Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-05-07

Il G u eLy DuL impressive
young American
chant called Glenn Cur E
fiss, the aviator, aside few days NJ
days ago and said: Glenn, we aren't N
going to give this up until we fly N
across" it was to be expected that the
speaker was ready to go to any
lengths in borrowing money to finance
a transcontinentaI aeroplane trip. mm
He can get a loan from his dad" &
many might remark But let it be
said right here that Philadelphia peo
pie viii tell you Rodman Wanamaker &
is a much Weather man than his #
father. Also, before asking loan #NHyE7zs
from dad to pay for his flying ma yssfss3z@ssEs
chimes, Rodman might raise some ##=%@z=#3=5
money on his life insurance. He has
S4,500,O00 worth, which is more than
any other mortal and he adds to it quite often
Rodman Wanamaker. son of John Wanamak-
er," is the way he always appears in print; and
he admires his merchant-prnce father i'm
mensely he does not complain. But the younger
Wanamaker (who is now the only SOM would
have gained an eminent position in American
affairs without the boost which his name gave
him Besides establishing the Wanamaker Paris
branch and later running the New York store
he has made so many amazingly lucky invest
ments that the fortune he will inherit some day
will be only an item in his ample means
Rodman Wanamaker enters the transatlantic
crossing arena with all the enthusiasm of Queen
Isabella and with much better credit
Lord Northcliffe Great Britains leading pub
Usher, has offered a $4,000 prize for the first
crossing of the big pond by aeroplane, so Mr.
Wanamaker has a chance to recoup part of the
fortune he may have to place at the disposal of
the ingenious Mr.. Curtiss: And he can collect a
further $4,000 from Mrs. Victoria Woodruff Mar
tin, English flying patron
So when the Wanamaker-C urtiss flyer swoops
of a Newfoundland cliff next August with her
eight-cylnder, 200-horsepower engine chugchug-
ging and Lieutenant Porte, or some other hardy
navigator of the painless upper air at the wheel,
there will be $4,000 sitting on the west coast
of Ireland and reckoning to the steel bird.
But If there nothing more at the end
Of the journey than Isabella had reason to be-
ieve lay below the horizon of Cadz, Mr. Wana-
maker would have said just the same, Glenn we
aren't going to give this up until we fly across"
For he belongs to the class of young Americans
born rich who do things; who play six, but work
ten hours day; and who accomplish what they
set out to do
Aeroplanes have long been one of Mr.. Wana-
makers hobbies, but he has many others-Iife in
surance, automobiles, yachts, fine paintings, and
the American Indian. This last should stand at
the top of the list
He decided that the noble abortgine should
have a great national memorial at Fort Tompkins.
Staten island, the highest point of land overlook
ing New York harbor.
To convince congress that money should be
conducted Indian exhibition in Washington.
Few members of congress after seeing the things
which Mr.. Wanamaker and his friend, Buffalo
Bill" displayed failed to lose their objections
to the monument project Mr.. Wanamaker won
his fight and was made head of the committee to
select design and erect the statue Last year
30 Indian chiefs paid reverence to the Stars and
Stripes at the laying Of the cornerstone Some
of them had fought the white men, killed and
massacred them through many years. One car
ried % bullets in his body. Seeing their enthu-
siasm for the flag, Mr.. Wanamaker conceived the
idea of carrying the message of the great sculp-
tured Indian which will stand beside the Statue
of Liberty to all the 169 tribes governed by
Uncle Sam. He organized an expedition of citi-
zenship." This expedition found many difficulties.
In corner of New Mexico was discovered a
highly intelligent tribe which had never seen or
heard of the flag Sometimes the members of
the expedition had to argue long with the Indians
before persuading them that the white men were
no longer their enemies. They n to travel
$4,000 miles, much of this by stage and horse
back But they did not give up until every little
nation had received its big red white and blue
flag of fine material, had hauled up and unfurled
the emblem, and had sworn allegiance to the
Great White Father
Another of Mr. Wanamakers pet projects is
the American Art association in Paris. After he
had been graduated from Princeton university
Mr.. Wanamaker went abroad to look after his
fathers interests in the French capital He lived
there so many years that he was even accused,
but wrongfully, of liking French life better than
American. He became much interested in the
struggles Of young artistic geniuses from across
the water.
The American Art association had started in
humble quarters and had done a great work in
bringing together the poor young students. Mr..
Wanamaker established the organization in its