Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-06


the legend of King Cophetua and IN.
| beggar maid, however, suggests thai
after all, we do know that human natura
is the same in all ranks. and that no aos.
dents of birth or fortune can change Il
The celebration now in progress a,
Lehigh University serves to remind ,s
that one of the richest Pennsylvs.
mans of his time was something NOR,
than a mere accumulation of millionn
There would have been no Lehigh rJnL
versity IL Asa Packer had not once bean
n poor boy suffering from the handIcan.
that come from lack of education. Thers
was time when men did not think thar
Packer had any sentiment. He was
close.fsted, hard-headed, successful man
of business; but through all the years Of
his rise from poverty to the control Of
millions he did not forget his own youth.
Sought Fortune on Foot
He was born in Connecticut in 1906.
His father was so poor that the boy had
to leave school early in his teens. Hs
worked for while in a tannery, and when
his employer died he was hired by
farmer, for whom he did the chores and
such other work rs his strength fitted
him for. He held the plow and hoed the
corn and milked the cows.
But he was not content with farming.
When he was II years old he decided to
come to Pennsylvania, whero he had
relatives. He walked all the way from
North Stonington, Conn.,. to Brooklyn.
Susquehanna County, where an uncle
lived This uncle taught him the trade OF
a carpenter, at which he worked for
few years. He saved his money and In
vested it in land For 10 or II years
he tried to make money cultivating his
new possessions, living during that time
in a hut which. he built on the land
1t occurred to him after a time that
there was more money to be made In
carrying the coal from that region to
Philadelphia. He and his brother built
canalboat and began to haul coal. They
operated the boat themselves from Mauch
Chunk to this city. He built more canal
boats on contract for other shippers, and
soon became interested in mining coal as
well as in transporting it. The canal was
Lehigh Valley Railroad which he sdu.;
Nceeded in completing with the helr Of
capitalists. He was its first president
It's success made his fortune. s
A Startling Gift of Half Million
But while he was busy with his bust
ness he interested himself in the govern.
ment of the community in which he lived.
He was sent to the State Legislature, and
succeeded in securing the passage OF
bill creating Carbon County, with Mauch
Chunk as the county seat. Although he
was not a lawyer, he was elected as ths
first county judge He served Two ;erins
in Congress, was the candidate Of the
Pennsylvania Democrats for the presinoli.
tial nomination in 1868 and was nom.
mated for Governor In 1869, Johh w.
Geary defeated him by only 45OO votes.
1t was In 1865 that he surprised and as
tonished the country by giving $5OOOee,
for founding a free technical college tor
boys in South Bethlehem. This was the
beginning of Lehigh University. The sitt
was said to be the largest single benz
faction that any American college mad
opened in September of the following
year. About 12 years later, at Mr.. Packers
direction, a classical department was
opened so that boys who desired TO enter
the professions. as we'll as those who
wished to engage in scientific or mechanf
cal work, might receive an education
During his life he gave the university
81 100000, and by his will a similar
sum was left TO 1t, making $3,OOO,O09
which the Connecticut tanners appren'
tice set aside to ease the struggle upwards
of other boys whom he did not know'i
but with whose ambitions he sympaf
thized.
II any man ever applied the motto OF
the old French aristocracy, namely
noblesse oblige. Asa Packer did, Ths
world had been good to him and he feli
under obligations to reciprocate, hs
made his wealth in the Lehigh Valley
and he arranged that the Lehigh valley
should get the benefit of it, The eol;ess
which opened with 20 students and hau
dozen professors now has more than
and ten teachers and about
800 students. II the group of capitalists
who wrecked the Lehigh Valley Railroad
had felt the same moral obligation that
moved Packer, the university would Pc
much richer today and muck larger. lie
planned well, but unserupulous men ala
their best to Illustrate his purposes
Yet. after ALL the selfish greed OF
group Of looters does not invalidate tns
fine purposes of man with a conseienee
and sense Of moral responsibility %
this article must conclude as It began
with the remark that in spite OF tns
cynics' prattle, there is something fine la
human nature. G. w. d,
80 uo,n Anre