New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-04
MR.. CHILDS'S DEATH.
prHE NOTABLE CAREER OF THE PHILA
DELPHIA PUBLIC LEDGER'S"
PROPRIETOR.
HOW HE BUILT UP HIS GREAT PAPER-A PUBLIC
SPIRITED CITIzEN-THE FRIEND OF PROMI-
NENT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD
FINE LIBRARY.

NENT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD
HIS FINE LIBRARY.
The news OF the death, at 3:Ol O'Clock yesterday
morning, of George w. Childs. proprietor Of THE
Philadelphia Public Ledger" was received too late
for insertion in the first edition of Saturday
Tribune. Mr.. Childs died from the effects or
stroke Of paralysis, which he suffered on January lS
For nearly twenty years the name Of George W.
Chids has been familiar to newspaper readers al
over the world the proprietor OF The Phia-
delpha Public Ledger" to the lovers Of art and
literature as the patron OF both. the payer of trb-
ute to the memory Of Herbert and Shakespeare, OF
Leigh Hunt and Tom Moore, and TO the philan-
thropst as the generous giver 70 every good cause
He bern in Baltimore on May u. 1879 OF parents
in the middle walk Of life and received com
mon-school education in his n,.tive city. When
thirteen years old he entered the United States
Navy and served there for a little over n year.
Then he removed 10 Philadelphia. and obtained
employment in the shop Of bookseller named
Thomson. His more than ordinary knowledge or
books made him a valuable assistant, and before
long he was trusted with task requiring much
tact and tudgment-the attending OF auction sales
and the purchasing Of books for his employer THIS
led his making trips to Boston and New-fork.
where he frequented the great trade sales
When eighteen years old Mr.. Childs had saved
up a few hundred dollars. and decided 10 open
a bookstore Of his own. He hired small room IN
the building at Third and Chestnut sts then occu-
pied by 1.-The Public Ledger" and began business.
This was his first relation with the newspaper
which he was afterward TO make his own
The first number OF The Public Ledger" was Is
sued on March %. 1S26-the pages by 1872 inches
at cent per copy. by three prnters-W NJ Swain,
a. s. Abel and Azariah II. Simmons. They set the
type, and Russell Jarvis. formerly an assistant
of Dun Green THE Washington Telegraph
aid the writing When the penny press had
been founded in New-YOrk three years earlier.
those printers had no faith in It, and were content
70 earn their bread composors. Swain de-
elined to take any interest in THE sun ana was
% emphatic In stating his objections as almost 70
discourage Benjamin II. Day from beginning the
enterprise When Moses Y Beach succeeded Day
as proprietor Of 1.-THE Sun" Swain was made fore
man of the news-room at s2 week. He worked
80 hard that he fell III. and on returning TO his
post after absence of three OF four weeks. Beach
declined to pay him for the time. which so angered
che foreman that he threw up his position IN dis-
gust.
His anger made him think favoraby Of the penny
,ress hut as the field was occupied in New-York.
ne went to Philadelphia. and In connection with
two other compostors. as has been said set up
1.-THE Ledger" and later THE Sun" in Baltimore
Very soon 1.-The Ledger" was united with Ihe
Transcript" also a l-cent sheet that had been
started few days earlier. and presently began to
win some attention In its early days II resorted 10
sensations TO attract notice. 1t abused the United
States Bank, then very popular there; 1t advocated
Abolition in the hot pro-savery days; II condemned
the Native American mobs when Native-American-
ISM was rampant; II raised a crop OF libel suits.
was mobbed several times. and finally secured CIR
Culation.
Meanwhile Mr. Childs was selling books under
p~The Public Ledger" office. He had become a book
publisher and partner Of Robert e. Peterson u
Co. afterward Chds e. Peterson, and then men,
Der Of the great house of j. B. Lppincott & Co..
bringing out a number of works that had an i'm
mense sale. He assumed in 1863 the publication Of
s'The American Literary Gazette and Publishers
Chronicle" which valuable TO the trade. being
then the recognized organ OF the booksellers of the
country.
While he had been prospering he had formed the
plan Of owning the newspaper published above his
head. and his opportunity came sooner than he ex-
pected. After the broke out the price of white
paper and other articles necessary for its production
advanced to high figures. Labor and material
doubled in price and in 1864 the publishers
losing money daily their publication of penny
paper. Every issue cost them $3.50 more than they
received for It. the annual loss being $4,000. All
this time its circulation kept up and its columns
were we'll filled with advertisements. Mr.. Childs,
learning that the publishers were anxious to dis
pose Of It, looked carefully into the matter He
made close calculation of the expense of publish
sng It, and despite the advice OF Of his friends
who thought that he throwing his money away,
purchased the whole property on December 5. 1864,
for sum only little in excess of Its annual loss.
The story Of his purchase has been told follows:
He paid visit TO Swain, whom he knew init
tnately. and inquired DO you remember my pre-
riction. sixteen years SINCE that should one day
buy THE LEDGER?
Eyes 1 remember a stout lad hiring an Office Of
the a good while ago. and boastng that he should
buy me out some time. But put the notion out
Of his head. think.
"'Not bit of 1t. The notion has become rooted
In my hair. 1 came here to-day to buy you out. If
Hou won't sell now, can afford to wait for am
yet young and have good constitution, and. l
may add. a good bank account. Also"
Mr. Childs Immediately showed how the paper
could be published at profit. He doubled It's price
and increased the advertising rates 10 what he
sdered a paying figure. The change
1elt, and advertisers and subscribers dropped off
In considerable numbers. Then Mr.. Childs conceded
O point and reduced the subscription price from u
to 10 cents a week. 1.-The Ledger" had become a ne
cessy in many families and the subscribers recog-
mixing the Justice of Mr.. Childs's proceeding. began
to return. Then came in and the paper
began 10 gain gradually In a short time it
established substantial and paying footing.
In the mean time 1r. Cbilds working with
all his strength his purchase. He superin-
tended everything. and for several years did
leave the editorial rooms until midnight. He began
by making various changes in the character and
strove to elevate the tone Of the paper. He made
the rule that advertisement having the slightest
faint Of bad morals should appear in its columns
This determination led to the exclusion of a large
number Of advertisements. aggregatng at least TO
$1,000 annually. In return however, 1t fairly
created the classes OF advertisements for which
It is noted The Wants. Boarding" 'For Sale"
and ITO Let advertisements formed the great
Feature Of the paper then and have since.
While exercising this careful supervision OF the
advertising columns, Mr.. Childs did neglect
the news and editorial departments. Nothing
allowed to appear in the paper that might wound
the feelings OF any person and any attempt at
sensation was carefully avoided. The effect of these
rules was seen in the constantly increasing business
and circulation Of the paper. The building at the
corner OF Third and Chestnut SITS became
contracted. and In 1866 the handsome brown stone
building at the corner Of Sixth and Chestnut SITS
was purchased. together with the adjoining lots
OF ground Upon these the finest newspaper pub
lication office in the city fitted up and for
mally opened with interesting ceremonies followed
by grand banquet June 20 1867. From that