Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-02-09
MR.. CHILD'S DEAD.
The Great PhilantrOpiSt Sue
tumbS TO Paralysis
VERY REMARKABLE CAREER

Devoted to Fellow Countrymen-H's
Rise to wealth and Fame-Per-
sonal Characteristics-So
of His Good Deeds.
George W. childs, proprietor Of the Pub
lie Ledger, died Saturday morning at 5'ol
O'Clock at his residence, at the southeast
corner OF fTwenty-second and Walnut streets,
from the effects of a stroke of paralysis sus-
tanned by him on the Sth Of January.
Mr. Childs' last illness began with a faint
ing spell, which seized him while ne was IN
his Office in the Ledger building at nve
o'clock on the afternoon OF Thursday, Janu-
arv IS. lust as he was putting on bis over
coat preparatory to going to his home, at
T~entv.second and Walnut streets. He was
alone at the time, and when an attendant
who heard him fall, reached his side, ne was
totally unconscious.
DIR. Da Costa, his family physician, was
hastily summoned, and restoratiyes were
annliej with the result that IN an hour the
patient was able to walk, with the assistance
of Two strong men, to his carriage, Wnic
stood at the door, He was conveyed to his
citv home. and Mrs. Childs who was at the
country place in Wooton, was summoned.
Dr Da Costa called in Drs Leidy and
Morris and these three issued statement
that Mr.. Childs illness was nothing more
than an attack of vertigo, ar sing from IN
digestion. from which he would soon re-
cover
On the following Sunday night however, +,
the physicians reluctantly adm tnat
naralvsis of the lower limbs accompanied the
attack. which was in reality, second at
tack of apoplexy.
From that time on there have been alter
nat ng periods OF hope and fear, as the semi
daily bulletins announced changes for the
better or the worse, until at midnight came
The announcement that hope was dead, and
dissolution imminent.
There Is but little reason to doubt tnat tne
Immediate cause Of the attack that produced
death was overwork and anxiety attended
upon his efforts to see that the memory oil
his lifelong friend, the late A. J. DrexeL
was properly honored.
SKETCH OF Mr.. CHILDs
George William Childs was born in Balti-
more May I2, 1929, and in that city he gained
bis early education. At the age OF thirteen
years he entered the United States Navy and
remained In the service fifteen months. he
went TO Philadelphia from Baltimore when
little over fourteen years old. He was nearly
nenniless and entirely alone and friendless
He obtained employment as errand boy 10
bookstore at weekly sa airy OF 49, AT tne
end of three years service his salary
amounted to $6 a week From this small
ann eked out with fortunate ventures In
book buying on his own account, the LAD
managed to save money and adopted as his
early motto. Industry, Temperance and
Frueality." In his seventeenth year ne be-
gan attending the great semi-onnual book
sales in New York and Boston, and iormeu
many friendships among the publishers o.
those cities.
AT eighteen he had saved up sufficient cap
itel TO enter into business on his own ac-
count. and set up very modest bookstore
The venture was very uncertain one, iol
his capial was very small He had no out
side influence, but he began to make money
almost from the start.
EARLY BUSINESS CAREER.
Tn 1s49. before he had reached his lega
majority. he entered the publishing firm G
Peterson l. Co.. the flrm name bein|
shortly afterward changed to Childs u Peter
son.
One Of the first books which the firm pub
lished was DR.. Kane's "Arctic Explorations.
This was very expensive undertaking, 10
u vas illustrated with hundreds of woodcu'
and many han isome steel e1grayings III
ipception of the work was due to MIR. Child'
who. prevailed on DR.. Kane to maKetne Doo
a nopular narrative instead OF the scientlh
ESSAY he had at first intended to print.
Mr. Childs was master Of the art OF ac
vertising and he contrived not only to advel
tise DR.. Kane and his book all over tn
limited States but utilized this hrst gre'
success to exploit the subsequent puolic'
tions of bis firm.
In 1861 Mr.. Peterson retired from the nri
Of Childs B. Peterson, and Mr.. Childs ell
tered into partnership with J. B. Lippinco
& Co.. business connection which eon''i
ued about year. Mr.. Chids ihen coh
menced business for himself at Nos. o1o an
63O Chestnut street Here he was again yer
succe,sful. and in 1856 hepurchased the Pu'
lishers' Circular, an advertising sheet, the
published in New York. He remodeed an
edited this paper, and issued the fl st nun
her under the title of the American Puolisl
ers' Circular and Literary Gazette, on Nj"
/. 1863. The Circular was great Succe'
from the start and continued under IN