Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-05-25


Strict Attention 20 Details.
Especial ocrrespondence.l
WASHINGTON, May 23.-Sitting one re-
cent evening in the parlor Of house
now somewhat famous In Washington,
talking with its owner, renowned mer-
chants was reminded Of the fact that
three Of the greatest merchants Of the
world. and the three greatest In Amer
lea, are well known TO me. in naming
and ranking this trio Of trade princes l
find that each has in his mercantile ca
pacity strong distinguishing character
istic. One, John Wanamaker, is the
greatest retail merchant In the world.
Another. Marshall Field, is the worlds
greatest dry goods merchant. The third,
Philip Armour, sells annually products
OF greater value than any other concern
ON the globe.
Marshall Field, the greatest merchant,
strictly speaking, in America, and prob
ably also the greatest in the world, start
ed ON his own account only twenty years
or perhaps a little more ago. Philip u.
Armour has been occupied but an equal
length of time in building up his vast bus
iness, which is partly mercantile, partly
manufacturing. These are rapid strides.
Armours yearly sales now amount to
S55 900, 900, and have reached rs high as
S60,000,000. Field expects this year TO
sell S35, 100000 worth OF dry goods,
wholesale and retail. Wanamaker sells
$4,000, 900 worth Of goods Of all sorts at
retail In n twelvemonth.
These men arc not alike In their meth
ods Field and Wanamaker are content
to hold the leading strings of their great
business houses, keeping taut the lines
which hold subordinatcs up 10 the mark.
Armour not only does this, but insists
upon having daily personal knowledge
OF details. Until within the last two
years the great packer has not known
what il Is to rest. His working habits
arc 80 well known as to need no further
description, but it is proper TO add that
there was no exaggeration In the state
ment that habitually for fifteen years no
reached his Office at or 7;30 in the morn
ing, remaining till @ or even later in the
evening. Wanamaker has long worked
in that same manner, arriving at his store
along with his clerks, and quitting it
with them at night. Field, on tho other
hand, has learned how to work at q more
leisurely pace. He rises at z, but does not
reach his Office till nearly IL. having
meanwhile spent couple Of hours or 30
at his great retail establishment
From what | know of these three
great merchants cannot say which has
the best grasp Of his business. Each il
practically perfect as business man in
his way Field and Wanamaker lean
more on subordinates than Armour,
though both the storekeepers confess
that tho secret of success lies more in
the management of men than in the
manipulation of things. Field has n
wonderfully quick eye, and the easy
faculty of comprehending everything at
glance. Without obtrusiveness he i'm
presses himself upon everybody and
everything, aud makes himself the in
spring genius Of bis two great establish.
ments. Wanamaker has the same quail
ty, and is in addition fond of buying.
He is the most original man of the trio
Much of his success has been won on
ideas which broke away from precedents
original methods of displaying goods,
of managing employees, of advertising,
of winning public confidence.
Calling one day on Wanamakcr in his
Office in Philadelphia found him look