New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-20
a NOBLE LIFE.
rNGLASps MILLIONAIRE pHILANTnRoPIST
ruF IIFE OF SAMUEL MORLEY. By EDWIN Hoppsnn
with etched psrivait by Masesss. ovs' pP A'"'
A. d. f. Randolph & Co.

Mr. Holder has succeeded in writing com
nact. strong and exceedingly restrained ana Iuo'-
cions biography of man whose career was ia
r,os. rcsrncts so smooth and quiet as to oHer lew
attractions TO the seekers after the picturesque
and sensational yet the whole tenor OF WHOSE
life so appeals TO the emotionai iacui'es .na' ~
,n;rh, we'll have tempted the annalist to rhetori-
col exccsscs. Samuel Morley is as complete an
example of an ideal merchant-prnce as can be
oonceivcd but that expresses only compare
,,vc,v insignificant phase OF his character. lie
,,as also and much more a proof of what the ster-
ling virtues almost condemned by large part OF
society at present, can do toward the making OF
n man equally estimable as husband, father'
citizen. natriot. statesman and philanthropist.
lie was further the most striking illustration
perhaps afforded by this age of the saying OF
Marcus Aurelius-" Even in a palace life may be
led we'll" For while he was not born In the
purple he certainly was born beyond the reach
Of poverty. and he was growing steadily richer
during the whole of his adult life. lie ATTAINED,
in the prime of life, TO most perilous eminence
A great merchant and manufactures. whose word
moved exchanges: mlliC Daire whose known
benev olence made him focus Of perennial sollc-
jtation: a Member of Parliament whose knowl-
edge Of finance and trade made him an authority
in the House; the head Of the Nonconformlsts
in the United Kingdom, TO whom tens OF thou-
sands looked for help and counsel ana support
ono If tho largest employers of labor in England ;
in short. one whom all from different motives
delighted to honor surely no man was ever more
tempted to vanglorlousnesS ana prlue anu sui
indulaepce. and certainly no man so tempted
ever withstood the trial more firmly and unfal-
teringly To the end he remained the simple,
unaffected easily accessible Samuel Morley he
had been as o Young man when he entered his
fathers business and to the end also he remained
the unselfsh energetic, boundlessly tender PM
lanthropist he became SC soon as his income eX-
ceedcd his wants
His religion was what religion always should
be- vet seldom is the controlling influence OF hte
lie had the immense advantage OF good parents
and wise training His father and mother wore
prominent Nonconformists, but broad in all their
views They told tl,eir children why they believed
rs they did but required no conformity with their
own posi,ions Love and reason ruled thelT
household and in the world they set examples Of
diligence, thoroughness and integrity. Samuel
Morley left school at sixteen to enter his fathers
connting-house, where his older brothers had al
ready taken their places Though the house OF
Morley was then firmly established and 1ncreas-
ingly PROSPEROUS il was conducted with SIM
picity long out of date. 1t was the family
custom for the sons to take up the work OF The
fathers. They were all too well taught to con-
slider business beneath item. They were al
trained to believe in the sacredness OF duty IN
the obligation Of active industry. Every morn
ing father and sons walked from their house at
Hackney down TO the Gee in Wood-st There
they dned. and not till o'clock in the evening
did they turn their footsteps homeward bust
ness so managed, and on principles of the most
scrupulous integrity, could not but flourish.
Neglect was never tolerated, nor sloth nor dis
in form he mOrlcy'S
grew year by year until it came to be known
EVERYWHERE abroad as well as at home. as one OF
the stanchcst and safest houses IN London.
When Samuel Morley after many years became
head Of the firm he put all his energy and eX-
perience into the business, and developed 1t TO
previously nndrcamed-of greatness Seven great
factories supplied the distributing house in the
city, and from g. 900 TO 10000 people found en-
ployment with the firm. The extent Of its busi-
ness may be gathered from the fact that the
frst morning mail brought daily an aver
age Of 1000 letters. and each Of the seven or
eight succeeding deliveries from sixty to 100
more But one business house in London, and
shat great insurance corporation. bad larger
daily mail than Morev's. The head of the house
for many years insisted opening the letters
himself and when this became impossible lie still
retained a disproportionate share of the CORE
spondence But tlrou ghOut life he never wasted
time Every spare minute was devoted to read
ing and answering important letters. and though
il his habit always to carry black morocco
bag stuffed full Of letters recurring consideration
and TO open and 20 to work on its contents any
where and everywhere, the more he had to do the
more he did, and his engagements multiplied
steadily TO the very last.
Never rcnquiShing the superintendent Of his
vast business. he vet found time TO create and
II., nd
what Mr. Holder correctly styles, in his case,
the business of philanthropy. Samuel Morley
was far too thorough and ingrained a man of bust
ness 70 do anything in a loose or slipshod
way He had determined to effect all the
good possible with his money, and he knew very
well that to do this he must put brain as well
as heart into the work. He always sought the
most practical and systematic ways Of giving.
All kinds Of organized efforts for educational pur-
poses for religious proselytiSm, for missionary
labor for hospitals, asyums refugees, Shelters Tor
Iea ;ng-roOms for wOr<ngmen, for coffee
parlors: ali cnous looking to the dmi-
mutton OF ignorance the checking OF
vice and crime: all temperance movements cs
pccially were subscribed to by him in the most
bountiful manner Nor did he hesitate to add
himself TO his gifts. He was always ready TO
attend meetings for bener oent purposes. He
taught himself TO speak fluently that he might be
able TO talk to audiences lie travelled all over
the country organizing all kinds of good works.
And his distribution to organized agencies was
only one part of Lis philanthropy. Nothing de-
lighted him more than to help individuals, TO
succor the unfortunate, TO encourage struggling
talent, to relieve the widow and orphan He
must first know the truth for he was no careless
giver and being assured that he was not being
deceived his hand was opened literally No trouble
was too great for him. He would go himself 10
brighten the lot of the unfortunate. and his
bcnefactons were invariably conferred with the
utmost iolicacy Even in cases where he WAS
Obliged. from the extravaganza Of the demands,
10 refuse help he instructed his secretaries to
enunh the r1fusal In such terms would not