Show john D ryan master of business foresight foresights Fore sights colorful career of one of montana resourceful men by carl J butte in 1864 a private in the union army heard general U S grant make the statement that he would surround lees army with the same effectiveness as a giant anaconda about that time a boy was born in in a small town in michigan the event surrounding a modest home with giant happiness the army man came to butte was one of the locaters locators lo caters of a mining claim which he named anaconda in commemoration oi of grants remark the boy john D ryan matured into manhood came to the same city nearly three decades later here ends the prologue and starts the story we are told that john D ryan first entered the treasure and pleasure state vocationally an oil salesman but shortly thereafter impressed marcus daly pioneer copper man manewith with his thoroughness and foresight and in the early nineties occupied a position of trust and responsibility in the bank controlled by marcus daly which has since grown into the metals bank trust company the largest financial institution in the state and of which he still is a director when amalgamated copper was formed H H rogers its sponsor was soon and mr ryan was made managing director of the largest copper mining company in the world having as its nucleus the anaconda claim located shortly after his birth at the time of the business linkin linking 9 of mr rogers and mr ryan we recall that J A Al mitchell itchell wrote a book entitled amos ju judd dd we have stated that mr ryan was an oil salesman and that he was thorough he knew more about oil than selling it as he forever won his spurs in his masterly and diplomatic oiling over of the heinze disputes and this a comparatively short time after joining the amalgamated forces the heinze apex disputes involved more than in the state and federal courts for years racking and nearly wrecking the industrial and political status of montana all of this is business history but it is not generally known that mr ryan was practically the sole representative senta tive of his company in in conducting negotiations with mr heinze mr rogers wished none of it would not even meet mr heinze personally and gave carte blance to mr ryan with the coming of business peace mr ryan t together with his former associate thomas F cole organized the north butte mining company an and d the other so called cole ryan mining companies all of which cretu returned arned millions in dividends to their stockholders with montana long friend john marony he created financed and built up the montana power company one of the lowest cost water power compa companies nies in in the world time ime swings along amalgamated mated is changed to anaconda copper mining company J john ohn D ryan its chairman montana power company becomes 0 one ne of the worlds world s greatest public utilities john D ryan its president then I 1 business men in in taking 9 his place among americas america s leading of the foremost new york cit city y he became entrepreneur in some business institutions include including ing banking manufacturing sugar rai raising sing i as well as copper and e electric power so well did he build his org organizations animations that although a of munitions he n nevertheless everth eless was able heavy producer war to his li lieutenants eutena ants and production to step aside leave that of aircraft production transfer his endeavors to that of director chairman of aircraft board and second assistant secretary of war for the p people eople of the united states of america besides this he was an ardent during the world w war ar council uncil and national red cross and worker for the war co still is a member of the central committee of the last named organization org after giving such service to his country and his organizations zat ions it would be natural to expect a letup let up of such human activity however you do not know mr ryan his activities never cease he does less traveling and sticks closer to the job than any man of like calibre in new york he expects his lieutenants to do likewise exponent of customer custom er ownership ip of public utilities he has given montanans Monta nans many opportunities to derive a comfortable for table income through the purchase of montana power shares under the market As an exponent of ownership of customer he purchased for the anaconda copper mining company the mammoth plants of the american brass company the largest consumer of copper and zinc in the world although he follows no chart he nevertheless believes in the law of averages especially in the matter of combining low and high cost metal producers As proof of this we cite his purchase of the chile copper company and gieschen Gie erben zinc company to round out the anacondas western properties this in part is the story of the life and accomplishments of john D ryan whom the citizens of montana always will esteem for giving their commonwealth industrial peace cheap water power and a steady market at all times for its metal products mr ryan is robust physically ally and mentally modest to extreme and has only two hobbies his home near central park and his everlasting a ambition to develop and develop we very nearly overlooked our mention of amos judd this character in fiction had a spot in his forehead which when it glowed forecast events two years in advance mr ryan is not endowed with a spot so placed but in his brain there must be constantly glowing several several such spots as he seems to be able to forecast business conditions and events many years in advance and makes his plans accordingly this is his outstanding business characteristic and among americas captains of industry he stands foremost as a master of business foresight |