The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-01
GEORGE w. CHILDS.
How He Manages His Paper-His Generous
Treatment of Employees.
New York World,

peculiar He resolved early in life to become
the proprietor of the Ledger. He took it in 1864
when it was losing money IN large sums lie
paid for it $50 900. He cleared IN the ilrSt year
more than this amount Since that time his
newspaper property has been source OF con
stantly increasing revenue asked Mr. Ch!ids
the other day to what he attrl buted the secret OF
his prosperity He said to the fact that he al
ways attended to his own business and never IN
terfered with others. He has two proverbs IN
life which are the guiding rules of his conduct
One IS DO your best; let go the rest Inc
other, What can't be cured must be endured
His kindness and charity to others are 50 phe
nomenal that the average individual fals en-
tirey to comprehend his character Because he
is kind and always ready to help others some
critics have accused him of being actUated sim
ply by desire TO advertise hlHWlf or his news
paper property Those who arFfond Of seeking
mean motives for all good acts will doubtless
continue to believe that Mr.. Childs is not real
phiianthropist
Another secret Of Mr. Childss business success
lies IN the Care which he gives 10 his men, Those
who work honestly and faithfully for him will
always receive more than their stipulated Sala
ries. Mr.. ChlGs always gives to his men every
encouragement to make them successful. lie
watches their personal habits If he finds they
are not inclined to save he tempts them to be-
come economical by making sood investments
for them where they must save in oder to carry
on these investments. ALL Of the Ledger EN-
ployes who have families as rule live in houses
OF their own, bought and paid for by Mr.. Childs.
who in return for this has only received back the
principal advanced. He insures the lives of all
Of the principal men of his paper, and pays the
premiums himself. Some Of the leading men in
his Office have such insurance upon their lives
to the amount Of $25, 600. This kind proprl-
etor watches much more carefully after
the interests Of those under him than the aver
age man looks after himself He pays them all
good wages; he lodges them in the most luxu-
rlous Of quarters: he never makes an over demand
upon their attention. he inSureS their lives for
their families; he buys them homes and estab
hshes them, and when they broken down
with the steady grind OF their daily work he
sends them off for vacation with their families
and pays the expenses of these families we'll as
their own When they become Old and broken
down in his service he retires them upon full
pay. When he first took charge of the Public
Ledger he indicated from the very start his after
policy in handling his subordinates. The morn
ing after the announcement was made that he
had bought the paper, the city editor of that
then failing sheet called upon Mr. Childs for the
purpose of finding out whether he would be
retained in his place not. He came into Mr..
Childss book store and said to hun: 81 under
stand that you have bought the Public Ledger
This city editor whose name was Coleman, then
continued: You and | are old friends We
come from the Same town, Baltimore, and there
is reason why should not get on" ITO be
frank with you" said Mr. Chids, in response to
this, II had made up my mind that you were
the very first man that l should discharge"
"Why?' stammered Coleman, III dismay. BE
cause said Mr. Childs, you a drunkard,
and will not have drunkard in my employ"
What if | should REFORM said Coleman. Mr..
Childs very quickly replied. ."Then l will retain
YOU and double your salary Poor Coleman
had never had such an incentive to reform as
this. He caught the proposition. He did re-
form, and IL is through the efforts of this re-
claimed city editor that the large reformatory
for inebriates was established in Philadelphia.
Mr.. Coleman remained with Mr.. Childs until
short time ago, when he retired upon full
pay. Several of the men upon the Ledger are
very rich The last financial editor, who went
out two three years ago, worth $500, 900.
Joel Cook, the present finacial editor, is worth
fully as much He was made correspondent of
the London Times through the influence of Mr..
Childs. He has received So, 600 year from this
paper for number of years He received this
salary in gold at period during the war when
it represented two or three times that amount
in greenbacks Cook has invested most of his
money in schoopers. These investments at one
time paid him as high as 80 per cent lie was
obliged to seek some such investment as this
because Mr. Childs permits no one who is
nected with his financial department to be in
terested in any of the stocks and current invest
ments of the day He holds that such possession
is certain to influence the mind of a writer upon
financial topics no matter how honest and
upright he may be.
MIR Childs never takes any one upon his news
paper from any other Office. He makes a rule to
train up men who are afterwards to work upon
his paper. The only new people that he takes
into his Office are young boys These generally
begin life with him in the countingroom. From
that they are graduated into the various depart
ments of the paper, and when adapted to it
made reporters. There is a strict civil service in
the Office Each man stands upon his merits.
Nothing is gained by curryingfor favor 1t would
not be possible for any one man in the Ledger
Office to undermine another. Mr.. Childs is
very digent reader of all the newspapers. He
is very close reader of the Ledger. Whenever
he finds anything in it which specially pleases
him on account of the way the work is done he
looks up the writer, and general thing
marks up his salary. No intimation of
this IS ever given the man himself until he finds
his increase in the envelope handed
him by the cashier Saturday night. Every
Christmas Mr.. Chlds makes present in money
to every individual member of his staff This
amount varies from $40 to $500. 1t is very rare
that any one in the employment of Mr.. Chlds
seeks to leave him. In the few instances
where this has been done it has been for the
purpose Of going into business for themselves
In each case Mr.. Chds has advanced the outgo-
ing member of his Ledger family capital, and
has done everything in his way to contribute to
his success.
Mr.. Childs neither smokes, drinks nor swears.
Notwithstanding the fact that he has none of
these delightful habits, he does not feel in duty
bound to assume any superiority upon his part
or condemnation of others whose tastes differ
from his own. Although he is a strictly temper
ate man, he does not belong to the fanatical type
who desire to cram their temperance down the
Threats of their friends His guests find wine
upon the table for their while their host will
pledge them in Apollinaris water for his share of
the toast.
A Southern Artist to Paint the President.
Atlanta Constitution.
A good many readers of the Constitution will
be glad to hear that Mr.. Albert Query has been
summoned to Washington to paint likeness of
the President The commission came through