The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-03-15
George Eastman Has
Closed Busy Life


shot, re-entered and found East
man dead, a revolver nearby. They
found the note signed by the ia
miliar initials &c. E."
DIR Audley Stewart, Eastman's
personal physician, announced:
"Mr Eastman died suddenly at
1850 d. m. to-day. While 1t was
generally know that he had been
i'll for several years, his condition
recently has been such as to give
us announcement. He was APP
parently, however, in such mem
tai condition that he feared the
worst, because he shot himself aft
ter sending all attendants out of
his bedroom, saying, II have note
to write In a moment a shot
was heard, and when those on the
outside reached his bedside, he
was gone"
THAT is the story of Eastman's
death.
Little stories OF Eastman's life,
CLEANED from the records, and from
the messages from all parts OF
the world, were revived to-day.
When Eastman was 20, he was a
bank clerk, at $40 weekly. A
friend suggested he take a camera
on a vacation trip to Santo Domin-
go. Eastman paid the friend So
to show him the tricks that oper-
ated the cumbersome box camera
and Its wet plate processes.
Eastman was intrigued, gave up
the Santo Domingo trip, and took
one to Mackinac instead. He took
n camera along. And the wet
plate process was so cumbersome,
he decided to do something about
1t,
After months of experimenting
In his own spare time. on his own
meagre salary. with three and four
hours sleep nightly except Satur-
day and Sunday, he perfected the
dry plate process, which eventual
~ led to the dry film method of
picture making, and the millions
in profit 1t meant to Eastman.
Eastman made his first Kodak
film In 1889, and one month later,
he received a $3.50 order for "a
sample. That order came from
Thomas A. Edison.
10 this day, Eastman has kept
a copy of that order In his per-
sonal files, a memento of the
WlZuTu OIL llEul CouHtSu NAth AAoA
vey Firestone and Henry Ford
among Eastmans fast friends. He
never met Edison until about ten
years ago.
There is speculation to-day, even,
that Edison's death not so many
months ago after a life time OF
service in many ways parallelling
that of Eastman had depressed
lIastman's spirits--had led him to
more frequent thoughts of death.
Charles Edison, president of the
Edison industries, and son OF
Thomas, paid tribute to Eastman
as follows:
Two of the greatest souls the
world has known have passed on
within q brief period-Thomas a.
Edison and George p. Eastman.
Their friendship was of the most
fundamental character. They I'M
dSrstood each other. No finer
American has lived than George
Eastman. The sorrow that we feel
az his passing Is genuine and deep.
His friendship was a vital force In
our lives. We loved him.
And the recent death of East
mans long time associate and
friend, Walter S. Hubbell, added
10 whatever fears Of death East
man may have held.
Hubbell was 80, and dependent
on others for everything done Tor
him. Eastman feared his own
physique might crumble under the
weight of the years, and place him
in Just such a dependant position
The mild stroke a few years ago
which brought on occasional men,
ory lapses added to his fears.
There is ample evidence that
Eastman years ago began prepar-
Ing for death. He was quoted as
"Two courses are open to the
man of wealth. He can hoard his
money for his heirs to administer,
or he can get It into action and
have his fun with 1t while he Is
alive"
He Got 1t into action. He has
riven away between S75,OO0,0Oo
and $10O,00O,000. And Thomas
J. Hargreave, vice president and
counsel of the Eastman Kodak Co,
estimated his fortune to-day was
between $15,000,00 and S20,O0o,-
900, q trifle as compared to the
fortune he had amassed.
In 1926 when he retired as presi-
dent OF the Eastman KODAK COM
pany he announced:
"The remaining years are very
precious to me, and l am DONG
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