The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-23
The first Presidential man.
sion. 1 Cherry street. occupied
by George Washington.
From an old engraving.

From an old engraving.
was worked by hand. being prac-
,.cally at the stage OF development
where BENJAMIN Franklin had left II.
and the labor was hard. needing all
the robust strength The lad brought
with him from his healthy farm life.
Thurlow Weed. afterward a War
wick in New York politics. worked in
the shop with him. In later years,
used often to tell how young Harper
and he by beginning early and staying
late could earn as much as $l4 In one
week. which was not bad pay when good
board could he got for as little AS Sl4
a month. Harper's homespun clothes
and cowhide boots won him many a
jest from his fellows and only on one
occasion was he known to show re-
sentiment. This time he used his cow
hide TO good effect upon the other
lads tailor-made garment, saying:
There. Some day when ! am out
Of my time n YOU are looking for a
job come to me and I'll give it TO you"
Nearly forty years afterward when
the liarpers firm was famous and
James was Mayor Of New York the
fellow actually did come TO him and
plead the promise made at that time.
He got a job on the strength OF It.
\ few years after James began his
work his brother John also am to
New York and was apprenticed 10 u
printer OF the name OF Seymour.
When John attained the age OF 20
.,r ,pa hal ~.r.nl .A,, Iii, .f,ra
James proposed rhat they SO Into
partnership and they started for them
selves in March. 1917. under the style
OF j. & j. Harper.
John was proud OF his skill AZ a
compositor and James was an accom-
p.ished pressman when they opened
their shop on Dover street just across
The square from where the Harper
building now stands, Joseph Wesley,
the next Of the brothers, came 10 New
York in 1916 and the father followed
to be near his sons. After seven years
IN business Joseph Wesley wished to
start in business for himself, hui hest
tated about becoming a rival os his
brothers. They talked Il over and in
1923 Joseph Wesley bought into what
had by that time become a well cstab-
lished and paying concern.
Two years later Fletcher. Youngest
and last Of the brothers. added him
self to the firm. having completed his
education in the Roosevelt school un-
der the t~utclage of Alexander T.
Stewart. aftcrward the famous dry
goods merchant. The firm remained
j. & j. Harper until 1898, when il was
| H. ,a.l llama, @ I. A"tst..,
then nor to the last year OF their lives
was tho tie OF brotherhood and affec-
ton attenuated by the complications
of business. one day somebody asked
james. the eldest, which was the
Harper and which the brothers" and
he replied: "oh. any one of us Is the
Harper: the Others are the Broth
ers,'" And so it ever remained.
James su%rcrintended the mechanical
operations, John was the flnanCier and
made the purchases. Wesley read proof
and Fletcher was in command Of the
composing room and finally took
charge of the literary department. The
house was ~sinRularly free from the in
~dividualities OF its members, and so
entirely fraternal that for years no
separate financial accounts were kent
between tho brothers. It. seems al
most incredible, but it Is a fact that
each took from the cash on hand what
he needed for his personal expenses
and the remainder was a common fund
for the prosecution of the business.
Not until 1859 We're individual ac-
counts kept distinct. Up to that time
each brother was ignorant OF how
much any one of the others drew from
tho concern.
Each of the boys married young but
there was a bit OF the romantic in
the way IN which Fletcher, the baby,
became engaged. lie was the foreman
OF the old Lafayette volunteer fire
! company. which took part in the