Evening journal., 1894-02-03


was a sad blow to have so near friend
carried off so suddenly.
George w. Chiids Drexel the youngest
son Of the deceased banker, was several
years ago determined upon as the one who
should succeed his father in his interest In
The Ledger. The senior Drexel owned a
half interest in the paper, and this interest
became the property Of the son upon his
fathers death. Young Drexel had been
carefully educated and trained with this
end in view, and he had q remarkable apti'
tude for the career which bad been chosen
for him. Shortly after his fathers death
his name was placed at the head Of the edi-
torial columns Of The Ledger MS the pub
Usher along with that OF Mr. Childs as edi-
tor and proprietor.
Mr.. Childs' private Office In The Ledger
building, which has long been regarded as
one Of the most interesting institutions OF
the city, is daily visited by many people
from abroad.
There is waiting room opening on one
hand into the general Office and on the
other into the private Office. There was an
entire absence OF formality in Mr.. Childs'
method Of seeing and being seeu-a delight
ful freedom from red tape that put every one
at case The architecture and decorations
of the room itself are In the Queen Anne
style. On one side Of the room is a screen
of 10 painted glass panels. One contains
the portraits Of Guttenburg, Faust and
Schaeffer, inventors of the art Of printing
from type. The other panels contain fig
ures emblematic Of the art Of printing. One
exhibits Mr.. Childs' motto, "Nihil Sine
Lahore" and on four others In old English
is painted the commandment, "Let there
be light, and there was light"
Mr.. Childs' Life.
George William Childs was born in Bal
timore in 1929. The practical part Of his
makeup was born with him. When he was
i2 years of age, he spent a summer vaca-
ton as errand boy Ia book store at a sal
AIRY Of g week and enjoyed it, Almost
anything might be expected Of boy of -
who enjoyed running errands, and Mr.
Childs has not disappointed the expecta-
ton. Soon after he removed TO Philadel-
phia and entered store, doubtless as a
mixture of clerk and errand boy.
He would get up very early I'm the morn
ing go down to the store and wash the
pavement and put things in order before
breakfast, and in the winter he would
make the fire and sweep out the store.
In the same spirit, when books were
bought at night at auction, he would early
the next morning go for them with a
wheelbarrow. In this way he worked till
he became OF aye, when he went into busi-
ness with Mr. Peterson under the firm
name Of r. r. Peterson & Co. The only
interval in his business career was Is
months in the United States navy when he
was i3. He liked running errands, but he
couldn't abide the navy. In 1864 Mr.. Childs
purchased The Public Ledger. Mr.. Childs
had good business judgment, but it re
quired something more than Judgment u
pay Sl50,000 for piece of property losing
that amount annually; It required pluck.
The owner at the end of the first week
doubled the price and advanced the adver
tising rate. There was a considerable fall
ing of of advertisements, but the papel
had become medium of communication
between employers and employed, between
buyers and sellers, landlords and tenants
hereaved families and their friends, anC
the first loss of patronage was soon regain
ed, and from then till now The Ledger hai
grown in prosperity. It paid Mr.. Child
at the time of his death more than 81, 900
day clear profit
His Charities.
Mr.. Childs made a great many sin me
moriam" presents. A few years ago STRAIT
ford-upon-Avon was clothed in holiday at
tire while its people were inaugurating
fountain which the Philadelphia million
nire had presented to the birthplace O
Shakespeare. poem by Oliver Wendell
Holmes was read. and the queen telegraph
ed through her private secretary, HE
majesty is much gratiied by your kind ant
loyal expressions and is pleased to hear O
the handsome gift Of Mr.. Childs to Strat
ford"
A year later Archdeacon Farrar breaches
a sermon on the occasion of the unyeiinl
Of a memorial window placed in ST. Mar
! garet's church, Westminster, London, b.
. Mr.. Childs in memory Of John Milton.
Besides these gifts Mr.. Childs has con