The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-20
James Blair.

Jarles Blair has lived 50 long in this
community and been 50 intimately con-
nected with all it's hest interests that
his name is familiar to thousands who
have little personal acquaintance with
him. He was an important factor in
the growth and development of Scran-
ton before he became a resident and
when it required some faith in men
and foresight in possibilities to stimu-
late courage In coming here to reside
he was only following the wise instincts
which arose with the success of his
financial venture. He was a pioneer
in investment at the beginning of our
industries and again Il pioneer in person
when it was necessary for our financial
interests to take on solid and perman-
nent foundations. The characteristics
of such a man, who was the architect
of his own fortunes. make their appre-
ciatiCn the more wise and valuable to
| us just as we understand what relation
| they bear to that kind of success in
| life which has no discount in its
steady, sturdy and honest growth.
Primarily there was the Scotch and
! American colonial ancestry. He was
| born TO religion and business, and in
a time when slow and sure success only
was thought of and when it was as
rotural to persistent and unnervOus ef
| fort as the outcome of the oak is to
| the acorn and it's surroundings. He be-
| gan business life young and in a small
way; satisfied with small beginnings.
II, 10 .11,t \, NNritl n
quite as much care and delight as in
after years he did the larger success
| which crowned the same kind of effort
and zeal He was always a grateful
man for the small successes Of early life
| and no less for the larger ones which
| came as naturally as the first, under a
law of heaven which he believed in,
| We too often undervalue such a life in
these times of eXcitement,Whe nervous
and ambitious youth look too much for
speedy results without estimating and
noting the conditions ana the means.
The characteristics which gave our
fellow citizen his sure success are home
spun virtues downright honesty, un-
hinching watchfulness for details and
little things Of life which go to make
up frugality and economy. How old
fashioned those two little virtues are
to US today. They sound like the drops
that make the ocean, but they tell in
the long run and in the large, There
can be written over such life He
that is faithful in little will also be
faithful in much"
And it is this faithfu!nass wnicl
counts. The country store at Grave
Hill" was a small affair as we look bach
2 on it from the palaces where the mer-
, chant now rules as prince But out o.
: that store ran railroads into and Great
, ed cities, railroads built with the sam,
conscientious attention 60 economic de
, tails and the iueXorable laws of sur,
business growth. 1t is better to 81
Y build ana finish than with a receiVe
: and the ruin of fortunes. Such Il lif
is necessarily a conscientious one. Th
5 seeds Of religion We're implanted q
E used to be so in early times) with tn
+ same care as, and along WITH the seed
J, of success. 1t was difficult to separat
e the two. Success SO bought, hard
+ slow and sure, it is no wonder tina
: more worth is put on its rewards thar
v when riches droo as it Were from tn
h clouds in a thunder storm of excite
: ment and in the nervous tension q
e a speculative fever,
= When it comes to the point of trust
II worthness then We can bring out GU
o golden weights to place in the balance
and estimate such a character as ha
n just closed its career in the midst U
a us. Quiet, faithful and persistent Ia
~ bor rigid and inborn economy enable
- James Blair to retire from bushes
"a without the too often necessary eX
1T perience of a failure and a compromis
~ of debts, and afterwards a watchfl
81 care enabled him constantly to add I
of that sturdy growth unaffected by tn
'e blaze of eXtravagant life Such an eS
So perience has its lessons of inestimabl
ir value, on the religious side Mr.. Bla
ld was the same quet, imperturbable an
u progressive man that he was in bus
a. ness. OF course ii was with no show
O. pretence. Faithful TO the ordinary dl
re ties and claims of religion, in seaso
- and out of season, he was true TO h
RS convictions and reverent in his d,
meanor. His benefactions We're fr,
D. quent and often large. His end Wa