Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-28
GOOD REASONS
FOR.CIVIC PRIDE
A New History of Early Phila-
delphia Life Has Interesting
Point of View

LNARLN PhilRdephians resembled in
IL some respects the PhHadelphians Of the
present day in that they neglected their
| civic duties. il is recorded that while the
city was still small the responsible men
were in the habit of going about the streets
at night before they went TO bed to see
that everything was in order. In 1906, how
ever, certain Of them neglected their duty
and Joseph Shippen, Abraham Carpenter,
George Claypool and Henry Preston, an
cestors Of many Phlladelphians of today,
were fined for failure to serve as constables.
They probably thought 1t was beneath them
to engage in such work for the common
good
Horace Mather Lppincott has included
this bit oi ancient history in an admirable
book on early Philadelphia: Its People,
Life and Progress" which the J. b. Lippin-
colt Company has just published. The vol
| ume is an excellent specimen of bookmak.
| ing, which all interested in the history Of
the community can put in their Libraries
and show TO their friends with pride. 1t
is printed from type In limited edition and
contains 119 illustrations from photographs
and prints, together with a photogravure
| frontispiece by Charles H. Stephens.
Mr.. Jippincott has briefly summarized
| the life of Penn, the founder, and the early
history Of the community as an Introduction
TO series Of chapters on the social Gus
| toms and the famous institutions of the
| city. His chapter on the Wstar parties,
| first held at the house Of Casper Wistar--
| his brother John spelled the name Wister-
is particularly interesting, for Mr.. Lppin-
colt has discovered that the refreshments
| for a hundred guests at one Of the parties
early in the last century cost only S24.S7!
For this there were provided chicken salad,
oysters. ice cream, cake, wine and punch,
and out Of the sum the cost Of the lights
and fire in an extra room was also paid.
These parties, which were held until the
Civil War interrupted them, were resumed
in 1886. Invitations to them are now, as
formerly, confined to members of the Amer
lean Philosophical Society and to such as
they choose TO ask as guests. There Is no
other city in America which can boast OF
a social gathering of intellectual men with
so long and continuous history.
The Early Migrations
Philadelphia, indeed. has history of
which it's citizens should be proud. 1t was
founded by men Of means with serious
interest in life and it grew as boom towns
grow i'm the West From 1881 to 1900 fully
5 900 people migrated here from Europe
in response to the inducements held out by
William Penn. In 1898 there were 1000
houses here, mostly of brick and three
al Of
houses of London. Mr. Lippincott has dis
covered also that a contemporary historian
has stated that we had "a noble town house
or guild hall, a handsome market mouse
and a convenient prison-no beggars and
no old maids This il remarkable
achievement for community that was not
founded till 1852 and had TO clear the
wilderness before it could build any houses,
The early Philadelphans, however, al
lowed trees TO remain for shade The last
of the primeval forest TO be removed was a
group of black walnut trees in Chestnut
street in front Of the State House, which |
were cut down in 1918,
II the plans Of Penn had been followed !
we should have had a wide boulevard along |
the river where Front street now is. Fem
intended TO keep the waterfront clear and
would have done it, according TO Mr. Lip !
pincott. had it not been for the trlckery |
and deceit Of some people during his alb |
sence"
PENIS interest In the Indians extended to !
providing reservations for their use wien |
they came to the city. For time they /
used to camp in independence Square, but |
it is said that he dedicated to them in per- |
petuity two plots Of ground which are still |
kept open. one Of them is just off Walnut |
street behind the Rltz-Carlton Hotel and |
the other is in the rear OF 145 South Sec
ond street.
A Huguenot Refugee
Mr.. Lippincctt tells the story of the
Francis Perot's Sons Mating Company, !
which is the oldest business concern in (!
America older. in fact. than the Bank Of |
England It has been owned by one fam
fly and handed down from father TO son or /
daughter since 1856. 1t was founded by |
Anthony Morris and was conducted under /
the Morris name until some time after !
Francis Perot married Elizabeth Morris in |
the nineteenth century. The Perots were |
descended from James Perot. a French |
Haguenot, the only survivor OF the nineteen |
condemned men who were placed in sep
arate cells-the doors Cf which were walled |
up. They were left for twenty-one days |
without food and water. A hen had a nest
in a dark corner in Perot's cell and she
crawed into it through hole in the wall |
and laid an egg almost every day These
eggs saved Perot's life and when the cell |
was opened he was released.
This Is only one Of the score of interest
ing things which Mr. L.ppincott has put into |
his book. He tells the story Of the found |
ing Of the Athenaeum, of the PHILADELPHIA |
Club. of the Bank of North America of |
the first savings bank in America, Of the |
early insurance companies, CT the University |
of Pennsylvania Of the Franklin Institute |
and of every other institution of conse-
quence, G. w. d.