Headline August 12th, 2012 / Harvesting Global Misery And Fear?!

"Harvesting Global Misery And Fear?!"

John Francis Queeny, a tough, cigar smoking Irishman, with sixth grade education was a rare original thinker. Then year of my tale, -1900, found him more restless than normal. A buyer for a wholesale drug company, Queeny was mulling an idea. But like a lot of employees with ideas, he found his boss stonewall him.

So History and destiny came calling and he went into business for himself on the side. Queeny was convinced that there was money to be made manufacturing a substance called 'saccharin' an artificial then imported by the US from an Industrial Giant, Germany.

He took dollars 1500 of his savings, borrowed another 3500 and worked up a ''seed equity'' to set up shop in a horrid dingy warehouse near St. Louis waterfront. With borrowed equipment and secondhand machines, he began producing saccharin, an artificial sweetener, for the US market.

He loved his wife, and used her maiden name, to name the company. Monsanto Chemical Works. As the news spread the market got aware, The German Cartel that controlled the market, just wasn't pleased, and planned to wipe him out! And they attempted that by cutting the price from dollar 4.50 to 1dollar a pound.

In addition the young company faced many many challenges but then, J Queeny was a natural leader. Questions arose about the safety of saccharin, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture even tried to ban it. Fortunately, for Queeny, he wasn't up against opponents as aggressive and litigious as the Mosanto of later and today.

His persistence and the loyalty of just 'one steady' customer kept his company afloat. That steady customer was itself a new company from Georgia named ''Coca-Cola''. So Monsanto geared up to get to higher and safer grounds, for the kill. He started adding more and more products - vanillin, caffeine, and drugs used as sedatives and laxatives.

In 1917, Monsanto began making aspirin, and soon became the largest maker worldwide. During worldwar 1, US was cut off from almost all imported European chemicals. Monssanto saw then opportunity coming, and began manufacturing its own, and thus, its position as a leading force in the chemical industry was totally assured.

Sadly, this great business leader was diagnosed with cancer in late 1920s, his only son, Edgar, became President. And Edgar Monsanto Queeny, was an empire builder with grand vision! 

With a special thanks to !WOW!

Good night & God bless!

SAM Daily Times - The Voice of the Voiceless