Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Crossley, J. W. November 14, 1857 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 28, 2007, 3:00 pm Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company J. W. CROSSLEY, who achieved widespread prominence as the originator of the idea of giving away premiums with merchandise, has long occupied an enviable position in real estate circles of Portland, and is a self-made man before whom the door of opportunity has swung open because of his energy, ability and determination. A native of Ellington, Connecticut, he was born November 14, 1857, a son of Thomas and Ardelia (Whitney) Crossley. The father was a carpet manufacturer and the shock caused by the burning of his plant resulted in his death in 1871. At that time J. W. Crossley, a boy of fourteen, began to provide for his own livelihood, securing work in a factory, his education was acquired by study at night. Through the influence of one of the directors of the central branch of the Union Pacific Railroad Company he obtained an office position with the corporation in 1879, at Atchison, Kansas, and later was transferred to St. Louis, becoming an employe of the Missouri Pacific, which took over the central branch of the Union Pacific system. He was a fine penman and for some time acted in a clerical capacity. Mr. Crossley was next a Pullman conductor and later was made conductor of a hotel car which was used all over the United States, taking out many special parties. For six years he was thus engaged and then reentered the railway service at Little Rock, Arkansas, as chief clerk in the car department of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad Company. He was paid a better salary and the outlook for the future was most promising. A year later the road inaugurated a policy of retrenchment, entailing a reduction of thirty per cent in salaries and he tendered his resignation. While on a sleeper en route to St. Louis, Mr. Crossley met a man who asked him what kind of tobacco he was using and his reply was “Star plug.” His train acquaintance, who proved to be one of the managers of the Liggett & Meyer Tobacco Company, introduced Mr. Crossley to the sales manager of that corporation. He was hired by the firm and assigned to the territory in Texas, becoming division manager six months later. His experience in that business is related in the following article, written by Fred Lockley for the Oregon Journal of October 8, 1922: “Said Mr. Crossley, ‘Next to plug tobacco I found that the most popular thing in the lumber camps—not counting whiskey—was a good strong jackknife. I wrote to my company, asking them to have printed a small tin tag on which should appear the following words: “Good for one pocket-knife. L. & M. T. Company.” I asked them to put one of these tin tags in their plugs of tobacco in the ratio of one to one hundred, and instruct their dealers to redeem this tag with a good pocket-knife to be furnished with the shipment of tobacco. This was a plan that had never been tried before. The company I worked for was rather doubtful of it, but I decided to take a chance. The result was certainly surprising. Every lumberjack or longshoreman that happened to get one of these tags and secured a jackknife became a booster for our tobacco and would buy no other brand. He told all his friends, and they at once became customers for Star plug. We were almost swamped by orders from this territory. “‘I then suggested that if we could get the women interested, we could capture the field, and I suggested that we advertise through all our dealers that the dealer would give a good pair of scissors in exchange for twenty-five tin stars taken from Star plug tobacco. After that the women saw to it that their husbands bought Star plug, for they wanted a free pair of scissors. The other companies had to get into the game. Soon we were offering revolvers, suitcases, watches, sporting goods of all kinds, and numerous other articles in exchange for tin stars from our tobacco. “‘At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war I gave a sample of our tobacco to every soldier who embarked for Cuba from Florida ports. I had a log cabin made on wheels and this was pulled by three yoke of oxen through the streets of Houston, Texas. The cabin was plentifully decorated with Star tobacco signs. I hired a negro about six feet, four inches in height to drive the oxen that pulled the log cabin. He had a voice that could be heard half a mile, and a person three blocks away who heard him shout “Whoa, Blue,” knew that the Star plug tobacco float would soon be in sight. I got quite a little newspaper publicity out of this, but decided to get more; so on one of the busiest corners, at the busiest time of the day, I had him make an awkward turn and tip the log cabin over on the street car track, which resulted in a large amount of newspaper publicity. “‘I also represented the company in Louisiana and in 1896 was made division manager of Pennsylvania, with headquarters in Philadelphia. J. B. Duke organized the American Tobacco Company and took over our principal rivals, the manufacturers of Horseshoe, Climax and Jolly Tar. He wanted to get rid of all competing companies, so he formed the Floradora Tag Company to handle the tobacco tag and premium business. In 1900 I was appointed supervisor of depots of the Floradora Tag Company for the eastern half of the United States and spent most of my time in Pullmans, visiting my territory. During the next five years the American Tobacco Company conducted an aggressive warfare on all independent tobacco companies. It spent millions of dollars on premiums in exchange for tobacco tags taken from plug tobacco, or for certificates packed in smoking tobacco and for cigar bands. The giving of these premiums forced almost all of the other companies out of business. “‘When this result was accomplished the American Tobacco Company decided there was no further need for the giving of premiums and they then gave notice that the giving of premiums for tobacco tags would be abolished and that tobacco tags would cease to be of any value for redemption of premiums after the close of the current year, 1905. Shortly after this notice was issued an avalanche of redemption tags were sent in for redemption from all over the United States. Our redemption tag depots, located in the principal cities of the United States, were choked with tags. In Philadelphia we had two redemption tag depots—one for mail and express packages and one for local or counter business. We employed two hundred and fifty girls to count the tags and file the orders. In our mail and express depot we had hundreds of girls at work, counting the tags and sending out the orders. When I tell you that the premium business in 1905 amounted to over seven million dollars and that in exchange for tags we were giving baby buggies, bicycles, shotguns, rifles, rugs, lace curtains, typewriters, suitcases, parlor suites, pianos and hundreds of other articles, you will get an idea of the extent of the premium business. I had seen the idea which I originated, the giving away of jackknives as premiums, grow to a business amounting to more than seven million dollars a year. When the company I represented consented, only after careful consideration, to the spending of a few thousand dollars for advertising, it was now spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in telling the public about our goods.’” On December 31, 1905, the premium business passed out of existence and in 1907 Mr. Crossley came to Portland, where he has since operated in real estate. For many years he was in charge of the house department of the Ladd estate and is now specializing in residential properties. He is regarded as an expert valuator and does a great deal of appraising for estates. His advice in regard to real estate investments is always to be relied upon and in the conduct of his large business he displays notable foresight and keen sagacity. In 1882 Mr. Crossley married Miss Rose Garside, of Atchison, Kansas, and to them were born four children: Amarette, who lives in Los Angeles, California; Ralph W., who is married and resides in San Francisco, California; Frances, who is the wife of Amos Moore, of Portland, and has one son; and J. T., who is connected with the advertising business and also lives in the Rose city. Mr. Crossley has been identified with the Woodmen of the World and the Ancient Order of United Workmen for a period of forty years and at one time was a director of the Humane Society. In religious faith he is a Baptist and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is a man of domestic tastes and his home is his club. The exercise of effort has developed his latent talents and an upright, useful life has enabled him to win and retain the esteem and confidence of all with whom he has been associated. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Pages 335-337 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/crossley381gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 9.5 Kb