The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-29
WATCF1WORD OF MR.. JOHN WANAN1A<E
C. R. Macauley Spends Day With the Remarkable Man
Who Starting on Salary Of $1.z5 Week. by Constant
Sticktoitiveness Has Established Great Mercantile
Enterprise-.A Pioneer in Honest Advertising

For thsse editorials" he draws inspi-
ration from every source Crossing the
Hudson River In . ferryboAt from Jer.
sey City 70 New York recently Mr..
Wanamaksr's attention became nxsd
upon . noisy. businesaliks little tug
boat that was towing an overshadow-
Ing great hulk to it, mooring. Result
an interesting simils applied to his own
busineas In the next days Newspaper.
Though born In lSSS. Mr.. WanA-
maker does not look . year above 30.
The CLINT Of his gray eyes has kept
the keenness Of youth. He u robust,
genial faced and his hair y but just
graying At the temples. He apparently
has stopped growing old and ceased
counting his years, though his nrst
breath was drawn before railroads had
made much progress In this country;
before the time Of the perfected tele-
graph system. the telephone. the cleo
trio Light the wireless. the typewriter
and even the steam printing presA
The son Of . brick maker. John Wan
amakers nrst business experience was
turning bricks" and doing odd chores
about the yard He was the oldest Of
seven children and early in his boyhood
was obliged to givs up going to school
70 earn his own way In life.
His first Job was In . publishing house
in Philadelphia; his wages &1.2S week.
Then he found . place in . clothing
store At $50 . week. From there he
went to Tower Hall, the famous old
clothing house Of Col. Bennett.
During these boyhood days John Wan
amAker began 70 put personality into
business The customers Of Tower Hall
began to ask when they came into the
store. where 10 Johnr" and insisted
that he supply their sartorial wants.
In 1851 this boy John" had managed.
by careful economy. 70 save $500.
the arm name Of Wanamaker 4 Brown.
he then began business for himself.
Their small store was a. Sixth and Mar
ket streets. Philadelphia. on the site Of
what was once the homo Of the inmor-
tai George Washington wanamaker
4 Browns first days sales amounted to
the stupendous sum Of e24.67. The hrst
years sales aggregated $24,367. To-day
the business OF Mr.. Wanamaker must
DO summed UP in the tens Of millions
1t u estimated that during his entire
business career Mr.. wanamaker has
distributed into the homes of the Amer
lean public merchandise reaching hall
. billion dollars In value. Yet with al
these activities behind him he II plan
ming and working diligently every day
from 9 O'Clock in the morning until I In
the evening with all the buoyancy. en-
thusiasm and strength Of q young man
with all his life before him.
Col Bennett. who had Tower Hal
when John wanamaker flrst started a.
an errand boy. once said: John seems
to be . natural born organizer. He Il
always organizing something" This
has apparently been true Of Mr.. Wana.
maker all his life. He Is a conspicuous
type Of the self-educated American. who
has succeeded in climbing the mercan-
tile ladder from the first rung to the
top. His powers Of concentration are
remarkable and he 10 a good listener a.