The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-04-07

himself to a printer, and soon became
noted as the best craftsman of the day.
Before he had passed his apprentice
ship, he had laid the foundations of
his fortune. By untiripg industry and
strict economy he had saved enough to
furnish asmall establishment for print
ing. In a few months he was Joined
by his brother John, two years his
junior, who had also learned his trade,
and was just ont of his time. 1t soon
became IN understood fact that the
young Harpers could do work better
and quicker than anybody else. Ora
dually they grew from printers to pub
fishers, and the name of j. & J. Har-
per is to be seen on the title page of
many a book in our libraries. Before
either brother had reached the age of
five and twenty, they were known as
rising and prosperous e
Meanwhile they had taken as ap-
prentices their two younger brothers.
Wesley and Fletcher. Both of these
manifested decided business capacity,
and about 1925 the four brothers for
ned a partnership, under the name of
Harper & Brothers, which has remain
ed unaltered AID broken until three
days ago, when the death of James
Harper dissolved one of the fairest
brotherhoods ever known upon cartn.
Four such brothers never before
wrought together side by side for a
whole half century. With what re-
suit they wrought, the name of Har-
per & Brothers fully shows.
james Harper was in many ways a
notable man. Physically he was one
out of ten thousand. -Four days ago,
when he had passed three score and
ten, and was verging upon four score,
his late form was as erect as it had
been thirty years before /; there was
hardly a gray hair in his head his eye
was undimmed, and his natural
strength unabated. No one would
have supposed that he had seen halfa
score more of years might have been
safely promised him.
His life for many years had been
that of a nan of business in its best
sense. Early in the morning he was
at his desk, reading the innumerable
letters which demanded his care then
for an hour or two he was looking
through the working part of the es-
tablishrent, joking or laughing with
the workmen or workwomen, but see
ing everything that was done or, left
undone. For an hour or two more
he was at the disposal of anybody who
pleased to call, seeming to have moth
ing on his mind or hands. But these
apparently idle hours were really the
busiest of the day. He was taking the
of the men who we're talking
with him, and weighing the sugges-
tions which they had to make.
By the middle of the afternoon his
work for. the day was over, and he
went to his home, where he never al
lowed business to follow him. With
out o~stentation, he lived in a manner
BETTING his large means. 1t would
he hard to find a house where one
would any evening meet more genial
than that of James Harper.
These gatherings were quite by chance,
for we doubt if he ever gave a set par
ty or issued a formal invitation.
He kept aloof from political life,
though he took a warm interest in
affairs Once, indeed, he COLI
sented to run as Mayor of the city,
and was elected T; but he never after
cared to repeat the trial. N, Y. Times,
29M.
The funeral of the deceased took
place on Monday afternoon, at It.
Methodist Church, and was at
tended by an immense concourse, in
The Mayor and members OF
the city government, leading mer-
chants, bankers and authors of the
and book publishers from all parts
of the country.