Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

George Arthur Hahn, Sr. (1889-1979) oral history

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Track 4: Track 4
Transcription: TRACK 4 In so far as my business is concerned I might say that my first position is with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul Railroad at Fullerton Avenue and Southport in Chicago. My salary was $25 a month, including half-day on Saturday. However after two years with the St. Paul railroad, I got into a little argument with one of my bosses and got myself discharged. I then started out [indistinct] office boy on Lasalle St. and in the office that I was working in as an office boy, supply clerk, I noticed that there were certain men in the office that would come in as they pleased. If they didn't want to come to work they didn't come. They played golf two or three days a week and took extended vacations. And I was attracted to that kind of work. What could they be doing? So I said to the manager, "Do you pay them fellas to do as they please?" And he said, "No, we don't pay them anything. They all work on commission." That's the kind of job I want. So I proceeded then to get a job with a broker, one of those fellows that come and go as they pleased. And I got in with a very successful Irishman by the name of W. T. Burns who was then late in his 70s. He had a nice business of his own. I worked as his secretary although I was a one-fingered operator on the typewriter. He wrote all of his letters in long-hand. He wouldn't send a typewritten letter out, but every letter for him I had to copy all the typewriter [unclear]. And that led on to an interest in the business after a few years. And when he died an arrangement made between his widow and myself that his business would be my business. BS: Excuse me, you were commuting then from Wilmette to Chicago? GH: All this time commuting from Wilmette. I lived in Wilmette every since until I built a house. We'll come to that later. However as time went on….I ah…After the W. T. Burns then, I went into partnership with his two sons known as the firm of Burn, Burn and Hahn. After my son finished college I decided to open an agency of my own which is known now as Connors Incorporated and it's in the Board of Trade building in Chicago. I've been retired now for 25 years but my son's still running the business.
Creators: Hahn, George Arthur, Sr., 1889-1979, Interviewee; Maselli, Briggs
, Interviewer; Karen Miller
, Transcriber
Media Type: Audio; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with George Arthur Hahn, Sr. by Briggs Maselli about 1975. Transcribed by Karen Miller
Notes: Track 1 is missing from the tape.
Date of Original: About 1975
Subject(s): Oral histories
Wilmette (Ill.) -- Residents
Personal Name(s): Hahn, George Arthur, Sr. ; Hood, John Andrew, 1842-1939 ; Miller, Lenoir Hood, 1888-1976 ; Netstraeter, William, 1872-1923
Local identifier: R 977.31 HA
Language of Item: English
Copyright Statement: Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Date: 1975
Copyright Holder: Wilmette Public Library
Copyright Holder Contact Information: 1242 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
U.S.A.
Contact: Wilmette Public Library
Email:refdesk@wilmettelibrary.info
Website:
https://www.wilmettelibrary.info/

Agency street/mail address:
1242 Wilmette Avenue
Wilmette, IL
60091-2558
U.S.A. Phone: 847-256-6930

George Arthur Hahn, Sr. (1889-1979) oral history

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