The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-10
DYNAsTIEs NOT ROYAL.

On April the death of John Murray, the
London publisher, was announced. He
was the third of the name and title. John
Murray the first was ScOtchman and
| lieutenant Of marines. Having tastes more
| literary than warlke he opened book
store in London in 1853, and there sold
newspapers and books. 1t is remembered of
| him that he published "MitfOrd's History of
Greece" and the first volume OF the elder
| Disraeli's "CuriositieS of Literature" He
| died in 1893. His son, John Murray the
second. was the famous John Murray, my
! Murray" who published Byron's poems and
works by Washington Irving, Southey,
Moore. Coleridge, Sir Walter Scott, Camp
| bell and others. BE was the founder of the
London Quarterly, which was started in
opposition 10 the Edinburgh Reriep. When
he died he was succeeded in the management
OF the publishing-ho house by John Murray
the third. who died last week. He MAIN
tanned the reputation and the income of the
house. and has left fine property to his
son, John Murray the fourth, who has man.
aged the business for several years. These
were all sturdy, prudent, conservative men,
who did not try TO make fortunes in twenty
minutes and thought more Of character than
Of wealth.
Walters. The first John Walter estab-
lished the London Times on June /, 1888.
He conducted it with courage in the teeth
of Government opposition till 1903 when
he transferred the direction aud part
ownership Of the property to his son, John
Walter the second. 1t was this John
Walter who made the Times what it is by
his courage. enterprise and judgment. lie
died in 1S47, leaving the Times to his son,
John Walter the third. This member of
the dynasty preferred politics to journalism;
he corfded the direction of his paper to
D5lane, and after him to Buckle, both of
whom were ADLER editors than himself;
while lie went into Parliament and finally
became peer of the realm. He retained
his ownership OF his paper, however, and it
will so in due course at his death to John
Walter the fourth, who will be known as
| Lord Walter.
This country is too young for many
| American dynasties TO have taken root.
| But there are a few. The Harpers consti-
! tuteone. This great publishing house was
! established in 1904 by James and John
! Harper, sons Of a Long Island farmer. The
presswOrk on their first book was done on
a handpreSS by James Harper, who was a
| man of great physical strength and endur-
dICS q MO younger JOSepu w 6S-
| ley and Fletcher Harper, were admitted TO
the firm when they came of age, and the
| house became Harper and Brothers, desig-
| nation which it has always retained. though
| the original brothers died long ago. For
forty years the real head OF the house was
| the youngest of the four brothers. Fletcher
| Harper. When he died his place was taken
| by his nephew, Joseph Wesley Harper Jr.,
| who. it is believed. still retains it. But the
grsndsons of the original four brothers
have all been trained to succeed their
fathers, and they will take control when
the latter retire Their educatons have
| been thorough. Every one Of them has
gone through a university course in this
country, and has spent some time in study
~ universities abroad. All have served
| their time at the case as practical printers.
| MIllionaires though they are, they will en-
gage In the publishing business fully
| equipped for the task. There is no doubt
| that under them the house will continue to
| flourish. and in due time fifth generation
Of Harpers will continue the dynasty.
As general rule few men are succeeded
| in business by their own sons The progeny
OF rich men do not want to work as their
fathers did. Having means to enjoy them
selves they prefer a life Of ease. And ii
usually happens tDat among the employees OF
great houses some subordinate develops an
ability superior to that of his employers
and forces his way into the firm, which ben
efls by the infusion Of new blood. Very
| few of the old banklng-houses Of the world
are conducted by the grandsonS of those
| who managed them sixty or seventy
years ago. The Rothschilds are an ex-
| ception; but who controls Hope & Co.
| of Amsterdam or Child & Co. of
| London? There is an advantage, of
| course. in keeping al old and prosperous
| business il the hands Of the family which
created it, partly because ii is thus likely to
be cOnservatiVely managed in obedience to
| traditions which experience has sanctioned.
| But to accomplish this each generation
| must be willing to do its share of the work
in its turn, and it is not always easy to con-
| vince young men of means that this is
| duty.