It was a stormy, rainy day in New York City. We wanted to visit some
of the great stores and shops, but were afraid of the bad weather.
Our friends who lived in the city laughed at us. They said: "This is
just the kind of a day to go to Wanamakers. We will take the subway to
the basement door and never be in the wet at all."
So we hurried to the underground railroad that runs beneath the busy
streets, and were soon riding away in a fast express train. On we went
in the darkness, through winding tunnels to the other end of the city.
At last we stopped at a brilliantly lighted platform and were told
that this was our destination. Leaving the train we did not ascend to
the street, but went through great doors into a large room that was as
light as day. Elevators took us up, up, from floor to floor. And what
did we see, I hear you ask. We saw everything one could wish to buy.
We saw everything we had ever dreamed of purchasing. We saw many
beautiful things of which we had never heard, and we felt as if we
were visiting a magic palace.
At noon we ate our lunch in a pleasant restaurant up at the very top
of the enormous building. It was quiet and peaceful, and we were glad
to rest. When we were through, we found an attractive little concert
hall where many persons were listening to a deep-toned organ.
[Illustration: JOHN WANAMAKER (On left)
Great Merchant and Philanthropist]
We were told we were welcome to sit down and hear the sweet music. An
hour passed before we were ready to leave. Then we continued our
sightseeing, and it was late in the afternoon before we were ready to
go home. We returned the same way we had come and when we were once
more far up town in our own familiar street the rain had just stopped.
Then we realized we had been in doors all day long and known nothing
of the storm. It had indeed been just the kind of a day to go to
Wanamakers.
And what is Wanamakers? It is the name of two great stores, one in New
York City and the other in Philadelphia. The owner, John Wanamaker, is
the man who first thought of selling all manner of articles in one
store, and so built what we call today a department store.
No one who knew John Wanamaker when he was a boy thought he had any
better chances than any other boy among his playmates, and no one
foretold that he would become a great merchant.
A plain two story house in Philadelphia was his early home. There he
lived with his father and mother. His father was a brick maker, and
while John was very small he would help his father by turning the
bricks over so they would dry evenly. His father died in 1852. John
was just fourteen, and he went to work in a book store. His wages were
$1.50 a week, but he managed to save a little. His mother encouraged
him and he says of her, "Her smile was a bit of heaven and it never
faded out of her face till her dying day."
Although at first the boy earned but little to help this good mother,
he soon was able to care for her in a way beyond his highest hopes.
What caused him to succeed? His capital! "But," you say, "he had no
money; he was poor." True, his capital was not money. Let us see what
it was. A few words will tell us. He had good health, good habits, a
clean mind, thriftiness, and a tireless devotion to whatever he
thought to be his duty.
He worked hard outside of business hours, improving himself for any
opportunity that might come. And one came when he was twenty-one years
of age.
The directors of the Philadelphia Y. M. C. A. were looking for a young
man to become Secretary of the Association. They were anxious to
secure an earnest energetic person who would make a great success, for
it was the first time that such a position as Y. M. C. A. secretary
had been established. They selected John Wanamaker and paid him $1,000
a year.
He went to work with a will, and everyone felt that he more than
earned his salary. All the time he was saving, just as he had been
doing when he worked in the book store. He had great hopes and plans.
When he had saved $2000 he and a friend of his own age started a
business of their own. Their store was named Oak Hall and they sold
men's clothing. At that time business houses did not advertise in the
newspapers as they do today. Neither were signboards used. Just
imagine how puzzled the good folk of Philadelphia were when, one
morning, they saw great billboards all over their peaceful city. On
these were two letters, W. & B. No one knew what these letters meant.
Everyone was guessing, and it was not until Oak Hall was opened that
the public learned that W. & B. stood for Wanamaker & Brown, the name
of the new firm.
Their first day's business brought in thirty-eight dollars. John
Wanamaker himself delivered the goods in a wheel barrow. Then he
hurried to a newspaper office and spent the entire thirty-eight
dollars for advertising. After reading of the wonderful goods on sale
there, customers poured into Oak Hall. They bought, too, for again
John Wanamaker had spent his money wisely. He had hired the highest
paid clerk in Philadelphia to manage the sales room, which meant that
each customer was waited upon well and went away pleased, ready to
tell his friends about the new store.
