The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-09
r. W. WOOLWORTH
DIES UNEXPECTEDLY
Famous Merchant, Maker Of
Millions by 5 and 10 idea,
Would Be 81 Sunday.
ONCE A POOR ERRAND BOY
Builder of New YOrk's Highest
Skyscraper Won Fortune
Early in His Life.


voting age was working without salary
in small town store In order TO gain
commercial experience and before reach
Ing midife was the foremost retail COM
mercial figure in the international busi-
ness world, died Just after midnight yes
terday at WINFIELD Hall. his country
home at Glen Cove, L. /. Had he lived
he would have celebrated his sixty
seventh birthday next Sunday.
Mr.. Woolworth, who will be known to
generations to come II for no other rea-
son than that the taliest building in the
world was built by him and named for
him. had been in Ill health for many,
weeks. Nevertheless his death at 1 so
In the morning .ras unexpected. mas
much as the famous merchant had
shown symptoms of marked improve
ment during recent days-so much so
that those close to him thought as late
as last Monday afternoon that he was on
the road to recovery.
While Mr. Woolworth lay Ill at his
summer home his wife, Mrs. Jennie
Creighton Woolworth, also was confined
to her bed at the Woolworth town house.
$50 Fifth avenue. and therefore could
not be with him at the end. At his bed
side, however, when he died were his
two daughters. Mrs. CHARLES E. F. Nc
Cam and Mrs. James p. Donohue of
Manhattan, his son-in-law. James p,
Donohue, and Mr.. Woolworth's brother.
c. S. Woolworth. who Is a vice-pres-
dent of the F. w. woolworth Compa ny.
C. s. woolworth went to Glen Cove from
his home at Scranton. Pa. hurriedly in
answer to the message that said the
merchant was dying. Mr.. McCann Is n
nephew OF Richard Croker.
Mr.. Woolworth is survived by his
wife. his brother and his two daughters.
The funeral service will be held at the
Woolworth residence in Fifth avenue to-
morrow morning at 10 o'clock. The body
will be buried In Woodlawn.
Business Germs in Little shops.
Back in the late eighties hardware
merchant named Kirby. who owned a
little ''tlnware store" at the southwest
corner OF Washington and East Market
streets, Wilkesbarre. Pa, died. He had
son. r. NJ. Kirby. to whom the father
left his all. which consisted altogether
of the humble shop. which was made up
chiefly of the cheap tinware on the
stands" out near the curb.
Eastward along East Market street
three quarters of block away another
merchant named Kresge had quite as
humble Stationery store" where one
bought envelopes, lead pencils, blank
books and the New York morning papers.
And about the same time in southern
New York State. but only a short dis
tsnce-as the crow fiies--up the Lehigh
Valley Railroad from Wilkesbarre. was
hn ~, n To
twenties and even in his thirties was
no more nearer business success then
than Kresge. with his small stationery
store. or Kirby. who had inherited
chiefly an incumbrance.
Yet these three men. WOODWORK
Kirby and Kresge, almost simultaneously
had a great commercial thought; and
the greatest of the thinkers was Wool
worth. One who knows their begin
nings intimately hesitates an instant
perhaps. about placing any particular
second thought one realizes. and the
cold figures show. that Woolworth was
the mightiest OF the trio.
Explain It as the puzzled reader will.
the fact remains that OF all the millions
of humans on earth, each adult million
eth trying TO originate business idea
that would bring fortune, three young
men living comparatively close together
each lacking systematic mind training,
each almost penniless and with no bust
ness experience beyond what he had
gained In a sleepy small town Store
hit upon a wonderful selling idea. And
like all great things in business. or
craftsmanship, or the arts, It was SIM
piicity itself; It looked simple, that is,
after some one else simply had thought
OF It.
"Ten Cents" PUSHES Solution.
How Is IT," asked an old scrubwoman
coming out OF downtown office build
ing In Manhattan after night Of work
and looking up wonderingly at the SHIN
mering, shifting beauties Of the Wool
worth Building. cleaning like silvery
lacework against the black midnight sky
-"how Is 1t any man can build a build
In like that? Where does he get the
money. Mary"
"'Tis easy explained" answered the
sister scrubwoman. Your tin cints and
my tin cints."
1t was the idea of gathering In the
tin clnts" and nickels in a new way
that made Messrs. Woolworth and Kirby
and Kresge wondrously rich before they
had reached the shady side OF life that
slopes down from the fortiea Young
Kirby for instance-he is now vice.
president OF the Woolworth COMPANY
watched the Welsh and Irish and Hun
garian miners OF Wilkes Barre pass
his tinshop on pay nights without stop
ping. Business was rotten. He thought
the matter over for weeks (and he never
had heard OF Mr. Woolworth at this
tlme), and then. one day, he went into
his little Office at the back OF the tin
shop and personally lettered a number
Of placards