Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-08

partment get for day. He is called by
his enemies a counter jumper, and sneering
remarks are made about his store in Phila-
delphia. All the world knows that he has
a store there, and the fact was pretty we'll
advertised before he became Postmaster
| General.
Few people, however, appreciate the i'm.
mensity OF his business and the wonderful
system on which it is run. It is the big
| gest esta blishment of its kind in the world.
1t far outranks the great Bon Marche OF
Paris, and it is. am told, five times the
size OF Jordan & Marsb's great Boston es-
adjustment. 1t clears. am told, 81, 900,
| 600 year and it does business of $25, 600,
900 annually. Its roof covers sores, and on
an ordinary week there are %, 900 engaged
In buying at it at one time. You can find
anything in it from fish hook to a steam
ships anchor, and It's mighty growth has
been the outcome of the brains of this man.
FAT JOBS wANAMAKER LOST.
1t is a mistake, however, to suppose that it
does any business for the Government.
There are two other Wanamaker firms in
Philadelphia, and it is these which have
caused the accusation that the Postmaster
General is competitor for Government
contracts. The fact is that prior to his ap-
pointment as Postmaster General the firm
put in bids for many kinds of Government
supplies and they made a great deal Of
money out of them. When Mr.. Wana-
maker accepted the Postmaster Generalship
he gave orders that no bids were to be made
either for supplies to the Postofice Depart
ment or any other department of the Gov
ernment and 1 am told that this order has
reduced the profits of the firm during the
past year fully 800 1000.
nplx -. IL
can now buy anything at Wanamaker's
store is by its agents purchasing over the
counter like the ordinary shopper. To give
further idea of this establishment, it has
the largest retail shoe business in this coun-
try. 1t has the largest retail book business
In the United States. Its cellar contains the
biggest electric light plant of the whole
world, and under its one roof more than
1000 employees work during the ordinary
season and this number is increased to B. 600
at Christmas.
BELIEVES IN NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING.
Wanamaker believes in advertising, and
his advertising manager gets a salary of
$4,000 year. He pays each of the Phila-
delphia papers from $1,000 to 81, 900 every
month for advertising, and one of his prin-
ciples in advertisements is that they shall
tell the truth. Among his principles of
success are application, integrity and ad.
vertising, and he ranks these high in the
advice he gives to young men. He is inter
ested largely in other establishments
John Wanamaker, however, is best known
from this big retail store. He owns most of
it, though Robert G. Ogden has a large in
terest, and he has the entire management of
the store, now that Wanamaker is q Cabinet
Minister. 1t is true that there is a private
wire running from the Philadelphia house to
the Postofice Department. put only three or
four messages pass over this day, aud
these are more often social messages than
business ones. If Mrs. Wanamaker or the
girls are going to Philadelphia the Post
master General will send line announcing
the fact, or if he wants some special ar
rangement for his Sunday school his private
wire is called into requisition. As to or
dinary business matters, he is seldom cou-
suited, and it is only as to questions of gen.
erai business policy, large purchases or the
buying of corner lot that his partners have
to telegraph him.
HIS TWO BRIGHT BOYS.
His two sons are members of the firm, and
though have not met them am told they
are men OF more than ordinary business
ability. Both are still under 80 and both
are graduates of Princeton College. Tom
Wanapaker is in the house at Philadelphia.
and Rodman spends most of his time in
Paris as the foreign purchasing agent of the
establishment Both OF the young men are
married, and both have babies in short
clothes. Tom Wanamaker married Miss
Welch, of one OF the old families of Phila-
delphia, and his brother Rodman has a
French lady for wife. The Postmaster
General has an eye for the beautiful in
woman, and 10 very fond of his daughters
in-law. He dotes more over his grandchil-
dren than President Harrison does over
Baby Mckee, and he is essentially family
man.
Probably no public man in Washington
has . more pleasant home life than John
Wanamaksr. he 10 thoroughly in love