What do you suppose was told the oftenest? Probably you would not
guess, because today all business houses have followed the plan that
was used first in Oak Hall.
You will be surprised when you hear that it was the custom of having
one price for a garment and sticking to it that caused the most talk.
This price was marked plainly on a tag attached to the article to be
sold, and any one could see it. Before this, clothing merchants had
not marked their goods, but tried to get as much as possible from a
customer. Often one suit of clothes had a dozen prices on the same
day. So you can see what a change the energetic young man made. He did
more than this. Because he wanted to please the public, he said if any
customer was not satisfied he could return his purchase and receive
his money back. This was a startling idea, but it worked, and made
many friends for the young firm.
Their store waked up Philadelphia. Every week some new advertising
appeared. Once great balloons were sent up from the roof. Stamped on
each one was the statement that any one who found the balloon and
returned it to Oak Hall would receive a suit of clothes. You can
imagine how the people hunted for those balloons. One was found five
months afterward in a cranberry swamp. The frightened farmer who saw
it swaying to and fro thought at first that some strange animal was
hiding there. You may be sure he was glad to hurry to Oak Hall with
his prize and get the promised suit of clothes.
John Wanamaker kept on economizing and saving, for he wanted a bigger
business. Then the idea came to him of selling many kinds of goods
under one roof, and the modern department store was born. The store,
though small at first, gradually grew until it finally became the
largest in Philadelphia. Then it was that he decided to build an even
larger one in New York City.
Today there are department stores throughout our country in every city
and town. We like them and take them as a matter of course. But let us
remember they had their beginning in the idea of this boy from
Philadelphia.
His success looks very great to us, but it was built up step by step.
He says it is due "to thinking, toiling, and trusting in God." This
seems to sum up his life. Besides business, his interest in religious
affairs has always been great. He has given of his wealth to many
noble charities and helpful organizations. In Philadelphia he built a
great building for a Sunday School alone. Thousands of persons attend
this school each Sunday and there are classes there during the week
for those who have had to leave school at an early age. He has
remembered the Y. M. C. A. and, perhaps because of his early work with
it, has been unusually generous in giving buildings to struggling
associations. He even built one in the far away city of Madras, India,
thus stretching out his influence for good nearly around the world.
But while he has had thought for those far away, he has also cared for
the people who work for him. His stores were the first to have an
entire holiday on Saturday during the hot days of summer. This was
done so the men and women could leave the crowded city, if they
wished, on Friday evening, and have a vacation of two full days in the
country or at the seashore.
Then, too, he has encouraged the various departments of the stores to
form clubs and musical societies. At times there have been two bands
in the New York store, one composed of men and the other of women.
They have rooms and hours in which to practice.
Besides playing and singing, some of the clubs study English, foreign
languages, and many other subjects. It is possible for every person
employed in one of the Wanamaker stores to add to his stock of
knowledge through this club life.
Some years ago John Wanamaker began giving a pension to those who had
served him for a certain length of time. This plan has since been
followed by other firms because it promotes faithfulness and interest
in the business.
This interest makes each one connected with the store realize he is a
part of it. Perhaps this is shown best by the way pensioned men and
women responded to Mr. Wanamaker's call in 1917, after so many men had
left to join the army and navy. They went back to take the places of
those who had gone, feeling that in so doing they were serving their
country.
There was one fine old Scotchman past eighty years of age living in
New York who had been forty-four years in the employ of Wanamaker. He
had been on the pension roll for some time and was enjoying old age
quietly. When he heard the call from his former employer, he went down
to work as eagerly as a boy, glad he was strong and sturdy enough to
do his part in keeping the great store open to serve the public.
Is it not a fine thing to be able to develop such spirit and energy
among thousands of persons? Surely the mother of the boy who turned
bricks for his father would rejoice if she could read her son's
record. He has become one of the greatest business men of his day; he
served our country well as Postmaster General but most of all he has
given each year more and more time and money to help make the world
better.
Can we not say of him that, while he has always recognized that the
object of business is to make money in an honorable way, he has tried
to remember that the object of life is to do good?
* * * * *
"_And the star-spangled banner
In triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave._"
--FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
[Illustration: EX-PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON]