The Cecil Whig., 1885-07-11

fdence. He has earned and she has
accorded him the place Of leading citi-
zen, held by John Welsh, Morton Nc
Michael, Jay Cooke, and, at an earlier
time, Robert Morris-public spirited
men ready and competent to meet
every emergency that has arisen in the
city's history.
Wanamaker is a Pennsylvania Ger
man name. 1t occurs often in the lists
of the immigrants who, in pursuit of
religious liberty, left the banks of the
Rhine and the scenes of their fore
fathers persecution behind them and
in the last century filled up what are
now the great counties of Montgomery,
Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon, Northamp-
ton and Lehigh. 1t is odd that exc
cutive ability and capacity to subduc
the world should survive their religious
beliefs and practices. These people
would not take an oath, or bear the
sword, or accept bond or mortgage
for loan, or even bring a suit at law.
Yet they have contributed to Philadcl-
phia artists like Rothermel scientists
like Leidy; surgeons such as Gross
Hartranft and Huidekopcr among sol
diers, and Riegel and IVanamaker and
others among her merchant princes.
| John Wanamaker came to Philadelphia
from Franklin county as a boy. In the
morning before school time he burned
500 bricks for his father, thus earning
a few cents day. The boy worked
IN bookstore at dollar and a quar-
ter week, walking for miles each
morning and evening to and from his
work. His dinner was cup of milk
and biscuit. 1t was in the year of
the outbreak of the civil war that, in
partnership with his brother in law,
with small capital loaned by his wife's
father, he began business at Sixth and
Market streets. He often delivered the
goods which he had sold, and, it is said
often spent all the proceeds of the sale
as soon as collected in advertising The
rapid development of his business, the
establishment of another store on Chest
nut street and the creation of the Won
derful establishment at Thirteenth and
Market streets are too we'll known to
need repetition. The business side of
his character needs in Philadelphia no
additional Illustration beyond what he
himself has given it.
1t was about twentyone years ago,
while still poor young man, that he
determined to start Sunday school in
the Southwestern part of the city. 1t
began in shoemaker's shop, was
moved to tent, then to a building on
South Street, West Of Twenty-frst, and
finally it grew into Bethany, on Balm
bridge Street, with ? pastors, 5 super
intendents, IS secretaries, Io4 teachers,
IS door-keepers, 500 boy scholars, 507
girl scholars, 06c adult members, 400
infant scholars, a volunteer orchestra
of II and 3 sections, total of 25o5.
The numbers are large, but the size of
the school is not as remarkable as the
perfect organization. Only master
hand could have shaped the many ele-
ments until the result is beautiful
wonder which draws admiring visitors
from England, France, Germany, Scot
land and almost every nation whose
Christianity is taught. At Bethany,
too, there is an industrial school where
more than half thousand boys and
girls are taught bookkeeping, cooking,
embroidery, painting, etc. To see the
school in session, to feel the inspira-
ton of its life, motion and infinite va
riety is to be convinced that the one
who could plan and perfect it could
accomplish almost any task likely to
fall to human hands to do. Similar
power of organization exerted differ
emily has made great generals and
statesmen. In John Wanamaker it di-
rects his vast business interests and his
equally vast Christian work and makes
both successful far beyond the faircst
dream of his boyhood. But in his re-
cent discussion with Governor Robin
son, of Massachusetts,, he convinced
even the newspapers of that state that
the Governor had been brought down
out of his tree by the Philadelphia mer-
chant.
The leading example today of the
value of telling the public where and
what they can buy, his disrelish of per-
sonal notoriety has been exhibited on
numerous occasions when urged to ac-
cept public positions. His advertise
ments have attracted extended edi-
torial comment from that book of judg-
ment, the London Saturday Rcslc7V,
and of them an earnest historian, while
expressing regret that he had not filed
them away, has been heard to say that
in many respects they were the best
history of the present times. Skillful
as he is in advertising, John Wana-
makers advertising is confined to his
business personally he is modest, un-
assuming and one of the most ap-
proachable of men.
JOHN ROACH.
Probably the best abused man IN
this country during the past few weeks
has been John Roach, the great ship
builder and the builder of the Dolphin.
and yet probably no man ever de-
served it less. Mr.. Roach has con-
structed millions and millions of dol