Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-10-21
Wanamaker and Stewart.

more than 10 by IL in size. He does
his work at little SIS desk, crowded
up under the window, 50 that the light
falls over his right shoulder, as he sits
there looking over the figures of each
days business. He rose, and as we
shook hands could not see that he
looked day older then when he was
Postmaster General
Still, he IL now in his sixtieth year,
and he has been in active business life
for more than a generation. He has
few wrinkles and does not look hurried
or worried As / shook hands with
him remarked upon his freshness and
said to him that he did not seem TO be
over worked. He replied:
NO; / am not overworked Still, 4
have plenty to do. / have to spend q
part Of each week in New York. i get
reports from my New York store every
morning, and the business Of two estab-
lishments is, of course. greater than
one"
Il suppose your business extends to
the whole country, Mr.. Wanamaker,
does it not7"
mo, was the reply; lit is largely
local. The business Of any great store
must be near home My chief custom
ers are within a radius Of 100 miles of
New York and Philadelphia. OF
course, we sell some goods by mail, but
the real business il made up OF the
goods which we sell across the coun.
ters"
II should think, Mr.. Wanamaker.
that this store would have been large
enough for one man. You have made
a great success here. Why did you add
to your work by bnying the establish
Inent In New York.
Why do we do anythingT" said the
merchant. 1T is hard to tell. can
only say saw that there was an open
ing for such store az | have in New
York / took IL. not that ] wanted to
com pete with other .nerchants there,
but that might succeed in satisfying
the demand which ] thought existed.
! was right. The.stcre has done better
than ] expected.
Mr.. Wanamaker you are one Of the
largest advertisers in the country. /
noticed that you keep your advertise
ments running during the hard times.
Many OF the merchants have left them
drop. Does it pay to advertise when
times are hard1'
II certainly think 30, replied Mr..
Wanamaker. When the times are
hard and people are not buying is the
very time that advertising should be the
heaviest You want to get the people
I'm TO wee what you have to sell, and you
must advertise 10 do that. When the
times are good they will come Of their
own accord. But believe in advertis-
ing all the time. We never stop adyer-
tising.
You use the news papers almost al
together for advertising, do you notg'
Yes; have tried all kinds, but
think newspaper advertising is by far
the best. / used 10 spend great deal
Of money in posters and bills, but
have given up that long ago"
Can you see any immediate results
from such advertising?' asked.
Il should think so. replied Mr.. Wan.
amaker IF You will come over here
or To our New York store some morn
ing when we have advertised job lot
Of bicycles or Of some other things and
look at the long line Of people who are
standing outside waiting till the doors
are open, you will see how the advertise
ments in the newspapers are read. "
Then advertising IL one OF the CHIEF
elements Of business success, In il notY'
1T is one Of the elements, but not the
chief, replied the great merchant.
THE chief element IN getting what the
people want, in keeping your eyes on
the parts Of the world where new things
are made and in giving them the best
and the newest things along the lines
OF their real or fancied needs. My aim
Is 10 get the goods The advertisement
il merely to tell the people that | have
them like an advertisement which
merely describes what we have in the
store
How do you like doing business in
New York;"
Very much, indeed. Have you been
In my store YETI
mo, / have not. / replied.
You ought TO visit my store the nexi
time You are in New York" said Mr.
Wanamakcr. 1T is worth visiting Il
see the building, il for nothing else
A. 7. Stewart was q genius. ] hav,
been surprised again and again ~
have gone through that building, walk
ing in that dead mans shoes 10 find
what knowledge he had Of the needs
of mercantile establishment Mr.
Stewart put mp building which il to
day. ! believe, better arranged than any
Of the modern structures which are be
ing erected. He seemed 10 know just
what was needed.
Did yon know Mr.. Stewart?"
asked.
yes ] met him often when was
young man. / used TO buy goods oi
him, and have reason TO think that h,
took a liking:to me. One day remember
] was in his woolen department buying
some stuffs for my store here when hs
came up 10 me and asked me il | would
be in the store fifteen minutes longer
replied that | would. He then went
away AT the end Of Is minutes he
returned and handed me slipof paper
saying
Young man, ! understand You have
a mission school In philadelphia; use
that for H.
Before could reply he had left
looked down nj the slip Of paper. II
was check for 81 900.
But A. T. Stewart was not noted foi
his charities, was he, Mr.. WanamakerY
He did good deal Of good in secret
was the reply. HE was always doing
something for others He gave $50 00t
TO the people who lost by the Chicago
fire, and when he died, you know, h,
was building million dollar home foi