Evening journal., 1908-02-14
The Late George \. Ash.

Editor THE EVENING JOURNAL.
It is with feelings Of great and persona
regret that we note the death OF Mr.,
George II. Ash, of Wilmington, who re-
Gently passed away in that city. For some
three decades, perhaps more, the late Mr.
Ash successfully carried on a merchant
tailoring business in wilmington. A COM
plete mechanic and master Of his particu-
lar trade, in all its varied and complex
details Mr.. Ash won the confidence and
support of the people. Anable, courteous,
polite-and how rare these attributes are
Mr. Ash won the love and respect OF all
those with whom he came in contact
There was nothing churlish, nothing boor-
ish, nothing autocratic or opinionated
about the late Mr.. George II. Ash, Indeed,
it was invariably a pleasure to meet him
irrespective of whether or not the meeting
resulted in a pecuniary advantage to
either the one or the other. The financial
credit of Mr.. Ash, during the whole of his
business career, was never challenged.
Passing through various periods Of indus
trial depression, TO which the city of
Wilmington, like other cities, was sub
jeoted Mr. Ash sustained his credit by
an assiduous and constant attention TO
business. Perhaps no greater compliment
can be paid to the memory of Mr.. Ash
than to state that, such was the esteem
in which he was held bythe houses which
sold him goods. il misfortune had over
taken him, or il he had lost every dollar
rrffI Ita
did business would have furnished him
with all the goods he might have needed.
Although the weight OF increasing years
had frosted the hair. and robbed him Of
some Of the elasticity Of youth. Mr.. Ash
lost none Of his ability as a shrewd mer-
chant tailor, lie did not rust out. nor did
he lag superfuous"-G Ash died
in harness. Perhaps It is better that death
should come 10 us with all celebrity, thar
the fell Sergeant should be strict and
swift In his arrest. than that we should
continue to live on and be a drug in the
market OF life after we have outlived
our usefulness. There is no more pathetic
figure this side OF the grave than the man
Who cumbers the earth when he has he
come bankrupt in age, pocket and usefui-
ness. Such, however. was not the case
with the late Mr.. George H. Ash. On the
contrary, he was, up TO the finish. CHEEKY
OF disposition, alert 70 the requirements
of his trade, and interested in the various
happenings Of life We don't know. We
don't care, what was the particular creed
or religion Of Mr.. Ash Suffice it to state,
that he carried into his business and
everyday life the principles embodied in
the Golden Rule, a rule which knocks
into cooked hat" each and every creed
formulated by the finite or human mind
We pay this tribute Of respect to the
memory Of Mr.. George II. Ash. not be-
cause he was a successful man Of bust
lness-plenty OF men whose memories per-
ish with their deaths are all that Nor
do we touch upon the death Of Mr.. Ash
simply because he was the dean Of the
merchant tailors Of Wilmington. We refer
to his regrettable passing away solely be-
cause he was a whole-souled, broad-mind-
ed, unostentatious. courteous, and manly
man. When a man can legitimately lay
claim TO such rare qualifications. then 1t
Is altogether immaterial, when that man
comes to die, whether his material or
worldly success has been large or small.
When the things Of this vacuous world
begin to reeede from our vision. and when
the shadows begin 10 thicken around us.
it matters not cae flip OF coin whether
our commercial lives have been so many
monumental successes or colossal failures
Rest in peace.
Ernest Isitt.
Philadelphia. Feb. II. 1905.
Il