The Washington herald., 1914-07-06
JOHN wGNAMAKER.

JOHN WAN AMAkERs
In many respects the career of Johr
Wanamaker parallels that of John d
Rockefeller Mr. wanamaker-the namt
means basket maker-won success by hii
courage. his self-reliance, his intellectual
independence and industry. He is typical
of the American self-made man-tht
father OF the department store. No bet
ter summary of the character of this
great merchant prince can be CLEANED
than from the corner stone Of his great
Philadelphia store, which reads:
Let those who follow me continue to
build with the plumb of Honor, the level
of Truth, and the square Of Integrity,
Courtesy and Mutually"
sums Up His Character.
That sums up the Wanamaker charac-
ter That tells the story of the tremen-
dous success OF the Wanamaker stores
He was the originator, years ago, of the
Saturday half holiday for employees DUR
ing the summer months, a custom now
universally followed.
John wanamaker was born in Philadel-
phiz on July II, 1851. His grandfather,
whose name he bears, was a farmer in
Hunterdon County, Pa. From his mother.
Elizabeth D. Kochersperger, descendant
of a leading French Huguenot, he in
His father was a brickmaker, living IN
the Neck, in what is now the southern
section of Philadelphia After school
y heurs and on holidays young Wanamaker
worked In the brickyard, and his first
earned money was seven copper cents.
II was then while yet in his teens, he
got a lesson in salesmanship which he
never forgot He went to a jewelry
store to buy his mother a gift Picking
ra,F ey1iffarinR haubla he said.
aTu take that" and gave over his
money Then something more costly
caught his eye and he wished to pur-
chase 1t instead of that which was his
first choice But the salesman refused.
Changing of articles and courtesy 10
customers were unknown In those days
The embryo merchant determined that
such things should not OBTAIN "heh ne
had a store.
A few years later, with $500, he and
Nathan Brown, subsequently his brother
in-law, formed a partnership in the
clothing business. Brown had about
S2oOc. They rented a store, 3oxsO feet, In
McNeiIle's Building, at Sixth and Market
streets.
He RevoIutionfzed Business.
Here, four days before Beauregard
fired the first shot at antiquated Sumter
and opened the civil war, was fired the
first shell which subsequently destroyed
antiquated business methods The re-
ceipts for the first day were S246.-The
81 was spent in advertising.
In those days the clothing workers
were rarely paid cash. Instead they got
groceries, coal OF other goods, the pro-
prietor getting a commission. The new
Wanamaker firm changed this. They
paid their employees cash. They had one
price, instead of two. They took back
goods. They made the business day
shorter In the early 'T0s they took a
larger store in Chestnut street
In 1874 the Pennsylvania Railroad Of
fered for sale its freight station at
Broad and Market streets The idea came
to Mr.. Wanamaxer that this was an ideal
site for a big store. The deal hung fire
for a time, but was finally put through,
and in 1876, the Centennial Fair year,
the store was opened.
Later in that year Mr.. Wanamaker de-
cioed to cater to the women, and then
was born the modern department store.
In September, 1896, he bought the A. T.
Stewart store in New York, and later
erected a building more than doubling
the capacity of the famous old New
York store
In June, 1903, the corner stone Of his
present mammoth store in Philadelphia
was laid in the presence Of an important
assemblage.