New-York tribune., 1913-07-14
DR.. CHARLES PERRY DEAD
Widely Known as Owner OF
Park Row Pharmacy.
ONCE OFFERED EDITORSHIP
Acquaintance Among Prominent
Persons Said to Have Been
Largest in City.

Dr. Charles J. Perry, whose drug store
In Park Row is known the world over,
died in St Vincent's Hospital yesterday
afternoon. Death was due to a complica-
tion Of diseases Of an organic nature. DR..
Perry went TO the hospital from the
Broadway Central Hotel on Wednesday
morning. on the night before he had
complained to Or. James G. Hancock OF
feeling slightly ILL., nr. Hancock advised
him to go TO ST. Vincents for special
treatment and quiet.
DR.. Perry. it was said, knew more per-
sons Of prominence in New York than
probably any other man. Among his
friends, particularly, were newspaper edi-
tors and reporters of several generations,
lawyers. merchants. financiers and poll
ticians.
He had a remarkable faculty for MAX
ing friends. to whom he ever remained
loyal Among those who were not on
such terms of intimacy as to know Of his
lavish giving TO charity II was supposed
that DR. Perry had amassed consider
able fortune. Such. II is claimed by his
friends, was not the case. The money
saved by DR.. Perry while he was presi-
dent of the Perry Pharmacy Association,
owner of the store in the Pulitzer Build
ing for the last quarter of a century, is
said TO be less than 100000.
Or. Perry came to New York from
Richmond. Va, when he was fifteen years
old. He was born in February, 1850. at
Richmond and attended the public schools
there Young Perry was first employed
as an errand boy by Alexander Hudnut.
whose drug store was at Broadway and
Ann street II was the only all night
drug store in those days. and was prin-
cipally patronized by newspaper writers
end printers. a large back room was
the rendezvous for newspaper workers,
who gathered there when the morning
papers went 70 press.
Dr. Perrys smiabilty. as well as his
capability, soon won him the manage
ment of the store. James Gordon Ben
nett. Of THE New York Herald" about
this time made young Perry an offer OF
the city editorship of his paper, and later,
upon Dr. Perry's refusal, proposed that
he take the editorship Of The Herald
Dr. Perry never had any newspaper train
ing. but it Mas. said that few men pos
sessed surer knowledge of news values.
Fulton street, a block 10 the south OF
the Hudnut store. in those days was one
of the principal thoroughfares for mer-
chants whose homes were in Brooklyn.
This was before the opening Of the Brook
lyn Bridge The cheerfulness and oblig-
ing manner Of the young drug store man
ager were no ed by the men who patron
lied the store, and when i'm 1883 he made
il known that he wanted TO start I'm bust
ness for himself he found men who came
forward with the necessary funds for
opening a drug store under the proprie-
torship of DR.. Charles j. Perry.
In 1883, under the name of the Perry
Pharmacy Association. Or. Perry
branched out for himself with a store in
The sun" building. The store was where
the publication office of the paper now is
located. Three years later the store was
moved to the Pulitzer Building. where the
rent paid was popularity supposed to be
$4,000 year.
The closing OF thS old Astor House came
as personal misfortune to DR.. Perry.
He had made his home In the hotel con-
for twenty-five years. From the
first day he registered there DR.. Perry
occupied the same room up To the time
the hotel was closed. a few weeks ago.
While living AT the Astor House Or. Perry
was always the first voter TO register In
his election district the LIST of the 1st AS
sembly District, and was first on the line
TO cast his ballot on the morning of Elec-
tion Day.
DR.. Perry gave much attention TO the
men of the United States Navy Through
Father Rainey, chaplain Of the battleship
Utah. Or. Perry did much in a charitable
way for the enlisted men. Sailors could
always get helping hand from DR..
Perry. Modest in an unusual degree. DR..
Perry never talked of his deeds OF kind
ness.
DR.. Perry was a member of the Hard
ware, Press. Crescent. botos and Catholic
clubs and some fifteen others.
With him when he died were his
brother, jeremiah; half-brother, Will
lam; a sister, Mrs. O'Connell, who lives
in Bay Ridge, and a nephew Death came
while he slept
The funeral. which will he private. will
be held from the home OF his brother,
jeremiah Perry. No. II Orange street,
4 requiem high mass will be
sung at st. Charles Borromeos Church.
Sidney Place, Brooklyn, on Tuesday
Burial will be In Calvary.