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Compiled by John H. Wheeler Published in 1903 by B. F. Bowen Biography Page 134 - 135 |
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ARIEL W. TWEEDIE
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Ariel W. Tweedie, proprietor of the Cadillac Greenhouse and one of the city's well-known and popular residents, was born in Three Rivers, St. Joseph county, Michigan, October 14, 1855. His father, Thomas Tweedie, was a native of Ireland and a tailor by trade and his mother, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Jane Wellman, was born and reared in the state of New York. When about twelve years of age Thomas Tweedie came to the United States, and he grew to maturity in New York and there learned his trade and married. Later he moved to Michigan and settled at Three Rivers, thence went to Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo county, where he followed his chosen vocation until 1882, when he took up his residence in Cadillac and here spent the remainder of his life. Dying on the first day of January, 1884, his wife surviving him until February 23, 1899. Thomas and Sarah Jane Tweedie reared a family of seven children, the subject of this review being the fifth of the number. Ariel W. was about two years old when his parents moved to Schoolcraft, and he spent his childhood and youth in that town, receiving his education in the public schools and when a youth in his teens he entered a newspaper office to learn the printer's trade. He soon became an efficient workman and at the age of eighteen left home and found employment at his trade, working for a number of years thereafter for different newspapers, rising to the position of foreman in nearly all the offices in which he was engaged. Among the several places where Mr. Tweedie held the position of foreman was Mount Pleasant, this state, where he served for some time in the office of the Northwestern Michigan Tribune. Severing his connection with that paper in December, 1899, he came to Cadillac and took charge of the office of the Michigan State Democrat, for M. T. Woodruff, in whose employ he continued abut two years, when the paper was sold to George S. Stanley. After serving several years in the same capacity with the latter gentleman, he resigned with the object in view of starting a greenhouse in Cadillac, seeing here a favorable opening for such an enterprise. Years before he had acquired a taste for horticulture and floriculture, under his father, who, in addition to his trade, devoted a great deal of attention to the raising of fruits and flowers. The knowledge of plants thus derived was turned to practical use, while serving as foreman on the Democrat office, as he devoted his leisure hours to floriculture and in due time found a ready sale at liberal prices for the products of his garden. In this connection it may be proper to state that the idea of engaging in this fascinating pursuit as a business appears to have originated in the mind of Mrs. Tweedie, who for some time had been raising flowers and supplying the popular demand. She began in a small way, but was soon obliged to give the matter more serious attention as the demand for flowers continued to increase until she was no longer able to gratify it wholly. Convinced that a properly conducted greenhouse would soon be liberally patronized, Mr. Tweedie at this juncture resigned his position and, with the able assistance of his wife, at once embarked in the business, beginning on a modest scale but gradually extending the scope of their operations until the matter passed beyond the experimental stage and became an assured financial success. By diligent attention and constant study of the tastes of his customers Mr. Tweedie succeeded far beyond his expectations. He gradually built up a flourishing business, which has continued to grow in volume with each succeeding year, the meanwhile enlarging the capacity of his establishment and introducing new features until he now has a large and well conducted greenhouse. A man of refined tastes, he has done much through the medium of his business to promote an interest in floriculture, which all concede to be one of the most fascinating and, when properly conducted, one of the most remunerative pursuits in which a person of moderate capital can engage. Having studied very carefully every phase of plant life, he is familiar with every detail of floriculture and possesses sound judgment in matters of business, and it is an easy prophecy to predict for his already flourishing enterprise a long lease of continued prosperity. Mr. Tweedie was married at Vicksburg, Michigan, October 30,
1878, to Miss Minnie S. Boynton, whose birth occurred in the city of Niles, this
state, September 28, 1856. Mrs. Tweedie is the oldest of two children whose
parents were Rev. Jeremy and Martha (Stilson) Boynton, the father for many years
a well-known Methodist divine, who preached in various parts of Michigan and who
died some years ago at the town of Stanton. Six children have resulted from the
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Tweedie, to-wit: Bertha K., wife of Clarence C. Beach;
Helena E., Mattie J., Ariel T., and two that died in infancy. Mrs. Tweedie has
been her husband's able assistant in all of his endeavors and, as already
indicated, much of the success of his present business enterprise is due to the
interest she manifested during its inception and to her active co-operation
since. |