Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-08

f. w. DohrmanR, veil known in
Hawaii, died in San Francisco few
days ago. Annie Lalre," writing in
the San Francisco Examiner, says OF
this puhic-spirited maj, under the
title "The Man Who ,Waf'
He died-the other dhy-here in
San Francisco the great merchant
the man of affairs--one pf the last
of what seems to be sometimes van
ishing type.
He eagae here years aga poor
German boy-I've heard him tell a
hundred times of his voyage aroun
by Panafsa--of the queer German
clothes he wore and how they joked
him about his funny peaked cap and
clumsy heavy shoes.
He wanted TO be a merchant and
he started his firsl store with a. board
laid across two empty barreh
There were five cups ana saucerE
on the board-goods heavy, service
ahIe wear worth every penny, that he
asked for them, and flowered with
roses so that they looked entransingly
pretty to the boy who wiped the ,treet
dust from them -allo fairly hatsd to
see them go-because he really byed
them-just little.
They went, though--at q profii not
enough to stagger him or any Sne
else but still-4at profit.
And he bought more-and sold then
and then more-and then mole
again land by and by he had a ltth
shop of his owns~iust hole In the
wall in hmble part Of the Wild
struggling, hullabaloo OF a hui
clean-the little shop was, and mat
as wax. and every dish in 1t shone 10
that you could see, your face IL yhi
looked carefully &
And the business grew-with tn
city-semetimas, they said almost
little ahead OF the city-and in tim
1t became one OF the great establish
mepts In the mercantile life here OF
the coast
We were all proud OF 1t and are. Il
this day.
I've taken a hundred people througI
that store and told them It was tn,
biggest and finest store of its kin,
west of New York, and ! told thi
truth when said il.
And when there was trouble In tn,
city the man who had begun ltfe witt
q board across a barrel and five thicl
cups and sancers for his stock II
trade was the one to whom we al
went for counsel.
And he always gave the counsel
and wise and good 1t always was
and there was always check wen
with II.
And the great army of people whe
worked for the great merchant hon
ored him for his honesty and for his
shrewd ability and for his courage
and for his enterprise. and more thar
all they loved him for his kind and
generous heart.
Every employe In that great store
was a profit-sharer liz the concern.
For every year clerk stayed with
the establishment he got a day more
on his vacationand every year after
a certain time Of employment he tool
a share in the business
And they were all one great, happy
family in the great store.
! went to ball they gave one New
Years evening long. long ago
and the great merchant led the dance
with the prettiest girl IN. the store
and his beautiful wife WAS the part
ner Of bashful young fellow In the
packing department-not yet out oil
his teens-and there was no condos.
cension and no patronage about the
affair from the beginning OF 1t to the
end.
They all danced-the great mer.
chant and his wife and HIS sons and
his daughters and all the men and
women who were helping him build
up his fortune, from the smallest cash
boy up to the foreign buyers and as
sistant managers-and everybody
laughed and everybody sang and ev
erybody ate and drank and when we
said Happy New Year that night we
meant 1t.
Whenever there was a love affair in
the store-he knew 1.-THE great
merchant-before anyone else excep,
the two who were in love-and he
gloried In 1t and had the time of his
life pretending to he blind and be-
ing overcome with amazement when
the young man took his courage in
his hands and stammered out the an,
nouncement OF the engagement.
And what a time he had planning
out the wedding oh. he was at the
wedding, be sure OF that. II nobody else
In town was: and be knew where the
young couple was going to live and
what rent they'd have to pay and just
the set of dishes they'd eat their first