Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-07-23

Anecdotes Of - Publishers Gemer0sity
90 Elis Employees and Others.

President Amos Cummings, in the Press
club, the other day, George W. Childs
is certainly the most generous and whole
souled editor and owner Of newspaper
in the world. No worthy journalist or
jourueyman printer when in need ever
applied to him and was refused. A year
or two ago Mr.. Childs saw that one Of
his old editors was worn out, and that
his work lacked the polish that had al
ways characterized it. He called him
into his sanctum one morning and said
"You have worked for me forty years.
You have always done your work honestly
and acceptably. am now going to re-
tire You on full salary. Take your wife
and children, 60 into the country and
enjoy yourself. Come or send to the
Office every Saturday and draw your
salary. Hereafter your time, as well as
your salary, is your own.p
The old editor overwhelmed Mr..
Childs with thanks, and departed. On
the succeeding Saturday be went to the
counting room and the cashier refused
to pay him his salary.
"Wait, he said, ''and I'll 60 and see
Mr. Childs about it.
He went to Childs, and Childs told him
to pay the man for weeks services.
"But be is no longer on the paper, Y
the cashier suggested.
THAT makes no difference Mr..
Childs remarked, ''pay him his salary as
long as he lives. =
.sBut, Mr.. Childs, broke in the cash
Ter. do you know this man is worth over
three hundred thousand dollars2n
Il hope he IS, Mr.. Childs responded.
ut speaks well for him. The fact that
he is worth that money is no reason why
! should not pay him his salary after his
forty years Of faithful service. If be had
squandered his money in rum or dissipa-
ton you would have said that it would
be all right to retire him on salary be-
cause he had no money. His prudence
and thrift deserve at least an equal re-
ward. Pay him his salary as long as he
lives, and say no more about it,
The old editor died three months af-
terward, leaving four hundred thousand
dollars to his wife and children, but his
salary was paid up to the day Of his
death.
Another instance of Mr.. Childs' kind
ness to his employees is shown in the case
Of a man who was employed on the
Ledger when Mr.. Childs first bought it.
He was good workman, but noted
drunkard. When Mr.. Childs assumed
control he went to him and said, 'sMr.
Childs, are you going to keep me on the
paper at my present salarya''
sWhat are you gettingp Mr.. childs
asked.
Fifteen dollars week. the man re-
Piled
81 will double it on one condition, !"
his employer said; "that is, that you
shall never drink another drop Of rum as
long as you are in my employment.
The man accepted the proposition. He
afterward became well known temper
ance lecturer in Philadelphia, although
he complained bitterly when advertised
as reformed drunkard. Childs kept
his eye on him, and he also has just been
retired on salary. Whenever he desires
to do any special work for the Ledger, he
is at perfect liberty to do SO. Meantime
he draws his salary regularly and his
bills Of expenses are never questioned.
He, also, is said to be worth between
three and four hundred thousand dollars.
Another instance Of Mr.. Childs' benev-
olence was shown in the case Of Colonel
John w. Forney. As the twilight Of
life approached Forney became very poor.
His good heart had been strained to the
utmost tension by pretended friends. and
he was barely able to make living. One
day he met Childs.
Il am getting DID," the colonel said,
s'and owe good deal Of money to per
sons not able to lose it. If you could
aid me in paying my debts, it would
make the latter part Of my life compare
lively happy
ssGo home and find out how much you
owe, Childs replied, sand let me know
in the morning
The next day Forney reported that he
owed about twenty-five hundred dollars.
ChiIds sat down to write check for the
money, when Forney said
.Childs, you might as well make il
five thousand while you are about it.
The good-natured editor filed out
the check for $5, 900 and passed it to
Forney. Within d week the colonel
wrote him letter, saying that he had
no idea how happy the receipt Of the
money had made him.
81 do not now, 4 be wrote, owe q
cent to anybody in the world, and am
twenty five hundred dollars ahead
The colonel, with prehensile friend
ship, had accepted the generous mans
check as : gift, and not as a loan.
Not long afterward the colonel died.