New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15

learned not only to respect him as III "p''e
and successful man Of business, put aiSo ~
esteem him as friend He was frenu' nno'o-
over who proved his friendship by deeus "'
we,, M words. When his business had peco'ne
nrosnero,,s. and he found himself compafa'
tive,v wealthy man. as wealth was couh'eo :"
tbosc DAVIS. there came to him, as there come ~
all such men. urgent appeals for pecuniary heip
from loss fortunate acuuaintances ana Irehus
Doubtless lie would have acted more Wis.,!
from business point Of view had lie uisres"'.
al sucb oppeals: but that was not MT Doyles
,,.,r 60 for "a he was able he responded 10
.hor, o,l-,n many cases taking no security OUT
.ho honor NJ the borrower for loans advanced.
TO adapt a famous saying. 1t was masnih'e"''
but 1t was not business 1t Is neeuieSS " Soy
that much Of this money was never repaiu az"
those who know say that there are ricl n'eA -
New-YOrk to-day who owe Mr.. Doyie iar n'o.e
thor tho omount for which he failed two years
ago. =,
For he did fall of course. Not so much De-
cause Of his generosity, though that may nave
had something to do with 1t, as because VI 'ie
shifting Of the centre OF trade through 'he
pansion Of the city, and the revoiu'lop III '"'
methods Of conducting the drygoods Dus'nesS'
The great modern bazaar made It's appearance,
with It's impersonal, machine-like METHODS anu
its ability to undersel the small stores by reasoh
Of its greater capital and more accurate DUST
ness intutions The old-imcrs, like Mr. Doyie'
made a brave struggle to hold their own. but
their customers who were also their persona'
friends, either died or moved uptown, ana one
by one the drygoods stores of the Old epoch
closed thei- doors. Mr.. Doyle held ONT uhtii
1894. when he was forced to go into bankruptcy
and settle with his creditors at about 33 Id
cents on the dollar.
Thus far the story has only historical IN
tcrest, as part Of the record OF this citys COM
mercial growth. But during this last week MT.
DOYLE and his wife have added chapter TO II
that lifts II far above the ordinary story OF
business career and transports us, as we READ
IT. from the low-lying levels Of selfish selfseek-
ing to the region where duty and obligation are
sacred and memorable realties-the region
whose spirit is so APPLY symbolzed by the ever
lasting yea and the everlasting nay OF Grabbed
old CARLYLE. Mr. Doyle had settled with his
creditors; he was under no legal obligation TO
nav them any more, and many would go even
further and say that he was under no moral
obligation TO do So Neither he nor his wife,
however, could take that narrow view OF the
case. They were far from being wealthy; but his
wife had some property saved from the days OF
their earlier prosperity. They took counsel to-
gether and decided to apply that property 70
| the payment in full Of all the claims for when
he had received release. The decision was car
ried out. and last Tuesday the old merchant,
now nearly eighty years Of age, paid all his
creditors every cent Of his Indebtedness to them
That is the story, simple enough In Its out
lines, but tremendously eloquent in Its mean
ing. SO modest and retiring are It's chief actors
that one feels almost like Offering them an
apology for bringing them into the publicity OF
print on only one ground may the narration
be excused, If not justlned-namely. because OF
It's value as IN inspiration TO others. Young
men find it harl TO get on In business to-day.
YET success stands ready to place Its crown on
the brow OF any young man who, like Mr.. Doyle,
Is supremacy honest with himself. And better
still, he will reap the reward of an approving
| conscience