The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-10
JOHN WANAMhKER'S
 GOLDEN JUBILEE

The name of John Wanamaker is indicative of big things, big ideas, biz enterprises. At the very beginning oi his business career he showed the big qualities of mind and heart which have made his business what it is to- day.
 The first days receipts of the little store which he opened in Philadei- phia fifty years ago were $24.67. He kept the 67 cents for making change next day." and immediately spent the SPA for newspaper advertising
 That investment took courage. a bigger amount of courage than the expenditure of ten thousand times the amount would cost him now. Ii meant, too, a big confidence in his goods and a big knowledge of human nature.
 This year MT. Wanamaker com pletes a full half century of business life, and his associates have celebrat- ed the occasion by publishing a vol ume called The Golden Book by the John Wanamaker Stores.
 It is interesting reading, this Gold en Jubilee Book. It is the story of a pigmy which grew into a giant be- cause it had a giants heart. Al though a tale of peaceful commerce it is a record of exciting battles
  the history Of Great Revolution in Business Methods; of interest to, and with an influence on, every person who either buys or sells anything i1l the civilized world to-day.
 John Wanamaker was the Aboli- tionist of a principle of buying and selling so old that the ancient Ro- mans coined the phrase ''Vaveat Emp tor" Get the buyer beware) to ex- press it. Until his little store in Philadelphia advertised it's new pol icy of square deal to it's custom CTS, every merchant looked upon a buyer as his legitimate prey. To get as much as one could and give as little in return for it as possible was considered the height of business ac- umen.
 John Wanamaker was the Apostle of Fair Play in business; from the beginning of his career he preached and practiced the doctrine that bar gain was not bargain unless both parties to it benefited by the transac- ton.
 The present generation cannot ap- preciate the disbelief, opposition and ridicule with which the announce ment of this new policy was received. Shopping. in any first-class store, is now so simple, easy and safe for the inexperienced buyer, that 1t is taken as a matter of course. The millions of shoppers, scattered each day throughout the great stores of the country are indebted to John Wana- maker for the consideration, courtesy and fair dealing which they now re- ceive.
 A fixed price, exchange of goods or refund of money, courtesy with no obligation to buy, rigid investigation of manufacturers statements and ab- solutely no misrepresentation of goods, are ordinary business virtues expected now in any frst-class store -because John Wanamaker fought and won a battle for each principle involved.
 Shorter business days, summer va cations with full pay, Saturday half an insurance association, pension roll, the ideas first worked out by John employees.
 he built House Palatial'' for the rich at cost of over a quarter of a million; and then created beside it a series of Moderate-COst" Model Apart ments, showing in concrete form how an entire home could be furnished in perfect taste for few hundred dol lars.
 MT. Wanamaker's fifty years of business and his services as Post master General made him a host of friends in public life, many of whom have shown in speeches and articles their appreciation of his qualities of mind and heart.