Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-25
JOHN WANAMAKER,s CAREER.
A Poor Hoy Who Has Risen by Appli- = cation to be a Eamoua Merchanf

Poor Boy Who Has Risen by Appli-
 cation to be a Famous Merchant.
 [''Gath'' in the Cincinnati Enqurer.1
 When John Wanamaker was twenty-three years of age he had saved by hard work and self privation just one hundred dollars, which was the foundation of the fortune of Philadelphia's merchant prince. This little sum he had accumulated during the time he was employed in 8 clothing store, where he had worked many years. Ho had formerly been employed in a book store, but found this business unsuited to his taste, and he left the book business for more lucrative place in the clothing store, where he received one dollar and half per week for his ser- vices. Early habits of industry had been instilled into him by his psrents-hsrd work ing people who operated brickyard outside of this city, and where from his early infan- cy John was taught to improve his hours af- ter school in cutting and shaping bricks.
 By lucky real estate investment he turned his one hundred dollars into two thousand dollars, and with this two thousand dollars he started in the clothing business for him. self. This also marked his entrance into public life, for he soon was looked upon as a prominent merchant of the city. His fnan- cial condition, however, was regarded as shaky, and at the beginning of the war his failure was looked for at any time. His ex- cellent business qualities guided him safely through those turbulent times, and after the great struggle he found himself q wealthy man. He became one of the leading cloth iers of the country, but this business he gradually abandoned for his great dry goods store, which is now the largest establishment of the kind in the world.
 His great store gives employment to seven hundred persons, and he brides himself that he could go and leave it for year and that his business would not suffer in the least. He is also the proprietor of the Hotel Wal- ton, which is designed for the working girls of his establishment. Here they are given the comforts of well regulated home at very low price, each one paying her share of the total expenses of the concern.
 Bethany Mission, which now has one of the largest schools in the country attached to it, was projected by MT. Wanamaker It shop in a part of the city where disorder and crime ruled supreme. The entire vicin- ity has been reclaimed, and the neighbor- hood is now eEinently respectable. The Sunday school has twenty three hundred persons on it's rolls, and is housed in large and beautiful structure. Bethany college is an adjunct to the school.
 Wanamaker was born July 11th, 1887, his father being of German percentage and his mother descendant of the Huguenots. He | is worth three million dollars in real estate ! alone, outside of his vast interest in his bus- | mess. MT. Wanamaker is man of refined tastes. He maintains two houses at present -one in fashionable part of Walnut street, near Broad, the other at Jenkintown, one of Philadelphia's suburbs. The latter is con- | sidered one of the handsomest summer man. sions of the neighboring country. He Is a | member of the Union League club, but is not often seen there.
 His family consists of his wife and three | childeen, two sons and one daughter. His younger son, Thomas B., was recently mar
 ried to Miss Minnie Welsh, granddaugh- l ter of the late Hon. John Welsh. Both Thomas and the other son, Rodman, are connected with their fathers business. l MT. Wanamaker is 8 jealous worker in the
 Presbyterian fold. His purse is often ] opened to contribute to church funds, for
 charitable and other purposes, but his inter
 ests carry him further than mere money con-
 tributions. He is prominent at church gath
 erings, and is often called on to speak in be- | half of church interests. For several years he has identified himself particularly with
 Bethany Sunday school, which is the largest l in the city. He works himself among the
 children, throwing hearty energy into it's l affairs.