3

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

Young Jewish Subject of Czar
in Detroit to Interest Amer-
ican Capitalists

Talks on
Life Insurance
by Louis Danto

Studies American Lumber Methods; says Russia is Land
of Opportunity

Leaving a home of influence,
wealth and social standing in \1 insk,
Russia, Samuel Stekol came to this
country to study the lumber lmsi-
ness and American lumber mills,
gaining his knowledge by working
as a cruiser and an operator in the
mills. Yesterday he arrived in De-
troit after having worked at the
Virginia & Rainy Lake mill in Vir-
ginia, Minn., for the last year.
Coming to this country two and
one-half years ago, just ten months
before the war, :\ Ir. Stekol, who is
but 27 years old, first purchased
lumber machinery for representa-
tive concerns in Russia. Accom-
panied by an interpreter, he vis-
ited all the „principal cities in the
east, studying American methods of
business, the lumber markets and
the manufacture of machines.
Later, when he began to master the
language, he decided to obtain em-
ployment in mills and shops, in or-
der to get first-hand information on
what he sought to \learn.
Then the war bioke out and Mr.
Stekol decided to remain here until
the conflict came to an end.

Works in "Idle" Time
About a year ago he obtained em-
ployment in the Virginia mill, the
officials knowing nothing about his
object in working at the institution.
While in the range town NI r. Stekol
made a comprehensive comparison
of the lumber business in this coun-
try and in Russia and he came to
the conclusion that the opportun-
ity of the American lumber baron is
in Russia. With this in mind he
worked evenings outlining his plan,
so that he could prove to those in-
terested just how large the profit
might be.
And now, with a good knowledge
and understanding of the lumber
business, beginning with the cutting
of the tree in the forest to its manu-
facture into lumber in the mills and
the subsequent sale on the market,
Mr. Stekol is starting out to inter-
est American business men in his
plan to organize a $25,000,000 cor-
poration to do business in Russia.
lie hopes to have the company in
shape so that active construction
work on lumber mills and plants
may begin immediately after the
close of the war.
Russia, Land of Opportunity
"I am convinced that the oppor-
tunity for the American lumberman
is in Russia," said Mr. Stekol. "As
you know the people are not in a
position to handle big concerns or
propositions in the lumber line, and
as the country is rich in timber
lands, labor is cheap. There have

Life Insurance and the
Marriage License

,•\ man who cannot give his bride a policy of insurance upon his

life is 100 poor to bill' a laerrialle lieense or to

There

is

pay a wedding fee.

no reason why wives cannot be trained to have the

same business sense that widows are forced to have—or go to the

"C'ollier's 'Weekly" says that a wife should not merely ac-

cept, but should demand that protection which is so often her

only safeguard against privation, if not actual poverty. "She

SAMUEL STEKOL

been a few capitalists in Russia, but
the war has reduced them to only a
handful, and the same is true about
the small Russian lumber dealer.
The opportunity is open in Russia
for the American lumberman.
Mr. Stekol is the son of a wealthy
lumberman in Minsk and is a grad-
uate of the forestry colleges at the
Vniyersit•' of Moscow and the
I lanover university at I lanover,
( ;enmity. TWO years after leav-
ing school he became the manager
of a big lumber corporation, which
has interests and dealings with buy-
ers in England, ( lermany, France,
Russia, Serbia and Austria. Ile
held this office until the Russian
du ma paA;ed a law prohibiting ,
Jews from being directors or man-
agers of companies, banks or insti-
tutions of any kind. I lis father is
the sole owner of a mill and for
that reason has the right to serve
as its head.
Mr. Stekol intends to stay in De-
troit permanently during the period
he may remain in the 1 7 nited States,
making his home at 321 Medlmry
Avenue. "The reason I shall re-
main in Detroit," said \l r. Stekol,
"is because of all American cities I
have visited yours is the most
beautiful and it more nearly ap-
proaches my ideal of a city. Be-
sides Detroit offers unexcelled op-
portunities, through its large indus-
trial plants, to study American
methods of production efficiency."
Mr. Stekol's project has already
caused nation-wide interest among
American financiers, such men as
Mr. Weyerhauser of St. Paul,
Minn., and James D. Lacey of Chi-
cago, Ill., having indorsed it and
assisted Mr, Stekol,

should insist that it he regarded not as an extravagance, nor as an

investment, but as a necessity. It must conic before luxuries

such as super-millinered bonnets for the wife, and cigars or beer

for the husband. It should come before a savings bank account.

In fact, it should arrive with the wedding presents."

Widows never object to life insurance. But their acquieicence

is to o late. The damage is (lone and the chance is gone beyond

recall.

NEW ENGLAND MUTUAL
LIFE INSURANCE CO.

of Boston, Mass.
Organized 1835.
Assets over $70,000,000.00.

LOUIS DANTO

Manager

Telephones Office, Main 2749
House, Cadillac 3024

UTTER 2, THOMSON, State Agents

623 Penobscot Bldg. ,

arANNIMMI