ORPHAN LAD MADE FORTUNE AT NINETEEN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3133, 4 September 1922, Page 2

ORPHAN LAD MADE FORTUNE AT NINETEEN.

For a lad to have made a fortune of £250,000 by his own efforts before lie was 19 is a most amazing achievement; but the fact is vouched for by Mr F. A. Macquisten, K.C., M.P. During a sitting of the Scottish Bills Committee Mr Macquisten stated that he knew of boys of 16 at the head of large businesses, and of another boy who had made a. fortune at the age of 19. Invited by a. Daily Chronicle representative to give further details of such cases Mr Macquisten readily complied. "The boy I had in mind," he said, "was living in one of the Colonies. I cannot give exact names, because I do not want the case to be identified. His father died • when he was eight years old, and his mother was too proud to appeal to her relations for assistance, so she started to work. She did washing and sewing, I believe, although she was a lady by birth; and the sight of his mother's labors so affected the little chap's mind that he determined to get to work too. He had to go to school, of course, but he began to get up early in the morning to deliver milk, and to work in the evening selling newspapers. He would hold horses, or do anything to earn a copper or two. He was of exceptional ability, and at the age of 12 he went into a newspaper office and began to learu his trade as a compositor. "When he was between 14 and 15 lie went away to one of the large towns, whore he sftill continued to support his mother. He got work in a stockbroker's office, and soon afterwards made one of an expedition that wont up country prospecting. Finding a good 'prospect,' he came back to the town he had left and succeeded 1 in •raising the capital for further prospecting. On this proving favorable, he <ame*home to London and sold the property for a million pounds. He was 19 years old at the time of this transaction." Giving further instances of success in boyhood, Mr Macquisten said that a well-known public man in the spirit trade had told him that at 14 he was a partner' in his firm, which was one of the largest in the country. "There is also the case of Lord Kelvin," Mr Macquisten added. "He was Professor of Natural Philosophy at the age of 18. My father sat under him. although he was much older than his teacher. * , "When employment of newspaper boys under the age of 17 was prohibited in Scotland, the lads bought the papers with their own money and employed themselves, so that the law could not touch them. Now an attempt is being made to stop this too. and T gave tlie instances I have quoted io show what effect such a regulation might have."