The Lake County star., 1877-06-07
Olr New Tvra Ls.Igl,. !.
7ae Vandcf1M Estate : Decoration
Day Fletcher Ha,pcr- Potificot-
Brains at Ascti0n- Busincss.
New Yonx, Juas ., 1877.

j. has gone on TO Eurepc, no one
knows why, Mrs. Le Bau, one Of
the daughters, has commenced the
contest over tho will, and Cornelius |
has sued him for million. y Ger |
nelius is about the best abused man
in America, just Row. His affec-
tionate brothers friends land u man
with q hundred millions always has
plenty Of them) are spreading sto-
rics that he is q druukard, . spend
thrift, a gambler and addicted to
women. Probably at one time Of
his lifo this was partially true, but
for years he has been as correct rs
any man in the world. lie was in
his childhood struck with epilepsy,
and only recently recovered from it.
lie did spend somo money, and he
dses now owe the Gresly estate
SIS, 900, which his father refused to
pay. But he is a kind, wcll-mcan-
ing man, and, in spite Of his long
continued ill-health, man Of much
more than ordinary ability. Every
body here hopes ho will sncceed, in
getting what would Aeem to be little
enough out of SO great fortune.
Decoration day was generally OBJ
served in tho city. Business was
entirely suspended, the stores re-
naming closed all day. The pro-
ccssion was very 6ne, comprising
all the military, the police depart
ment, all the societies, and q vast
host Of citizens who tosk this way
Of tsstifying their respect for the
memory of the fallen brave. 1t
seems but yesterday that Lee sur
rendered, and yct that years have
flown was shown In the aspect ofthc
orators and tho survivors Of the war,
who took part in the exercises.
Men who went into the war boys,
and came out young men, are now
gray haired, and the middle-agsd
soldiers Of 1865 now msyed very
slowly in the procession. The in
creased age Of those who made ora
tons was especially noticeable.
One whom knew at the beginning
Of the war as a bright, quick, active
moving man of thirty-6ve, who wore
his shoulder-straps as proudly and
gaily as q cavalier, and who came
cut Of tho war rather portly,. but
still active and handsome brigadier
There was more silver in his hair,
and his figure had lost the clean
symmetry Of youth, but he was still
a splendid locking man. Yesterday
he read poem at a monument in
Brooklyn, an old, decrcpit, gray
haired man, who looked as though
he might have been a veteran Of the
war Of 10, Instead Of the great re.
bellion. We have lived at q KILN.
pace for the last twenty years.
A great many years age, -four
brothers, sons of u Long Island far
mer, came to New York and learned
the printing business. Getting
through their apprenticeship, the,
commenced book printing in small
way, which, as they were sober, in
dustrious and shrcwd, soon got t.
be very large way. These boy,
we're Joseph, James, Wesley an,
Fletcher Harper. Fletcher the las
Of the brothers, died this week aftcl
a business career of over halfa cen
tury. The family was remarkable
one in many respects. They neve
had a difference or a quarrel. Viii
business amounting to millions pc
year, with the largest Publishin;
house in this country, and ono o
the largest in the wsrld, sverythin,
in it went like clock work, oacl
brother managing the departuen
he was best fitted for without inter
ference or suggestion from the 9th
ers. If enc had doubts as to the ad
visibility of a movement, n council
was called, and whatever the deci
sion was it was carried cut relent
lessly, and failure Or success, it wa
all the same. AS sons were borr
to them, they came into the firm
all being literally born to the bust
ness. Every nialo Harper was ed
ucatsd FIRST, and then compelled t
learn his trade. If his trade run l.
printing .he was put int the Office tn
same as any other apprentice, an,
learned the trade side by side wit
tho humblest boy frsm the streets
Some were thus disposed of, other
were put into the counting room
others into stcrootyping, and other
into the warehouse; and so man,
arc there OF them now that each dc
partment has Harpcrs, not only a
the head, but all through it. An
every one takes the place that til
whole in council decide for him, an
fills it without murmur. No mat
ter how humble his place, he is
Harper, and has an equal intcrcs
with the others in the house, but h
is required to do his duty, and de
well. Not to do duty, is the one un
par,lonable sin with the family
There never was any head to tn
hsusc. When asked who was tn
Harper, and who the brothers, Il,
answer always was, ''any. one Of u
is the Harper. and the others ar
the brothers" The business of,tll
house is simply immense. The
have published thousands upo
thousands Of books, the value Z
their stereotype plates being est
mated atevsr va, ,00O, 900. Go whcr
yeu will, in every house in the Uni,