Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-23
A Brief Sketch Of His Life and
Deeds.
And His Relations as Employer to
His Employees.
Reasons why Union Printers Delignt TO
Honor Him-His Acts Those
OF True Phi1an-
thopist.

| Cuo L IhcluC cOabC, anu Will % Ill Aoe AL
geles about June 9th, on which date he
will be rendered public reception by
the local Typographical union. Mr.
Childs at present is in San Francisco, in
attendance upon the session OF the
National Editorial association, OF which
body he is first vice-president. This
evening he will be entertained by the
printers union OF San Francisco. 1t is
a matter of surprise to many who are
unacquainted with Mr.. Childs's lite, his
methods Of business, his wealth and his
philanthropies, that all properly or
ganized printers should vie With each
other in doing him honor but to those
who are familiar with the history OF the
Philadelphia Public Ledger and it's pro.
prietors, relation between the effect and
it's cause is clearly defined.
George William Childs was born at
Baltimore, Nd, May IL, 1920, and is
now SO years old. He entered the
United States navy at the age OF 13
years, and spent fifteen months in the
service. He then settled in Philadel-
phia, and obtained employment as q
shop-boy in book store. At the age
of 18, having saved few hundred dol
lars, he went into business for himself ;
and before he was 81 he became q mem
Der of the publishing firm of Childs q
Peterson. On December 5, 1854, he
purchased the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, daily paper which, under his
management, has become an influential
and wildly circulated journal. and OF
which he can truthfully say, "This prop
erty was built up without breaking
other people down."
When Mr.. Childs acquired the Ledger
he made distinction in the manage
ment OF his business which too many
overlook, "Meanness" said he, sis not
necessary to success in business but
economy is''.
As early as 1867 Mr.. Childs had &C
quired a reputation as "a Just and lib
eral employer and q kind-hearted and
charitable man." and had been made
an honorable member of the Philadel-
phia Typographical society. This so.
ciety was, in the following year, the re.
cipient OF large and valuable tract of
ground in Woodland cemetery, near
Philadelphia, which was beautifully or
namented, and which has since been
known as the Printers cemetery. The
expenses connected with it's mainten-
ance have been met by the donor for
over twenty years.
The good deeds of Mr.. Childs are go
numerous that they could not be de-
scribed in brief sketch; indeed, the
greater majority of them are known
only to himself. The individual cases
of distress relieved by him are simply
innumerable, aud among those relieved
are naturally many present or past en-
ployees. One form which his benii-
cence takes is to place insurance upon
their lives, which, in case of death, will
provide for those dependent on them.
Another form of Mr.. Child's philan-
thropy is seen in his pension system,
which places all who have served him
long and faithfully beyond want
in old age. 1t should he under
stood that the pension system
which exists in his Office ia regular
part Of the remuneration received by all
employees, and not merely gift to the
needy. He furnishes the most cheerful,
wholesome, often luxurious rooms for
the entire working force of the Ledger,
and in the printers apartment he has
not forgotten to use those colors that
are least trying to the eye.
Vacations interrupt regularly the said
work of the Ledger employees, and with
the vacation comes present OF means
for trip. On each Christmas eve every
employee receives present in money,
the total amount being many thousands
OF dollars annually. This is what Mr..
Childs modestly calls profit-sharing.
Another matter worthy of note is that
Mr.. Childs declined to Submit" to a
reduction in the scale of wages of his
printers, after the union had reduced
the same in the other Offices in Phlla,,
delphia. To delegation of hia en-
ployees making the announcement to
him he said he saw no reason why he
should reduce their wages. He re-
ceived the same for advertising space as
formerly, and his subscription rates
were the same; his business was pros
porous, and he saw no reason why he
should not share his prosperity with his
employees.
Allreaders of the daily press are aware
of the Childs-D Drexel home for aged
printers, recently dedicated at Colorado
Springs, the nucleus of which was con-
tributed by Mr.. Childs and Mr.. Anthony
Drexel.
To sum up briefly the attitude in
which Mr.. Childs stands toward all
union printers, the result of his actions
toward them and his employees, an ex-
tract from the pen Of George William
Curtis in Harper's Weekly of January
II, 1890, is distinctly apropos:
ut was long ago said of Mr.. George
w. Childs, the publisher of the Phila-
delphia Public ledger, that he was the
two 'Cheeryble Brothers rolled into
one; but probably a more appropriate
name for him would be the Santa Claus
of the newspaper world. On this last
Christmas day Mr.. Childs, it is said,
gave presents amounting to many thou
sands Of dollars in hard cash to the ed
itors, reporters, compositors. pressmen
and other employees of the Ledger.
When it is considered that tho salaries
and wages paid by Mr.. Childs are as
large as the largest paid by other Phila-
delphia publishers, it will be recognized
that any one associated with him in his
work has cause to be satisfied with his
employer. 1t il said by his employees,
however, that they have even greater
cause for satisfaction with him because
Of his daily consideration for them than
for his Christmas bounty. It is repre-
sented to be pretty much of the same
admirable sort 'as that of Mr.. Fezziwig
for his employees, which was go warmly
described by Scrooge. He has the
power said old Jacob Marley's partner
to render us happy or unhappy; to
1 make our service li0ht or hnrdanaou10