Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-28
THE TRULY MODEST MAN..

Ill sorts of mon and women, and all sorts of
natural and supernatural phenomena. We
have ceased to wonder at the subiugation of
the electric currents, of steam, and other
forces to the will of man, and would not be
astonished if at some day in the near future
tho very air that moves had been harnessed
and controlled for our benefit. This is q
country of wonderful invention and wonder
full development. We have in our midst men
of superior mental experimentation noted
for their learning. for their sagacity, for
their superb charity, and few noted for
their modesty. The last mentioned are ex-
ceedingly rare, for modesty is not one of the
chief characteristics of the American race.
But one of that kind has just been devel-
oped in the person of George Washington
Childs, the editor and obituary poet of the
Philadelphia Ledger. We have long ad-
mired this gifted bard. Though his lines
have not conformed to any recognized rule
of poesy, they have always contained some
beautiful sentiment that touches the heart.
For instance, what could be more appropri-
ate than this stanza on tho death of child
too prone to foraging in the garden:
Little Johnny's gone and left Us.
Gone to climb the golden stair;
Green tomotUes have bereft u.s.
Of our darling-one of a pair.
Gone where collie il unknown"
But writing obituary poetry is not the
chief solace of this great, good and modest
man. We learn from an interview with him
published in the New York Telegram, that
the chief pleasure he finds in life is in the
exercise IF charity in an transformations man
ner. "You are noted hereabouts," said the
reporter, "for your transformations charity;
do you find it good thing, wise policy in
the long run?'. To which Mr.. Childs, in
tue simplicity of bis heart, and summarizing
all his modesty to bis support, made reply:
II do indeed. Everybody comes to me for
help and no one goes away unaided. Ny
friend Forney will say when = friend wants
money: I haven't got $500 myself, but I'll
go down and borrow it of Childs for YOU Yes
get deal of satisfaction from charity. One
of my printers came to me tho other day and
said: My daughter is to be married next
week, and 1 want to see if I can bny q
bible and have it charged to you, the amount
to be deducted from my pay next week. He
wanted to give her bible worth $40 and Igave
him check for $50 for the girl, and an order
on dry goods store for $50 worth of clothes
for her and the bible, and thanked him for
letting me know his daughter was to be mar.
ried. Now, that didn't cost me much, but it
pleased them, and have just received beau
tifnl letter from the girl herself. Then an old
acquaintance came in to see if he could borrow
1920 to get out book with. I didn't want
the book, but l told him he could have the
money, and to send the books to twenty college
libraries. Here's the list just come in. Now,
here is a circular we got out, and have sent to
a few prominent men asking subscriptions to
a monument for my old friend, Morton Nc
Michael. They all know that when take hold
of a thing 1t is certain to 60 through, and if
there isn't money enough subscribed LII make
it up, and that will be the end of it. WANTED to
pay for the whole of Leigh Hunts monument.
but Mr. Hall would take but a subscrip-
ton. am the largest subscriber to the me-
mortal window. in Bronham, of the poet Tom
Moore. gave an annual dinner to the bows of
Philadelphia. and l sent thousands of boys
and girls to visit the centennial exhibition. NV
business is very prosperous, and I like my men
to share my prosperity. / am very quick to
detect merit, and no man who does his duty
need fear to trust me implicitly with his con-
hdence. l give every one . vacation OF at
least two weeks paying his salary in advance,
accompanied by present. and on Christmas
day l always give thousands of dollars in
money to my employees.
Now, here is modesty, coupled with gener-
osity, which excites our warmest admiration,
and, best of all, it is so exceedingly ''unos-
tentatious!' Mr.. Ohilds is not one of those
who like to give aims that he may be seen of
men, and, therefore, he relates some of them
to the reporter of newspaper, we'll knowing
that that class of people never publish what
they hear. Again he shows his modasty and