The New York herald., 1922-12-14

was expected to do-and this opposite
would be the best guess. He deliber-
ately planned originality.
II. He tcas hospitdble to the last degree.
In his home. his office, his store al
ways was this feeling of, hospitality
One seemed to breathe it in with the
air. In reality it was Wanamaker at
mosphere. Freedom of shopping. cour-
teous treatment, the at home feeling,
free concerts and entertainment, ex-
hibits of art-all these hospitalites that
the business Is famed for only reflected
the hospitality of John Wanamaker,
the han.
is. He tcas altcdys youthful
John Wanamaker never stopped grow
| ing. He was a youth at so. He
had the visions. the ambitions of a
youth He planned ahead. at an age
when most men had quit active life, as
though he would never die. 4
10. He educated himsclt-and kept crer
at IL.
With little schooling, because he had
| to go to work when IA years old, he ed
ucated himself as few men have been
educated. He was seldom without a
book in his hand. Yet he learned most
| from men and nature.
20. He .cas a good listener.
With business crowding him almost
beyond capacity, he would sit patiently
10 hear a mans story, sometimes even
to the point of embarrassment Many
a man talked himself out Of John
Wanamaker's office while he only lis
tened.
21. He concentrated OH everything he
did.
With a hundred subjects to consider
in a. day he would concentrate on each
one as though that were the only thing
in life. He would empty his mind of
everything except the one thing under
consideration.
%. He nerer forgot.
Even in old age his memory continued
almost infallible. He never forgot peo-
pie or friends or faces. And In larger
sense he never forgot ones service or
loyalty.
%. He neucr carried home business
cares.
When the days work was done he
closed up all his troubles in his office
as he shut the door and forgot them un-
ii! the next day. He never worried or
fretted even in the dark panics of bust
ness.
"a. He neucr sacrificed credtipeness to
efficiency.
His stores were often criticized as not
being efficient--in the German sense of
the term. But creativeness is greater
than efficiency, and where efficiency in
terfered with true creativeness he sacri-
ficed it. He kept himself open continu-
ally to the flow of the creative spirit
through him and he kept his people and
organization open to this spirit.
%. He acds dI,odys breaking records.
This was perhaps the ruling passion of
his life-to do better each day, to break
records. This spirit is illustrated in
very human story. as related by Mr..
Wanamaker about himself only three
years ago. Tell these men how we
caught all those fish in one day." he said
to the doctor who accompanied him on
one of his fishing trips in Florida. you
mean" said the doctor. 'how you caught
all those fish--14S kingfisi. Weighing
/ 400 pounds" mo" said Mr.. Wana-
maker, 1881 pounds" "Well. 1891
pounds" the doctor said, with smile.
But not letting the doctor proceed, Mr..
Wanamaker told himself how it was
done.
TT was just like this" he said. I'VE
went out in the Gulf at in the morn
ing, and the fish were biting freely. The
doctor, not being very well that day.
lounged back in his seat, and when 1
saw that his eyes were closed / knew
that his line would not take up a catch.
so I took it and handled it with my
own. 1t was troll line. And with two
troll lines / caught the 14S fish before
we came home that day. Sometimes /
would catch five fish in five minutes. 1
pulled them all in myself. at least to the
boat. / had some help in getting them
aboard. As the fish began to come
in l said to myself, Now I will stay un-
til catch 5O.' When so were caught the
doctor said, Now you must stop and go
home NO / said, L must catch 5S,
the record catch l made last year. SO
l kept at ii until had 63.
THE doctor said. We'll. now. you must
go home at least when you catch rs.
All right 1 said- 4 will catch 75.' When
/ caught 20 was thinking of 100 When
/ caught 100 / began thinking of the
record catch the whole boatload had
made last year. i think It was 1913. And
/ went after that record. l kept on until
landed 14S and 1t was midnight before
we reached home. bringing with us the
1891 pounds OF fish that furnished
happy meals. for many a day for the
fishermen and their families" And
Mr.. Wanamaker added: There is moth
ing like going after records and beating
them"
&C. He Odre and received.
Above even most great men he knew
and practiced the law of life: Give and
ye shall receive. He gave his all to the
world. And he received almost all that
the world has to give. Not empty
honors. Not office. Not great pecuni-
airy reward. But the goodwill of the
people that enabled him to build n
business unique in the world.
%. Hc care service TO mankind.
He ennobled service. lie dignified
labor. He made business n profession
equal to any other profession.
2S. He gaze reverence aud tcorship to
his Maker.
Acknowledging all his long life the
source of his power as coming from