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Pioneer - BELL, William J.
Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County
Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906
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BELL, William J.
, whose
portrait appears on another page, is District Manager of the well-known
Federal Life Assurance Co., with office and residence in the city of
Guelph. He is the only son of William Bell, the founder of the firm of
W. Bell & Co., organ manufacturers. He was b. in the State of
Minnesota, and was educated at the Guelph High School and also at the
Galt Collegiate Institute, when the latter was under the control of Dr.
Tassie.
At the age of 15 years, Mr. Bell entered the office of his father, and two years later was sent to England to introduce the organs of the firm in that country. Later he returned to Guelph, but soon after again left for Europe to establish a branch of the company's business in England. He remained in London for 10 years, having a general supervision of the European business, which at that time, comprised two-thirds of the total Mr. Bell made trips to Australia and New Zealand in 1885 and 1887, and in the latter year established an agency in Sydney, and in 1889 he visited South Africa in the firm's interests, starting a branch in Port Elizabeth under the management of his cousin, Mr. H. T. Christie. Returning to England in the latter year, he disposed of the whole interests of the firm of Wm. Bell & Co., to the Bell Organ and Piano Co., Ltd., for the sum of $1,050,000, agreeing to remain as Managing Director of the new company in London for a period of three years. On the completion of his contract, Mr. Bell resigned, and lived a retired life in Paris, France, until 1894, when he moved to Chicago and engaged in the patent medicine business, but in the fall of that year was induced by the Directors of his old Company to return to the general management of its affairs. This he did for one year, when he again went back to Chicago, where he remained until 1897, when once more the Bell Organ and Piano Co., Ltd., requested him to return and to undertake the disposal of the whole of the output of their large factories, both home and foreign. Mr. Bell assumed the duties of this responsible position and continued them until the retirement of his father from the Company, at which time he was offered and accepted his present responsible position with Federal Life Assurance Co. From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906 |
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