Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-08-25
Story of a Great Success.

Probably not one In thousand who
enters the portals of Chicago's great
hotel is able 10 recognize an active man
who occasionally hurries by. This man
is Potter Palmer. The story of his life
is a story of success. He was in youth
a farmers boy and was born nearly
sixty years ago in Albany county, n.
Y. His parents were Quakers. At
eighteen he became clerk in the store
Of Piatt Adams, which stood in the
village OF Durham, Greene county.
Shortly afterward he started a dry
goods store of his own at Oneida, and
year later removed to LOckport. He
came 10 Chicago with capital of less
than 5000. That was in 1852, and
the first year his sales were So, 900
The war was his opportunity, and he
was not slow in improving it. He filed
all the warehouses be could rent with
cotton aid wOOlen goods, purchased
Immediately after sumter was fired
upon. In four years he made $780,
0C0. In 1870 he married the daughter
of then most prominent and wealthy
citizen, II. II. HoRore.
At the close of the war Chicago had
no retail street of pretensions. State
street, save two blocks, was narrow
lane, between rows of shanties. Potter
Palmer set out to make this alley the
principal thoroughfare of the growing
city. He erected dozen fine build
ings, including the first Palmer house
and store building, which was, upon
its completion, the finest building in
the world devoted to trade. In Octo-
Der, 1871, the new Palmer house was
begun, and State street was the leading
thoroughfare of Chicago.
To Potter Palmer the great fire came
as a crushing calamity. Ninety-five of
his buildings were destroyed. Upon
the ruins of the buildings an army of
workmen were busy clearing away rub.
bish before the fire had scarcely died
out. Building after building rose from
the ashes. No man contributed so
much to the resurrection and new life
of Chicago as Potter Palmer, and his
rent roll to-day is the largest in the
city.
Potter Palmer lives in the finest house
in Chicago. 1t is a castle, and stands
on the shore of Lake Michigan, near
Lincoln Park. In some respects it is
the finest residence IN America. The
great Gothic tower suggests a castle of
England. The hall is baronial, with
carved Cak staircases and furnishings.
SlendersGothicp pillars support the gal
lery, for the halls vaulted roof extends
the height of the house, and draped
across these pillars are tie most perfect
examples of GObelin tapestries, rich
and rare. The floor is composed of a
most wonderful piece of mosaic In mar
bic.
The whole house is in keeping with
this superb hall. Spanish artists have
decorated the grand library, where the
book cases are of carved oak, and
where life-sIzed oaken figures from a
chapel near Antwerp, and believed to
have been made by the same master
who fashioned the famous carvings in
Antwerp Cathedral, may be found upon
the mantel. There is an Indian room,
unique and dazzlingly oriental, Moor
ish room hitting IrvIng's description of
the Alhambra, japanese boudoir, a
piano made to order of maple, mahog-
any tables, Dutch bedroom, another
OF colonial furnishings, a great conserv-
atory-Moorlsh lamps-everything rich
and artistic which good taste, good de-
sire or money can procure.