age of Seventy. CHICAGO, Doc. 7 A. Mbntgomory Ward, who roso from a day laborer to the presidency of a mail ordor houso whicn bonra his name, diod today at his residence at Highland Park. Tno mul-ti-millionairo was 70 years old. Death resulted from" a complication of diseases, which developed at'tor two falls. About two years ago Mr. Ward slipped on tho running board of an automobile au-tomobile at Pasadena, bal.. and broko one arm and a shoulder blado. Thcso injuries forced him to forogo all outdoor out-door amusements and coniinod him largely to his homo. Six weeks ago Mr. Ward fell in his homo and fractured his right kip. Tho ludneys wcro injurod and pnoumonia sot in. Mr, Aaron Montgomery Ward was a sclf-mado man in tho truo sonse of tho expression. Born at Chatham. N. J., February 17, 1S43, Air. Ward camo west with his parents to NiloH, Mich., when eight years old. Tie attendod school uutil no was fourteen, when ho went to work Tn a stove factory, where ho was paid 25 cents a day. Later he became a dav laborer in a brickyard. In tho lato fifties young Ward went to St. Joseph, Mich., where ho ontorod a general merchandising store at wages of $5 a mouth and board. Ho proved successful us a salesman and in threo years was in cbargo of the business and was receiving $100 n. month. Mr. Ward camo to Chicago in 18G8 and obtained ob-tained work in a department store. Later he outerod a wholesale dry goods houso and then hecame traveling salesman sales-man for Walter M. Smith and company of St. Louis. It was while ho was with this .firm that Mr. Ward thought he saw a groat futuro for a houso which would soil directly to tho consumer. Mr. Ward returned to Chicago to ac-l ac-l copt an oxecutive 'position with a dry ' goods firm which ho helped roorganizo ! aftor tho firo of 1871. His dream of a store which would eliminato the middleman middle-man grew and he resigned to found A. Moutgomory Ward and company. It was organized 'as a partnership with Georgo It. Thome, Ih'b broth or-in-law. Tho company's first quarters wcro over a stablo and the staff consisted of one clerk and the partners. The firm grew until on January 1 of this 3rear it was reorganized and incorporated incor-porated in Now York for $40,000,000. Tho company does $40,000,000 worth of business a year. He rotired from activo business in 1901, but retained the presidency of hia firm. |