The New York herald., 1922-12-14
John Wanamaker, the Merchant
An Analysis of His Success by One Who Has Been
His Intimate Business Associate for % Years.
By JOSEPH H. APPEL.

He copied no man. He studied other
men. other systems, other practices
other businesses; he adopted and
adapted. But in whatever he did, what
ever he wrote. whatever he said. what
ever he thought, was the personality
the individuality. the originality of John
Wanamaker.
2. He dreamed dreams.
| From the time, as boy, when the
jeweler refused to let him change his
mind and the merchandise in purchasing
gift for his mother he dreamed of the
kind of store he would have, and he
continued to dream, ever changing and
improving his store.
3. He made his dreams come true
He had vision, foresight, around
sight. seeing ahead of his day, his
generation. even seeing through brick
walls BY seeing around them, seeing
into peoples homes into peoples hearts.
He dreamed as no merchant ever
dreamed before, but he made his
dreams come true. He applied his
thoughts, his ideas, his plans, his theo-
ries, his dreams. He would talk and
give his imagination the freest rein he
would rise to the stars and then with
a sudden "Well, now, let's see how we
can apply this, how we can make it
useful, practical, of service to the pub
lc," he would bring us all down to
earth. John Wanamaker's well, now."
in his talk, his writings, and his ac-
tions, was always a summons to the
practical. His "well. now," would
either apply the idea or discard it, for
the time being at least.
4. He UGs true--to himself, TO his peo-
pie, to the public, to manufacturers.
John Wanamaker never fooled him.
self, nor his people, nor the public.
He played fair with all with whom he
had dealings. He no doubt did this
for moral reasons. but he did it also for
business reasons. His whole merchan-
dising system was based on fairness
nerstone. He was sincere In everything
he did.
5. He believed il, himself and in his
business, in his people and in his public.
He had faith and he lived his faith.
s. He ,oas al,oays on the job.
was at his desk or around the store
always on the job-even writing his edi-
torial articles on the train between Phil
adelphia and New York, in the automo-
bile from store to home. He always car
ried a pad or else jotted notes on the
back of an envelope. He was always
getting ideas and putting them on paper
for future use. He came to the store
before his buyers and stayed after they
had gone home, even when more than
so years of age. No man worked harder
at his job than John Wanamaker.
Z. He tcds altoays fit.
With the exception of some minor at
tacks in later life-mostly colds due to
the straining of his voice in a political
campaign-he was always in health, Wig
orous, full of energy. a man of endur-
ance that one half his years would envy.
He knew the value in business Of keep
ing ht-and he kept fit.
s. He dared 10 do.
No man in the retail field was so dar-
ing. He scared others with his big deals,
but he was never afraid himself. He
plunged-and sometimes lost--but more
often won. Yet it was daring. tempered
with carefuLness and sagaciousness, that
carried him through.
Q. He cas free--and he made others
free.
Creating his own business from the
beginning, he was never shackled. And
he made his buyers and executives free
Ito find and make their way.
10. He pds mcrchdnt-and he made
his people merchants.
The Wanamaker system of specializa-
ton and buyership made each section
a store in itself. each buyer a merchant
with no more limitations than John
Wanamaker placed on himself-the limi-
tations that business laws and common
prudence dictate.
II. He had the "third eye.v
John Wanamaker's powers of observa-
ton were almost uncanny. He seemed
to have eyes all over him. Nothing es-
capped him. He saw service and use
fulncss wherever he looked-in a barren
field, in a pile of rubbish in blank
wall. He saw through the wall to the
beauty and utility on the other side.
This gift was undoubtedly the spiritual
eye-the third eye-that only genius
has.
IL. He sn,c the good aud developed it
correcting or discdrding the bad.
He quickly winnowed the wheat from
the chan. He was tolerant when for
bearance seemed no longer q virtue.
He would labor to the end to develop
a man. He was always searching for
the good in others, ignoring or cor
recting their faults
13. He accepted 40 limitations
Wher people were saying ut can't
be done" he was doing it. He ad-
mitted no limitations In himself nor ac-
cepted any in others. He had un-
bounded confidence. He was not bound
by conventions nor limitations nor con-
ditions-he overcame them.
II. He thought aud acted in large units.
He tcus Hever Hd1Toic.
His mind grasped the big things of
business and of life. He was not
detail man. He was a big operator i'm
the market. He planned and carried
through big deals.
f5. Yet nc oas careful Of details.
Not in any sense a detail man. yet
he was careful in all he did--even in
the way he dressed He did a pro-
digious days work. but lie was much
more than fairly accurate in details.
all tcf. al. L..