The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-12
FOUNDER OF A PENNY PAPER.
THE CAREER OF WILLIAM NJ SIN
GERLY, OF PHILADELPHIA.
How He Took q Dying Newspaper
and Made a Fortune Out Of lt-At
the Age of 64 He >urrenders All
His property 10 His Creditors.

all the varying comment winch aht Gus
ing of his bank evoked. / have heard
not the first whisper OF suspicion against
nis integrity. on the contrary, there was
everywhere the expression of regret,
coupled with the hope that he would soon
be- upon his feet again. and OF compassion
and good VAL such as il is not easy TO re-
call Of any man who has gone through
like experience There were many who
mad long ago felt that bis temperament
and mis- methods were not consistent with
the caution and the conservatism of a
banker He has some OF the faults Of
Robert Morris. His extreme quickhess o,
decision. his confidence in his own Judg-
ment his impulsivenessa and his strong
sense Of fidelity TO his friends are traits
not always in accord with safe banking
Yet men who yesterday, and. indeed,
years before recognized these weaknesses
and they are weaknesses in any man
who is entrust sd with the direction OF
hank-weTe frequently heard 10 express
their regret fSat A man so Kind in his ma
turs 50 loyal 10 his native city, so ready
to lend the helping hand to others. should
in his advancing years become the victim
Of financial follies.
Mr.. Singerly for many years has been
foremost in all the practical. functions of
public spirit He has been Philadel-
phian from the crown OF his head to the
soles Of his feet. No movement that has
had the honest purpose of bettering tia
city has In the past fifteen years failed
10 secure his support. The son of rich. ;.
man. the nheritor Of much of the essate
of Joseph Singerly, he has been among the
most active the most Democratic the
most accessible of all our citizens A cap
italist. no man has ever enjoyed in larger
measure the respect OF labor: a democrat.
no leader in his party has had more friends
among republicans; journalist. he has
seen every head OF 4 II, wspaper in Phila-
de,phia acknowledge his primacy in the
race for popularity. He has often been
brusque. even rough in his intercourse
with men; he has always had a blunt
straight, forwardness of speech: he has
sometimes had queer characters around
him in discharging his obligations to every
man who had ever done favor for him,
but the highest tribute which can be paid
to any man is that Bib Singrrly has
never lied his way out of trouble. and that
he has never made a promise which he
did not keep. or try 10 keep.
Mr. Singerly win be 81 years old on Mon
day next. Not until recently has he ever
showed sign Of his age. Quick in move
ment chainlightning-lk In speech nim-
Bile and naIy in gal. and garb. he would
a any time. up 10 the death Of his mother
whose memory he venerated. with all INC
affectonate fidelity Of a good son, have
a
familiar with his career. If his magnif-
cent pluck shall fail to land him right side
up after the emharrassments he Is now I'M
dergoing, II viii he only because his vital
lily has been Slapped under the shadow Of
old age and domestic sorrow. No Phila-
delphian has more Of the quality which
call sand" He is one of that sort
cf men who viii not be likely to rest again
until every dollar Of Indebtedness for
which he is responsible shall be wiped ont
by bis own exertions. And he will do II
net ostentatfously. or with psaim-sin giug
or with any invitation to gaze upon him 81
an honest man, but because of that
yirile sense Of honor which has made his
word bstter than the oaths of many of
his fellows who have enrolled themselves
among the elect
Singerly and some friends took the Record
off the hands of the younger Swain. after
his failure 10 attempt 10 break down the
Ledger. IL looked PC II he had bought 4
pig In a poke. At that time ne was known
only as the manager of the horse rail-
way system. which his father had built
up out Of the Fourth ard Eighth and
Girard Avenue Railway Companies. aud
the prevailing impression was that he was
hard or flinty man 10 deal with. and
vet. wtthaL an angel for Cassidy
Tom Barger. sam Josephs George Mage
wan and the rest OF the democratic clique
that had fallen into the sherif's office rs
snug harbor when the first Of the great
Republican local reactions struck W El-
wood Rowan and hnded William II
Wright IN the "Rov-" II was generally
allowed that SinEcrly was fool for AK
ing up the Record which had come down
into The ditch after short season al
skyrocket prosperity. Later on. when ne
lowered rs price 10 cent, the late George
". Childs. Frank Mclaughlin w w
Harding and pretty nearly al! he res. af
the publishers labored 70 convince him
that he was a dov nright idiot His can
tt1let'c chums Ike Wiism II Kenne
who was tho frusst Of friends 10 any
man - whom he plighte1 his faith-said
q him half seriously half }ecuIarly. thar
h" ought 10 have known better than IN
WAT unih - years ~ age before learning
now - become "A newspaper man. An.
Yer Sing riv IN journalism mastered or
surpassed every man who was then his
ccnfemi'crary. including even Mr. 5'hilas
lie saw De tablesf turned upon The men
who had Advised him 20 SEX a reirrat in
kirkhrisse's for daring fa9 sub n pooa
paper NJ cent and who ferseiver,- Bar.,9
~" Record an those DAVIS az The Me
Boys own" or tht, 'R4ifwas- C;frr cr-9,, ..
An now 81 rs curious 20 note that in this
climax % his troubles his newsr1par Is
the ore great source Of prof. which Il
expected. ebi 3v 80 tide Dir, over tha
crisis In his r slgT This Is supposed 10
hH worth not far from sI75 paa to sex
fss' ya2r. Mr. Singerly this rYornine an
r"ucees iAet in 1895 lts proffs were $40
en revenue exceedcI only bv N
Ledger when wears age unde~ ChI54
81 Paid an average profit ~ probably = f.s
a day That hit = a rewspaper sttrt,>-
i}ng which Sinceriv DourfShesi into IN
again q. Third end Chestpu; streets. has
become his rairStay. = has been his
sheet aorhov against The storm and cIa-,a-
81 erT itoFs. aud IS now his rreat resource
In 9reuart0r to REGAIN his lost ground
NJ SnEgrly Nss regretted thst BE- never
entered journalism earlier ~ his career
lie has er3oyod not simply tts Profits Inst
ouite as much tho sense cf rourer that
eatne W3th p paper 80 by more re0Dla
thRu arv 1--WE papers ln Philadeiphla had
sN~r before beer known to reach. The
otfsl - - teN man is perhaps best known
t0 Chs loyalty 90 aH has men. from the
veteran JACK Bailey down 20 fb. fs..st
t5ro or tne reporters stsr All ~ 49,.
rss}'s-taal members - the concern zha-.
Wif1 ne trusted Bailey TIE hahr ~ a.
costing hius boss ard AZ the funiors
"A 81