Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-08
EDWARD W. BOX At PLAY
He Declares That the Last Two Years
Have Given Him 4 store Of Pleas.
ure-Thinks Others should Rs.
tire and Enjoy Themselves
By GEORGE NOx MCCAIN

! interesting, as we'll as the most successful.
autobiography in years, he has just hung
pendant upon It..
It is in the shape of an article 10 the cur
rent Atlantic Monthly under the title,
Now That I Have Played for Two
Years"
1t will be recalled that two Years ago
Mr.. Box reinquished the editorial chair Of
devote the remainder Of his life to public
SERVICE
Nobody. possibly, but Mr.. Box had any
thing but the most indefinite idea AZ to just
what those two words conveyed.
To most people public service" suggested
anything from running for office to a cubist's
dream of Dawn on the Hills"
Edward BOk's ideas though were very
clear cut and distinct. The road had been
surveyed for years.
LIS carefully considered step was incom.
1 L prehensible to thousands Of his friends.
As he himself put It:
There was a veritable chorus of You'll
be back within a year.
Physicians warned him. Personal friends
endeavored to dissuade him. Acquaintance
generally suggested that he was making the
mistake of his life.
Wait until you carry, your beautiful
other story to tell. Only. naturally, you
will take good care not to tell it, wrote
friend.
30 It came about one day that Edward
W. Box premeditatedly laid down the i'm.
plements of his profession put on his hat
and walked away from his desk with the
deliberate purpose Of never returning to II.
He never did. and never will.
AS result Of that decision he sacrificed
n salary of 100000 a year.
WHAT was the result?
w Mr.. Box answers the question himself
I'm his article in tho Atlpntic From his
perience of the last two years he declares
that it was the greatest thing he ever did.
lie forsook the routine cares of an agree
able occupation, lost his place in n narrower
field of endeavor that he might find it in
the far greater field Of unselfsh usefulness
for the benefit of his fellows.
How many men with an assured income
OF s,S, $4,000 M az year % would d. sweep it out Of
new deal with Il new deck?
EDWARD, W. BOK'S idea Of "play" is
IL not the accepted idea or definition.
He tells me that he has been buster in the
last two years than at any other time in his
life.
If you wish to see him. unless 1t is upon
n most urgent affair connected with the
things in which he is engrossed. you'll be
compelled to make an appointment twenty.
four or forty eight hours ahead.
I'm sorry, but it will be impossible to
the we'll -modulated tones of his secretary's
voice over the wire.
He has SO many engagements already for
tomorrow that they overlap. l will arrange
1t for you the following day
And this from the secretary of the man
who is ''playing.'
TT IS unnecessary, except in the brefcst
L possible way, to outline some of the
things Edward w. BOX has done in his
fhneo tun
eventful years
Instead of Talking for Philadelphia" he
is Working for Philadelphia
He has taken the old American Academy
of Music. restored it to its pristine glory
and made it the literary. educational and
musical center of Philadelphia.
He has written n successful book.
He has stimulated public enterprise and
annually to the individual who renders the
greatest public service to the city.
He is constantly working out plans that
will paint Philadelphia in more brilliant
ColOrs upon the map of the world
He has inspired leading men and women
to work with him by the force of his cx-
ample and his genius for organization.
So busy is he that he can steal time enough
| to accept only about one out Of every ten
| invitations he receives to address audiences
| on subjects of public interest that are en-
crossing his time.
On n pleasure trip to Europe he inter-
ested the Government of the Netherlands on
| behalf of our great international undertake
ing and got in touch with other Governments
| abroad.
Only the day before I talked with him n
cablegram announced that the Dutch Par
lament had passed bill that will have
much to do with Hollands participation in
our great Victory Jubilee in 1928-or, per.
haps, 1927.
THERE is one great desire of his heart
| L tl,ot la, .Lo
| he hopes to see realized
| There are dozen or twenty men in Phil
| adelphia who are in a position to do just
what he has done-quit work and get to
"playing,,; men who would form 'Coun.
ell of Philadelphia Immortals'' IL they could
see it from the same angle that he does.
If we only had fifteen men--and there
are that many available-who would take
Service as their watchword and Beauty
as their motto. we could make Philadelphia
the envy of the municipalities of the world"
he said.
"There is enough to do to keep every one
busy. Not at toll. but at pleasure.
"You do not have to 60 hunting for these
opportunities They are waiting with out :
stretched hands at every corner. The trouble
is to select the right ones.
! II never had such real enjoyment in all
my life as ! have had in the last two years.
| It's the pleasure that comes not alone in
freedom from restraint, but in doing the
things that one wants to do without compul
sion. and at the same time doing it for the
benefit Of others.
UDIIILADELPIIlA needs unofficial heads
l. for great enterprises that lie outside
the domain of politics and public Office, -
said Mr.. Box
"Thcre are men with millions who have
reached time in life where, if they would
break away from the trammes of trade,
manufacture, the banking house and the
counting room, would find a new zest in
living Just as ] have done. They would be
rejuvenatcd and upifted beyond anything
they have ever dreaped.
''There are men who, taking the narrower
view. will say that ] was foolish to retire
when did, to make the sacrifice did. But
IL wasn't sacrifice.
1T was glorious release. Now am free
to do the things | want TO do. and behind
1t all lies the infinite satisfaction of doina
| something for others.