Connecticut western news., 1894-02-08


 was not seriously i'll. On the following Sunday night, however, the physicians re- luctantly admitted that paralysis of the lower limbs accompanied the attack, which was in reality second attack of apoplexy.
 From that time on there have been alter mating periods of hope and fear. as the semidaily bulletins announced changes for the better or the worse, until at midnight last night came the announcement that hope was dead and dissolution imminent
 His Wonderful Popularity.
 There is but little reason to doubt that the immediate cause of the attack was overwork and anxiety attendant upon his efforts to see that the memory of his life long friend, the late A. J. Drexel, was properly honored- All of the day upon which came the attack was spent by MT. Childs in preparing for the Drexel memo rial services held in the Drexel institute on Saturday, Jan. 20, two days after the fatal Thursday. Twice during the day MT. Childs had gone in person to the institute, and in person he had seen that all neces- sary arrangements were completed.
 His enforced absence from the ceremony worried him profoundly. and to this fact was largely due the relapse which occurred on the night of Sunday. Jan. 2l, since which time there has been an uneasiness in the minds of those who knew his condition which amounted to almost certainty that he could not recover.
 Mir. Childs was probably as widely known as any man in the United States, and thers can be no doubt that he was by far the best known resident of Philadelphia His popularity in this city was wonderful He was familiar figure on Chestnut street from the fact that when he was in the city he always walked to and from The Ledger office, and so regular was he in his habits that if he did not appear on the street at about the regular time people began to in quire whether he was ill
 Mr. ChiIds' Life.
 George William Childs was born in Bal timore in 1899. The practical part of his makeup was born with him. When he was l2 years of age, he spent 8 summer vaca- tion as errand boy in book store at a sal ary of @ A week and enjoyed it Almost anything might be expected of boy of l2 who enjoyed running errauds, and MT Childs has not disappointed tho expecta- tion- Soon after he removed to Philadel- phia and entered 6 store, doubtless as . mixture of clerk and errand boy.
 He would get up very early in 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 wheclbarrow. In this way he worked till he tsSame of age. when he went into busi- mess with MT. Peterson under the firm name of R. E. Peterson & Co. The only interval in his business career was l5 months in the United States navy when he was I3. He liked running errands, but he couldn't abide the navy. In 1884 MT. Childs purchased The Public Ledger. Mr. Childs Lad good business judgment, but 1t re | quired something more tban judgment tc l pay t150. 0.O00 for piece of property losing l 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 off of advertisements, but the paper had become medium of communication between employers and employed, between buyers and sellers, landlords and tenants bereaved families and their friends, and the first loss of patronage was soon regain ed, and from then till now The Ledger has | grown in prosperity. It paid Mir. Child. | at the time of his death more than q, 900 [ I day clear profit.