"Look after the Pence."

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2285, 19 February 1912, Page 3

"Look after the Pence."

A WORKING MAN'S HUGE FORTUNE. Mr fohn Smith, of Sheffield, who has just died at the, age of seventy* seven,' left behind him the unique record of having never earned more, than £ l 2jo a year and yet having am-< assed a fortune,of £BO,OOO. Mr Smith, who lived in a cottage at a rental of about 2s 6d a week, at the age of fourteen began to work for Messrs Navlor, Vickers, and Co., the enterprise that led to the great firm of Vickers, of Barrow, and earned a few shillings a week by treading the clay that was made into crucible pots. He was transferred to the warehouse* and reraaia« 1 in the service of the firm for lorfcy l'ivd years, retiring about eighteen years ago. The beginning of his fortune was the investment .of £2OO, saved in pennies, 10 Vickers' shares. These shares advanced in value so rapidly that in fifteen years the £2OO investment was worth £15,000. Smith's next investment of £2OO in Spanish securities was lost, but after this he never looked back, and his speculations were remarkably success* ful. The rigid personal economy which brought him his first £2OO became part of his life, and even in later years lie made very little departure in the -' way of spending money on personal comforts of a better style of dress. He married late in life, and left a widow, a son, and a daughter.