Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-03
The Career Of the Distinguished
Publisher and Philanthropist.
bow he BUILT Up A GREAT PAPER
His Constant Devotion to Good
Works and Charity.

i
AN INTERESTING BIOGRAPHY
| George w. Childs. publisher Of the Pub
lie Ledger of Philadelphia, died about 3
o'clock this morning.
| Philadelphia's Best Known Citizen.
| Mr. Childs was probably as widely known
as any man in the United States. and there
can be no doubt that he was by far the
best known resident In Philadelphia. His
popularity in that 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. The news of his
| last illness spread over the city in an al
most incredibly short time after he was at
| tackled. and inquiries as to his condition be-
gan to pour into the Ledger office within q
| few minutes. and keen interest was
shown until the hour Of his death.
To all appearances Mr.. Chtlds was a ro-
bust man, yet his constitution was very
delicate. He was of highly nervous tenn
permanent, and with the attack which prov
ed to be the beginning Of his last Illness
| H.
| Those who knew him best believe that he
| was never a thoroughly happy or coHtented
| man after the death Of his boon companion
| and business partner, Anthony ]. Drexel.
| They were almost inseparable in their COM
partnership. and 1t was a hard blow to have
so near friend carried of so suddenly.
George w. Chi1ds 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 iterest
| became the property Of the son upon his
| carefully educated and trained with this
| end in view, and he showed a remarkable
| aptitude for the career which had been
| chosen for him.
| Shortly after his fathers death his name
| was placed at the head Of the editorial col
| umns Of the Ledger as the publisher. along
| with that of Mr.. Childs'. as editor and
proprietor.
Mr.. Childs' Private once.
| Mr.. Childs' private Office in the Ledger
building. which has long been regarded as
one of the interesting Institutions Of the
city. Is daily visited by many people from
abroad There Is a waiting room opening
on one hand into the general Office and on
the other into the private office. There was
| an entire absence of formalty In Mr.. Childs'
method of seeing and being seen. a delight
| full freedom from red tape, that put every
one at ease.
The architecture and decorations Of the
room itself are in the Queen Anne style.
On one side Of the room is screen Of
tains the portraits Of Guttenburg, Faust
and Schaeffer. inventors of the art of print
ing from type. Other panels contain figures
emblematic OF the art of printing.
One exhibits Mr. Childs' motto: 'Nihil
sine lahore" and on four others. In old
English. is painted the command: LET
there be light and there was light"
The walls are thickly hung with portraits
OF prominent men and women, and every
were are pieces Of bric-a-brac and furni-
ture which have a history of their own A
traits of actors and actresses. all Of whom
had found their way to the Office to pay
their respects to the owner and to present
his or her portrait. Henry Irving leads the
long list OF actors and Sara Bernhard
that of the actresses.
A charming portrait of Miss Julia Mar
lowe recalls the first visit Of that young
actress to PHILADELPHIA The full-length
portrait of Sara Bernhardt, painted by her
own hand and presented by her to Mr..
Childs. is near photographs Of Nilsson,
Scaiehi, Modjeska, Janauschek, Charlotte
Cushman. Mrs. Kendall Albani Nordica.
Nevada, Langtry and other artists Almost
every object In the Office has attached to 1t
a personal note and voices the personal
nsa had OF bes some M ,S one For Mr.
each Of his lady visitors with a souvenir
cup and saucer.
His Three Homes.
Mr.. Childs had three homes, which he and
his family occupied at different seasons of
the year. His town house on Walnut street
Is a white marble structure and Is one of
the most imposing edifices on that street of
aristocratic homes. His country home at
Wootton, Delaware county, is surrounded
by sixty acres Of beautiful grounds The
lawn is said to be the most beautiful of
any in this country. Here the hospitality
which Mr.. Childs ever delighted In had one
OF Its principal theaters. The roll of WIS.,
itors includes many distinguished strangers
In addition to his town and country houses
Mr.. Childs had handsome cottage at Long
Branch. adjoining that of the late A, j
Drexel
Career Of George w. Childs.
The career of such a man as George w.
Childs is full of instructive lessons In per-
severance and industry. Born in Baltimore
in 1929 Of parents in the middle walk of
life. he received a common school educa-
ton and entered the United States navy
when only thirteen years Of age, where he
remained for fifteen months. Even in that
comparatively short space Of time he gain
ed a knowledge Of order and discipline
which later on so marked his conduct of
affairs. In 1874 he went to PHILADELPHIA
as he thought 1t afforded better oppor-
tunity and broader field Of business than
his native city.
Although depending entirely upon HIM
self, young Childs then only fifteen years
old, soon managed to obtain employment in
the store of bookseller named Thomson.
at 9th and Arch streets. Here he worked
early and late applying himself to business
in a manner unusual to boys of his age
He took little interest in the customary
sports of the lads in his neighborhood and
found more enjoyment in acquiring a thor
ough knowledge of his business. In this
he succeeded so well that his employer soon
recognized his value and en- trusted him with
work requiring judgment and tact. He at
tended book auctions to make purchases
and by the time he was sixteen he regu-
larry attended the great trade sales in New
York and Boston, where he purchased
whole editions at a time.
First Venture in Business.
At eighteen years of age he had saved
I'D a few hundred dollars, and with this
limited capital he resolved to set up In
business for himself. He obtained a small
room in the building then occupied by the
r opI