Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

N HE HANDLERS work TODAY is to
recall to you two merchants,
long and honorably associated
n with Washington, whose bust
ness is carried on by their
nelrs. Those men We're Gustave and
lanes Lanshurgh. Fairly as he can,
ne Will tell you how the department
store of Lansburgh & Bro. grew from
little shop.
There have come TO the Rambler
stories of the early trials and pow
erty of the founders of this house,
but he feels that too much emphasis
mas been given to this part Of their
history. One of the stories is that
Gustave Lansburgh--whom all his
friends called Gus-plodded about
Washington and nearby country with
a 150-pound pack on his back, SELL
ing shoestrings, collar buttons, neck
ties, handRerchiefs and socks. There
IS basis for that story, and you will
see Il as you read these lines.
Pride or ancestors takes different
forms. The commonest sort of an
csEtor was he who wore velvet
cloak and an ostrich feather, and al
ways drove a fourth hand. He was
the lineal descendant of an officer
who helped William invade England
and was a lineal descendant of the
chief gatekeeper of the Garden of
Eden. That kind of ancestor is very
popular with poor descendants
When descendants happen to be
rich they sometimes so much like a
poor ancestor that they aggravate
his poverty. They will tell you, be-
tween puffs of rich cigar, that this
ancestor came to America in the
steerage, worked from l o'clock in the
morning till midnight for 10 cents a
nd IF
black bread and boiled beans BY
heroic thrift and masterful talent that
ancestor became president of the He'll
Gate to Golden Gate Railroad was
elected governor of four States, and
hired Senators and ambassadors as
his bellboys.
Perhaps some descendants of that
famous man will become so enthusi-
astic in admiration of the great mans
early poverty that they Will take the
beans from him and leave him only
the black bread
When the Lansburgh brothers. Max
and Gus, came to Washington in 1859
i think it was 1853, though 1t may
have been 1S60--they were poor
young men, measured by the well-off
merchants of that day. but they had
experience in business, We're strong,
healthy. and full OF hope. 1t did not
occur to them that they were very
poor, and they had no doubt they
were on the way TO wealth.
When Gustave ,Lansburgh died April
%, 1911. The Evening Star published
this: Mr.. Lansburgh was born in
Hamburg, Germany, January 25. 1889,
and came to this country about Is
years later (about 1850 with his
brother James. He located in Balti-
more, where he received his early
education, and later began his active
business career as a clerk in dry
goods store. Shortly afterward the
brothers started in the dry goods
business for themselves in that city,
and were successful. They removed
TO Washington in 1880 Typographical
error for 1850, and with small
capital opened two small branch
stores under the mana cement of Gus
tave Lansburgh, one at 735 Seventh
street and the other further up Sew
enth, near /.
The Washington stores prospered
from the start. and it was found adj
visable to discontinue the Baltimore
business and concentrate attention to
Washington. At that time, it was
found necessary to move into larger
quarters. Again, in 1882. the store