Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son

Letters from a Self-Made
Merchant to His Son, by

George Horace Lorimer This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere
at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,
give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg
License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: 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."
Author: George Horace Lorimer
Release Date: June 28, 2007 [EBook #21959]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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SELF-MADE MERCHANT ***

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[Illustration: "Young fellows come to me looking for jobs and telling me

what a mean house they have been working for."]
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
* * * * *
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.
* * * * *
TO CYRUS CURTIS A SELF-MADE MAN

* * * * *

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