[Crawford Ellis]

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Page 1. Dallas County'
Mildred Tbraah
Crawford Ellis
In 1893 a small Norweigian steamship east off from Mobile.
61.
It was bound for Nica4ra 1ga and with it an eighteen year old Dallas
A
County boy. In the pocket of his trousers he clinked one twenty
dollar gold piece against another twenty dollar gold piece. For..
ty dollarsl and as he looked over the stern rail ofthis steamship
this lad was looking into one of the most brilliant *armors .of any
AIabetsian.
Crawford Ellis wms born in Selma in 1875 and educated here.
When still alroy he moved with his family to Orrville. Here he
remained until he set sail for NiearMMa, where be took R job _with
the United Fruit Company for twelve dollars a month.
By 1899 he had risen rapidly and was given the plaee of auditor.
Steadily going up,he berme one of three vice presidents of the
United Fruit Company. He organized the Pan American Insurance
Company rith himself as president.
Thus one Selmian made a plaee for himself in aCompany by be-
ginning at scratch and looking forward to the future as be gazed over
the stern rail of a chugginl Norweigian steamer.