Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-05-27
Mantle of Fra Elbertus Falls on
Sons Shoulders.
Succession Of Ebert Hubbard, Jr., In
to he Announced from East
Aurora in Next Number Of
the Magazines.

Of the colony was made to-day, when
the friends and comrades Of the Fra
had given UP all hope that he had not
persisted with the sinking Of the Lusi-
tania His successor, the oldest Of the
three sons, has for several years been
the working head of the colony.
John D. Larkin. the Buffalo soap manu-
factuer who married Mr.. Hubbard's
sister and whose business Mr.. Hubbard
helped establish. Is now on his way to
Queenstown, Ireland, to find, II possible,
the body Of the Fra and his wife among
those cast upon the shore after the
wreck spiritualistic medium at East
Aurora has declared. in a seance. that
Mrs. Hubbard has persisted, but that the
Fra was taken ashore with other wound
ed survivors, and that he Is In a fisher
mans cottage. too seriously Ill even to
mention his name. But persons here
feel that he is dead. and that there is
little hope OF recovering his body.
Since the Lusitania disaster the work
at the Roycroft shop has proceeded
without interruption. except during the
first few days after the accident, when 1t
was suspended. To-day. with the an
nouncement Of the new Fra every work
man in every shop is pursuing his task
| with added vigor. The resolute young
man who has for years been known as
Bert" to distinguish him from his
father, has over night become Ebert
Hubbard Such Is his resemblance to
| his father that as he sat at his desk in
the Hubbard bank to-day, one would
have insisted that he was the noted Fra.
only a few days younger.
THE business" he said. will con-
tinue just as father would have
wished It. Such an occasion as this has
long been foreseen. and there will be no
Interruption The Phiisune and Fra
Magazines will continue to be published.
My succession to the management will
, be formally announced in the Fra next
month. The printers are now waiting
for the copy telling of the change. Every
thing will be conducted Just in the
past All of the men associated with my
| father will remain. and the work that he
founded will proceed unhndered by his
death.
| NEW FRA WE'LL QUALIFIED.
The new Fra Elbertus has a square
jaw and eyes like agates that glow with
restless mental energy. Though still in
his thirties, he has for some years been
u
superintendent Of the furniture shor
and cashier Of the bank. He has the
traits that characterize the Hubbard
family-the same presence and charm OF
personality that made his father be.
loved by many hundreds His asso
GATES consider him the finest anG
squarest young man that ever lived.
And they think no less highly Of hi.
have an active part In the management
of the shop
The Roycroft Shop. its founder ono,
wrote, is an accident resulting from
joke. The particular joke was to prin
a pamphlet or two against magazine
editors and publishers whom Mr. Hubbar,
did not admire, because they respect
fully declined his manuscripts and sen
back his verses with great regularity"
And so in 1891 the author decided t.
print a brownie pamphlet-"a chipmunl
volume'-at his own expense, and in thi
magazine to make ironical remarks. TIL
East Aurora Weekly Blizzard, a mic
patent-inside, eninently respectable pa
per-" did the printing, but this DID no
suit the artistic tastes Of tho auhor.
Therefore," wrote Mr.. Hubbard. "whel
the author, slightly inflated by the sue
cess Of the first number. wanted to ge
out another issue he got desperate an
bought a little printing outfit of his own
He set up his amateur shop on a bar
floor. hired a boy. and went at IT, But l
took more time than the. author though,
and as he had other work to do. the bo
- brought his tdg brother to help. Their
as there wasn't quite enough work to kee
both boys busy the author decided t
print a book" And the author furthe
decided to print 1t as we'll as he possibl
could.
. INFLUENCE OF WILLIAM MORRIS
This was the beginning of the Roycrot
printery. II was inspired largely by
visit to the Kelmscott Press. at Ham
mersmith. where Mr.. Hubbard met viii
lam Morris. the poet, who was master q
y six distinct trades, and who liked t
/. make beautiful things with his hands
: His motto was mot how cheap. but hoy
5 good" and that was the motto at Roy
= croft Throughout its growth from tn
i shop on the barn floor to the present "co
t ony," in which a million dollars Is invest
n ed. the motto has always been observed
: Six hundred copies of the first boo
h were printed and sold and such was the
: success that the publication of anoths
y volume, Its borders illuminated by Mr.
IT Hubbard, was undertaken. After sever;
= more volumes had appeared. and tn
o working force had been enlarged
It more recruits from the village, the Ar.
d shop was built, with the old church &
n Grasmere. where Wordsworth IL burie'
n as model. 1t was planned for comfol
and convenience. for neatness and sin
ia plicity and particular attention was pal
10 to light. ventilation and sanitary appl
ir ances. The girls brought birds and flow
n ers, the boys framed pictures for tn
FL walls; there were cases for books. a bl
fireplace and In the corner a plano.
ia The place was called the Roycroft sho,
"a because there was a man named Ro,
q croft who printed beautiful books in Ems
is land 3D years ago" A wing was adde
a to the shop for bindery; more boys an
; girls were hired, and bookbinder wa
:, brought from Lepsg who could wor
- miracles in levant" at prices from s.
- 800, for people who wanted them
"a NEARLY 300 IN SHOP.
81 There are now nearly 800 workers
~ the shop. They live In the village or al
IF farmers boys and girls who live fe
in miles from town. For the most part II
ct workers are plain people who have new,
travelled or had the advantage of literar
to or artistic associations. Some have bee
n expelled from school. others are said
Is be deficient mentally and morally ar
* some are said to have lived In prison
il But Hubbard asked it's applicants for I
l. letter of recommendation. no certifca