The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-15
John WANAMAkER.
The Successful Career of a Kind-Hearted,
Honest Man.
College of Commercial Journal.1

delphia, July II, 1887, Of poor and in
dustriouj parents, who gave him the
best education they could afford, that
Of the public schools. But it was in
his humble home where he received a
training which undoubtedly shaped
his future course and contributed large
ly to his success. His best teacher was
Christian mother, of whom he once
said:
Her smile Was like \ bit of heaven,
and ii never faded out of her face to
her dying day.
Passing his Mammoth Depot, with
its walls Of brick enclosing fourteen
acres Of floors, crowded with goods, one
wonders whether Mr.Wanamaker ever
thinks OF the time when he, little
scnoolboy, turned five hundred bricks
to dry them in the sun before going to
school. For this labor he received two
cents Il day, a very small fraction of his
profits now, which exceed million
dollars year. Later on, he advanced
from the position Of turning bricks to
that Of clerking in book store, at a
dollar and a quarter week; and to
earn this sum he walked eight miles a
day. Now he sells from his own shelves
more books than any other retail store
in America. Still later on he increased
his weekly income to a dollar and
half by securing position as salesman
in a clothing store.
In 1857, Mr.. Wanamaker was en-
ployed in Barclay Lippincott's cloth
ing store at Fourth and Market streets.
He soon left this position and engaged
with Mr.. Bennett, Of "Tower Hall.n
After two years of service at Tower
Hall, Mr.. Wanamaker accepted the po-
sition of secretery of the Young Mems
Christian Association. His father, who
was a brickmaker, now prevailed upon
him to engage in the brick-making
business. He soon grew tired Of the
dull monotony of brick-making, and,
forming u co-partnership with his
brother-in-law, Nathan Brown, they
opened the we'll known "Oak Hail.
April s, 1861. It was now that Mr..
Wanamaker found use for his great ex-
ecutive ability. One of the first orders
which the new firm filled was the
equipment of the custom house guard.
When the suits were finished, they
We're packed on a wheelbarrow, and
Mr.. Wannamaker and two of his as
sistants took their turns in pushing the
goods around for delivery. After the
goods were delivered, Mr.. Wanamaker
went direct to the office Of the Phila-
delphia Inquirer, and invested the prof
its, S3S, in an advertisement.
1t was predicted that the young firm
could not exist, and idle rumor was
often on the street circulating the re-
port of failure, to the great delight of
the "I-told-you-so's," who are ever
ready to shake their heads, and look
knowing and happy over the verifica-
ton of their predictions. But the firm
struggled bravely on, surmounted all
difficulties, and in a little while the
small one and half-story shop gave
place tC the large and commodious
building, an oyer-grown Coax Hail.
Business grew steadily, and, unlike
the boy who grows too large for his
suit, the 'suits' grew too large for
Coax Hail." and the enterprising firm
secured the large and handsome build
ings, SIS and $40 Chestnut street. Still
the business grew. An honest suit for
honest money brought the trade.
Goods marked in plain figures, wool
called wool, cotton called cotton, and
if you were not suited when you got
home, return the suit and get your
money back, were the principles of
right dealing, and business was bound
to grow in spite of croakerS.
In 1875, Mr.. Wanamaker purchased
the depot at Thirteenth and Market.
| There, to-day, We find fourteen acres
of floors crowded, packed, squeezed,
with goods of all descriptions, the vast
display looking like an exposition of a
worlds products. Even this immense
building seems too small, as it is being
continually enlarged and improved.
Recently he added to his business two
well-known wholesale houscs-Riegel,
Scott & Co., and Hood, Bonbright&Co.,
the latter the largest dry goods house
in Philadelphia doing business of
about nine millions year. Either of
these houses would keep the average
man busy in conducting. He is director
in several banking institutions, and
President Of the Penny Saving Bank,
organiZeda 4 few weeks ago.
He was President of the Young
Mems Christian Association for four
teen years, and has contributed to its
cause nearly two hundred thousand
dollars. He finds time to superintend
the largest Sunday-school III America,
which he organized years ago in a
small room, and which has now an at
tendance OF three thousand pupils. The
small room has given place to a hand
some church. to the building of which
Mr.. Wanam;tkcr contributed sixty
| thousand dollars.
He has built church near his
country home, has aided hospitals and
orphanages, and, friend says, "he
gives a fortune every year TO private
charities He established the college
at Bethany, where five hundred boys
| .,pG rIc ranai,-n froa i,r+r,,n+;nc