The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-06
The Story of Brentano.

The Story of Brentano.
This city is full of instances of business
successes resulting from combined indus
try, energy and enterprise; but few exam
piles are more marked than the beginning,
gradual growth and eventual establish
ment of the Bredtano business on its pres
ent extended scale. The story of the
founder of the house reads like a romance
Less than forty years ago, or. to be exact
IN 1859, young Austrian, born in Trieste,
arrived In this city at the age of % and
looked about for means and ways of get
ting living. There was then no army of
newsboys as there Is now. A few news
stands and shops sold news
papers, mornings and evenings,
dozen papers here and there,
where thousands upon thousands are sold
daily now. The young Austrian, August
Brentano, the first, saw an opening, at
least for scant living. and began TO buy
and sell daily papers. People still in
their prime remember meeting him in
early morning and again in the afternoon
when Brentano was bringing his bundle of
papers on his back from Printing House
Square, and saw him standing on the street
corner and selling them. He was on
Broadway, near the New York hotel, and
secured the sale of papers in that house
His industry, intelligence and courteous
manners constantly increased the number
VI MS CuSIOiHeFS I'LL he was aDIe TO take q
basement room under the Lafarge the
original hotel on the site of the now Grand
Central. Next he opened a little shop
on Broadway, nearly opposite the
New York hotel, and to the city
papers added journals from Boston,
Baltimore, Philadelphia and other
cites, imported English and French papers
and periodicals, sold books, and so in
creased his business that he was forced TO
take large store on Union Square. the
present location of the New York business.
Three nephews, of whom August Rrentano
second is the eldest, were brought up 10
the business, and, while yet in strong mid
die age, august hrst. rich enough TO retire.
handed over ms enormous business to his
juniors. For them he established the
Brentano houses in Washington and
Chicago. For the last nine years of hls
life August first was an honored guest and
liberal patron of the New Yord hotAl, in
which he was always proud to boast he
once "peddled papers" and thus laid the
foundation of his fortune. He was fond
OF travel, spent his summers at SARATOGA.
was tayOrlte with thousands who knew
him socially and by business relations.
a-d died in Chicago in 1888 when
he was only 56 years old. His
successors have established houses in both
London and Paris, and give employment
to literally hundreds" of people, All
thel- stores do an immense business. and
If there was periodical published in the
interior of darkest Africa il would be
found regularly on their counters. which
means there is not periodical printed in
the world, or book, If it is printed, which
cannot be found at or procured from Bren-
tano's. This great growth is from A little
daily bundle of city papers on a street
corner stand just thirty-eight years ago.
In that time thousands of men have hecnn
all sorts of business with large capital
in this city and have failed, died poor. gone
to the dogs, while a good many gray
headed men are today clerking for more
successful younger men 10 whom they
used TO sell goods