Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-19
MEN HAVE MET
Mr.. George W. Childs Relates Some
Personal "reminiscences.
MAKING. A START In BUSINESS
Anecdotes Of Washington Irving and Ma
thaniel Hawthorne.
A FIRST MEETING WITH A GREAT POET
rwarrrnN ron rHn p1srArcH. !,

George w. Ch1lQs mas az last y1eldeQ 70
the many importunities made to him for the
publication of his recolIections of people
and things. LippiReotPs Magazine for
June will contain the first Of four chatty
articles, embOdying the experiences snd
"reminiscences of this very remarkable man.
By the OOurtesy of the publishers, we are
enabled to give our readers the following
extracts in advance of publication in the
\ magazine:
ST want to set out by saying that I am
sure you, in kindness, exaggerate the inter-
est the world takes in my affairs. You say
am successful man. Perhaps am; and
If so, I owe my success to industry, temper
ance and frugalitY. suppose had always
rather remarkable aptitude for business.
james Parton. at any rate, was right in
speaking of me in his biographical sketch
as 'bartering at school my boyish treasures
knives for pigeons, marbles for popguns,
bird cage for book
II was selEsupporting at very early age.
In my 18th year, when school was dis
missed for the summer, 1 took the place Of
errand boy in bookstore in Baltimore at
salary of 50 week, and spent the vacation
in hard work. And I enjoyed it. have
never been out Of employment; always found
something to 90. and was always eager to do
it, and think l earned every cent Of my first
money. When first at work in Philadsl-
phia would get up very early in the morn
ing, 90 down to the store, and wash the
pavement and put things in order before
breakfast; and in the winter time would
make the fire and sweep out the store. In
the same spirit, when books were bought at
night at auction, / would early the next
morning 60 for them with Wheelbarrow.
And have never outgrown this wholesome
habit Of doing things directly and in order.
/ would to-day as lief carry a bundle up
Chestnut street from the Ledger Office as I
would then. As a matter OF fact, carry
bundles very often. But 1 understand that
certain young men of the period would seorn
to do as much"
STARTING IN LIFE.
Mr.. Childs then speaks of the events Of
his life from the time he entered the United
States Navy, at the age Of 13, and proceeds
to say: ST had saved enough money when
about 18 years old to 90 into business
for myself, so I set up modest store in q
small room in the old Public Ledger build
ing. 1t was a success; made money slowly
but surely. Meanwhile, it is said OF me
that aspired to higher things; that I was
even heard to say, I shall yet be the owner
of the Public Ledger If this is true, and
doubtless it is, l do not seem to have over
reached myself at that early age.
ST was 21 years old when entered the
book-publishing business under the firm
name of r. E. Peterson g Co., aftervard
Childs & Peterson. One of our first books,
DIR. Kane's Arctic Explorations, was q
great hit. 1t did not look at first as though
we had made wise venture. When the
work was ready to issue took sample
copy and went over to New York to solicit
orders from the leading booksellers The
largest would only give me small order.
Mr.. Childs,' they said, you won't sell more
than !, 900 altogether They ordered at
first only 100 copies, but soon after sent for
5000 more TO meet the demand. Within
one year after the publication we paid DR..
Kane copyright Of nearly 5000. 1t was
the doctors original intention to write onlv
a scientific account of the expedition in
search of Sir John franklin, but per-
suaded him to make of 1t the popular narra-
tive he did, and he afterward admitted to
me that l was right in my suggestion.
When the manuscript was finished he sent
me pathetic note, in which he said: Here
you have the book complete, and, poor as it
is, it has been my coffin No doubt he had
then some premonition of the beginning Of
the end Of his remarkable career. He died
in Cuba within year after receiving his :
copyright money, and doubtless many peo-
pie remember we'll the splendid tribute ar.
ranged for him; that funeral was one of the
most remarkable in history.
"We made another hit with Parson
BroWnlow's book, of which 80, 900 copies
were ordered in advance Of publication.
Other successful works issued by US were
'Peterson's Familiar Science Of which q
quarter of million copies have been sold;
'Bouvier's Law Dictionary 'Sharswood's
Blackstone and DIR. Allibone's great
Dictionary of British and American Au-
thors.' It cost over $50 900 to publish this
last named important book in its three large
volumes, and . great deal Of the credit for
the successful completion of the undertak-
ing is due to the enterprise of the late J. B.
Lippincott, who brought out the last two
volumes upon my retirement from the book
publishing business in 1858. The following
year purchased the Public Ledger. And
I want to say just here that much of the
success of the paper has been due to the
cordial and intelligent cooperation of nv
friend, A. j. Drexel."
MEN HE HAS MET.