Death of Butler

As it must to all men, Death came last week to James Butler, 79, founder of the country's first chain-grocery system. In gold letters against a green background over the doorway of 1,100 stores in and around New York, glittered the name JAMES BUTLER.

The year President Cleveland first took office (1885), James Butler was head steward of Manhattan's Hotel Windsor and lived in Mrs. O'Connor's rooming house. He went to Washington to supervise the inaugural supper. The memory of that evening was so nightmarish that when, 24 years later, he was invited to attend President Taft's inaugural ball as a guest, he flatly refused. That year he was living on a 350-acre estate next to John D. Rockefeller near Tarrytown, N. Y. and was virtually the owner of a $15,000,000 grocery business.

Two generations of New Yorkers have traded at the stores of James Butler. The square-headed Irish immigrant from the farms of Kilkenny started the first unit by accident. A few years before the Cleveland inaugural Jim Butler struck up an acquaintance with his landlady's son. Patrick J. O'Connor had quit reporting for the New York Herald to work in a grocery store. But he wanted a store of his own. With $2,000, his total savings since leaving Ireland, Jim Butler staked O'Connor. They opened a store on Second Avenue, which O'Connor managed while Jim Butler continued in the hotel business. Next year they opened another. The chain prospered so mightily that Jim Butler finally quit the hotel business, bought out his partner. One of the first to discover the benefits of large sales at a small profit, he opened Butler Stores in every expanding section of the city, put two Irishmen fresh from the old country behind the counters of each. (In those years the red-front shops of the Brothers Hartford's Great Atlantic & Pacific literally sold nothing but tea, coffee and baking powder.) By 1890 Jim Butler was wealthy enough to buy his first string of horses. Ten years later he had built his own racetrack, the Empire City, at Yonkers. By 1929 he was reputed to be worth $30,000,000.

But Jim Butler was thrifty. When the racetrack fence needed painting, he painted it on the outside only. When he drove down to Yonkers to attend a race, his squire rode in a disreputable old Ford. For years a band at the racetrack struck up "Wearin' of the Green" whenever a Butler horse won. When Depression affected the track, the band was dispensed with. And it was a Butler rule to sell any horse which did not make money. Next to horses and groceries, Jim Butler devoted himself to Catholic charities, founded a Catholic girls' school at Tarrytown.

At 72 Mr. Butler celebrated the 45th anniversary of James Butler Grocery Co. by appearing at his Long Island City warehouse ("the largest grocery warehouse in the world") shortly after sunup to start the day's work. On the 50th anniversary (1932) he was feeble, but the cherry and white silks of the Butler stables were still winners in many an important racing meet.

In total sales James Butler Grocery Co. is the sixth biggest grocery chain in the U. S.,* is second only to the A. & P. in New York. And next to A. & P. it is the most closely owned and managed family business among the six. James Butler held 72% of the stock, complete and absolute control of the management. The other 28%, outstanding since 1907, is not listed on any exchange, is presumably held by Butler executives and friends.

*The other five: A. & P., Safeway, Kroger Grocery, First National, American Stores.

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