The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-23
The founders of the
house of Harper.
Above-James Harper.
Below-John Harper.

Below-John Harper.
parade to celebrate the opening OF
the Erie Canal. lie wrote TO Jane
F'reelove Lyon. daughter Of Peter
Lyon. the Justice OF the peace before
whom Major Andre was brought az
ter his capture. proposing marriage to
the seventeen -year-old girl and sug-
costing that II she accepted she should
appear at a certain window along the
line OF march. She was there and
Harper's company stopped the parade
long enough to give three hearty
cheers for her.
As the business Of the brothers in
creased they found It impossible to
attend TO 1t by hand, so they bought a
white horse. stalled him in the cellar
and at =, o'clock every morning h!tched
him 10 a beam that operated an up
right shaft. drove him about In a circle
and so ran thei presses in the room
above. When he grew too old for the
job they had him lifted u OF the cell
lar and sent 20 the old farm at New.
town. 20 which their father had re-
turned. and turned him u to pasture
for a comfortable old age. One morn
ing. II is said. Mr.. Harper. the father.
happened to look ;owafrd the pasture
at , O'Clock and there he saw the old
horse go to a tree in the middle OF the
lot and walk about Il in a circle. The
animal continued this practice until he
grew too feeble.
Tho brothers needed larger quarters
by 1925 and so moved 70 Clif street.
Theirs was even then the largest book
manufacturing establishment in Amer
lea and they needed two buildings,
which they took on the site OF the
rear OF their present great plant.
Only II OF the Harpers ever held
public Office. as non OF the others
ever mad political aspirations. James
was elected Mayor OF New York on the
American Republican ticket in April.
1874. lie was a reformer. The city
then had a considerable number OF low
grog shops tina; were a scandal.
Within a week after hts Inauguration
the worst of them were closed. hack
men who had terrorized the city were
placed under some restraint, and the
booths ~ merchants that had cluttered
TIE sidewalks and impeded traffic were
''".'N'N
n'""N ''"''"IoeIs no" 'har'es
u ',''' "u''''N .nu'e"
80 '"a. 'oo'eu '"e'f
put u stop - this. not only on Broad
=, w.! anu
', ,.o'D'""s - .''.@."e
:. '''.e,s De-
'"e uas'1"'e'
.rin INC ,hnse whn nas,ur.d ,hn,, "nur.
in tho hubble squares. Also no .,ar,a,
tho S,rce, cleaning Denar,mor,
v.,ht, ,,,, 49,. ..,,..
raI n, a. onn ,S -.
" VI o"'
am, 49,. ":n "ou'es
"i"an 'ra S,.aa. rn, w. N.,P."S
,or" ~, ,ha a., ,n p.op'c
,,. ~
,, ~ 80 . u MS
mn ,dooi,o+o aInsbouso ~, p,raous
Island were aJopted. Madison Snuarc
was LAID ou, and fenced in and tho
munic.pal po)lce force was orynni,a.
No,,,a -. ,. ,--.
,-on, nr 80. +, n", H"'P., =
I,rs.s. nmh,ishinc ae o'"c 'ne
,ha, 40 pnna"hnn . ~ ne world
ne>t Il ,,cunied ,". nna ,'"ntrs
inrs an ,rn str.s, ava Wv"
street. covering exactly the ,round
area that is now occupicd h, tho dr.
plcN structure IL is soun 4, abandon
In Dec, mb.r Of that wear however
the whole plant was DESTROYED by fro
in a few hours. though witho,, ,ho
loss OF a single life.
,omno,
roller. rru,,ha, 49, w wv
s,n,o r,na,rs Iiur,. "''N'".
,no,ct Toa, ~. :" .n'o" 'ne