Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-05
John Harper.

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was stroke of paralysis, the fourth one
he has suffered in his lifetime. The
deceased and his brother, ex-Mayor
James Harper-who was thrown from
carriage and died of his injuries, at
St. Luke's Hospital, in March, 1869
founded the great publishing house of
Harper DC Brothers, now famous
throughout the civilized world. Mr..
Harper was native of New. York
State, and lived longer than the "three
score years aud ten" which the Scrip
lures aIlot TO man He was born in
1876. So closely was MIR. Harper
identified with the interests and ambi-
tions OF the firm of which he vas a
member, that history of it would be
the story of his own life since he
reached manhood. His grandfather,
an Eng(ishman, and one of the first
followers of John Wesley, emigrated to
this country about the ,aiddle of last
century. His son, Joseph Harper,
born In l776, became farmer at New
town, Long Island and married Miss
Elizabeth kollyer, lady of excellent
character and disposition. The couple
had four boys, James John, Joseph
Wesley and Fletcher. whom they edu-
Gated at district school, James, the
ex-Mayor, died, as has been stated, in
1869, and Joseph Wesley died in his
10th year, Feb. Ia 1870
Fletcher Harper. the youngest of the
four, but over sixty years of age, is now
the senior partner of the house estab-
lished by his senior brothers John
Harper aud his brother James were
apprenticed in 1872 to learn the trade
of printing at different Offices in this
city. They completed their respective
terms of apprenticeship in 1917, and
with some money they had saved and
some assistance from their father, were
enabled to open a small job and book
printing office IN Dover street, near the
grounl now occupied by the present
establishment in Pearl street. Book
publishing in New YORK, aud indeed
in the entire country, was then in it's
infancy. Mr.. Evart Duycknick. faith
er Of Evart A. and George L. Duyck-
nick. authors of The Cyclopedia of
American Literature, was at this time
a leading publisher For him, Mes>rs.
j. 4 j. Harper, as the young firm was
. ss denaminated, printed their first
book. The work was translation of
Seneca Morals, and on the 5th of
August. 1917, 1000 copies of it were
delivered to the publisher, the. Messrs.
Harper having done part of the type
setting and presswork themselves.
Several months later, Mr.. Duycknick
received from them $500 copies of
John Mair's Intrhduction to Latin
Syntax, and in April, 1918, 500 copies
of Locke's Essay on the Human I'm
derstandng were issued, being the first
imprint Of j. & j. Harper. The sound
business qualities and natural sagacity
of the brothers made the firm few
years later the first publishing house in
the country. Joseph Wesley and
Fletcher Harper learned printing with
their elder brothers, the former becom-
ing partner in 1928. and the latter
In 1926. The firm name Was then
changed to its present title of Harper
Brothers. The history of the great
house from this period until 1853 IS a
record Of well ll-deserved and brilliant
business success. In 1926 the firm
removed to Nos. 81 and 80 Cliff street,
and in 1880 they began to stereotype
their works and to store them away in
ire-proof receptacles This establish
ment in Cliff and Pearl streets, occupy
ing nine large buildings, was entirely
destroyed by fire on the 10th of De
cember, 1858. A plumber, who, hav-
ing lit piece Of paper, and wishing to
extinguish it, thrust it into what he
supposed was can of water, but which
proved to be camphene, was the cause
of she confagration. About 800 per-
sons were thrown out of employment.
The firm itself was nearl ruined. The
brothers, however, were not 0isheart-
ened. and going to work with the in
domitable will and energy which has
ever charac terized them, soon recovered
from the stroke and within a year the
ma9 nificent edifce, at present occupied
by them rose from the ashes of the
burned building. The. mammoth edi-
fee now occupied by them is in every
way adapted to their purpose, and is
considered to be a model of its kind.
A large part of the credit for the ex-
ceIleut plan upon which the establish
ment is erected is due TO Nj. John
Harper, and he is undoubtedly eatitled
to proportionafe share cf the praise
fos tie arrangements by which the
business OF the house is SO well system
atized and greatly facilitated. Although
active as any other member of the firm
for 50 long a period, Mr. John Harper
OWING to his growing infrmltles of