New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1922-12-12

Ing above all other varieties, lie
spent millions OF dollars In IT, One oil
the features of his advertising cam.
paign was his development Of thc
store News Page" which he led with
an editorial over his own signature
invariably written by himself, TO keer
the public in touch with the policies
OF his business, His friends often saw
him writing such an editorial on his
way TO the store In the morning.
scribblng II on the back of an cnye-
lope or any odd scrap of paper he
had In his pocket.
| lie was always looking for better
and newer ways of doing business
and aside from providing convent
ences for buyers and securing able
management. Mr.. Wanamakcr paid
great attention to the welfare OF his
employees, establishing among them
many institutions for cultivating a
spirit OF comradeship, educating them
to improve their earning capacity,
providing retirement of old employees
on retired pay and creating court
OF appeal chosen by employees to
which any complaints could be made.
Given Great Tribute.
One of the greatest tributes ever
paid to an American merchant was
that given to Mr.. Wanamaker In the
fall of 1911 on the fiftieth nnniver-
sary of his business career. Thirteen
thousand of his employees from both
the New York and Philadelphia
stores greeted him in his Philadel-
phia store and presented him with
the house in which he was born, and
a jubilee book in which each of the
$4,000 had written their names. A
similar tribute was paid at that time
In New York where committee sep
resenting the merchants OF the United !
States, including 1870 of his business
associates and competitors, met to do
him honor at luncheon. He was
presented with a handsome silver low
ing cup and heard his rivals laud him
rs a merchant prince of the country. 7
Was Postmaster General.
In political life Mr. Wanamaker
was prominent as an independent
In 1882 he was offered
he republican nomination as con-
at-large for the state of
Pennsylvania, but declined 1t, and In
SS6 he declined to be an independ-
mt candidate for mayor of Philadel-
,hia. He took an active part in most
If the presidential campaigns and
rave a great amount of work to the
epublican national executive COM
nittee. Of which he was a member
uring the Harrison campaign. Upon
he election of Harrison, Mr.. Wanna
maker was invited to enter the cab
net. and although there was much
riticism to the effect that mer-
liant was unfit for cabinet posi-
ion. Mr.. Wanamakcr became post
1aster general and was acknowl-
dyed later by his critics to have
vorked many desirable reforms in :
ne postal system. Organization, sys-
IN, method and business mechanism
, essential in the post office depart
rent we're all in Mr.. Wanamaker's
ne. He spread the fast mail service 4
nd opened sea post offices in which
'reign mails are distributed and
lade up on the sea, and, among
her things, advocated the parcels
ost and postal savings which were
WI iS0lHCu, duu diSO .uFSGu RON-
'nment ownership of telegraph lines ?
Deeply Religious. y
The religious side of Mr.. Wanna =
aker's life was one less known to =
le general public than any other, u
ut ono in which he was deeply in "
rested. Very early in life he be- 2
lme member of the Rev. John :
hambers Presbyterian church in ],
and it is related that 4
hen DR.. Chambers appealed to his :.
aggregation for church suitable to /
! needs, Mr.. Wanamaker, then j
", shouted enthusiastically: "I'll r
We load OF bricks from my J!
theirs brick yard" Later he gath
ed together a handful Of boys in I
shoemaker's shop and formed j
nday school, which was the nucleus e
what is today the Bethany Pres
-terian church of Philadelphia. The ::
sthany Sunday school, OF which Mr.. =
anamaker was superintendent, has 4
BOO members, and is said to be the =
CT lpxy /