USA > Pennsylvania > Encyclopedia of contemporary biography of Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 65
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It is a remarkable fact that in settling up the af- fairs of the firm, over a half million of dollars, owing to Mr. Cope by Southern merchants, was paid within a few weeks, at a time when the war would have afforded them an opportunity for easily avoid- ing payment. Under these circumstauces Mr. Cope felt compelled to part with "Springbrook," which he sold to George H. Stuart for $70,000. The latter subsequently disposed of it at a large profit to Edwin Forrest, and it is now the Forrest Home for Aged and Infirm Actors. It is, perhaps, needless to say that few evidences now remain of its former magnifieence. Mr. Cope then removed to the St. Lawrence Hotel, and finally to the Continental, of which he was one of the founders, and which bears the name first suggested and advocated by him. He was for many years President of the Mer- chant's Hotel Company, and was the last survivor among its founders. Then came the war. The Government realized the necessity of having a reli- able man in Europe to purchase supplies, and Caleb Cope was chosen. But he found it impossible to serve in that capacity in the way that he would de- sire to, and so he requested Mr. George Plummer Smith to take his place, which that gentleman gladly did, and the result was that this important
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duty was ably performed without any cost to the Government, as Mr. Smith refused remuneration and insisted upon paying his own expenses. As one of the committee of the Cooper Shop Refresh- ment Saloon, Mr. Cope was active in providing for the wants of the militia en route to the front, and in a quiet way he labored for the comfort of the fami- lies of those who had enlisted, and for the aid and encouragement of the Union cause. As Treasurer of the Great Central Fair of the Sanitary Commis- sion, he drew a check to General Strong of $1,035,- 398.96, and to his efforts was considerably due the success of this undertaking in behalf of the Nation's defenders. At this time he was President of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and it was while acting in that capacity that he met his second wife, a Southern belle, Miss Josephine Porter, of Nashville, Tenn. They were married in December, 1864, and had two sons : Caleb Frederick and Porter Farquharson Cope, both of whom have reached manhood. In 1865 Mr. Cope re-opened the old mansion of Thomas P. Cope on Spruce street and made it his permanent residence. For the summer he purchased a beautiful country-seat at Chestnut Hill, on the highest ground in Philadelphia, where his taste for horticulture found ample scope in the making of a collection containing every tree and shrub suitable to this elimate. A portion of the grounds he opened to the public as a park, and in their centre found the coldest, and, possibly, the purest spring in Philadelphia. In 1864 Mr. Cope was elected President of the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, in which he had been a director sinee 1841, and to its service he devoted the best efforts of his later life, being at his post daily for twenty- four years and living to see this noble institution become the largest of its kind, at least in America, having nearly 125,000 depositors with open ae- counts, a surplus over liabilities of $2,296,000 and $29,000,000 on deposit. On February 3, 1888, he left his office for the last time, and upon reaching home complained of pains in his feet, which de- veloped into a serious rheumatic affection. For three months he was unable to use his limbs and was only kept alive by the most careful nursing, aided by his wonderful constitution and mighty will. On the night of May 7th he had a dream which greatly im- pressed him. He said that there had been a death in the family and that he also was going soon. That day his brother, Major Frederick J. Cope, had died in Greensburg, three hundred miles away. But he still continued his interest in politics and business, and remaincd cheerful until he became unconscious on Saturday morning, May 12, 1888, and at 9 A.M., he passed away. A day before, his mind and mem-
ory were as clear and perfect as they had been at any time in his life, and he was even able to recall and recite poems and incidents which he had for- gotten since his early manhood. He did not die of old age, nor of any particular disease, but went as one cheerfully obeying the summons of his Maker. Mr. Cope was one of the original trustees of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company ; a trustee of the Fire Association ; the Philadelphia agent of the Bank of Kentucky in its famous and successful suit against the Schuylkill Bank ; an honorary member of the Tennessee Historical Society, the Horticultu- ral Societies of Massachusetts and Delaware, and several European societies; an active member of the Philadelphia Board of Trade; a manager of the Pennsylvania Hospital, of the Institution for the In- struction of the Blind, and of many other charitable institutions; a member of the Pennsylvania His- torical Society, the Franklin Institute, the Merean- tile Library Company, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, the Fairmount Park Art Association, the S. P. C. A., the National Commemorative Monument Asso- ciation, the Soldiers' Home, the American Fire In- surance Company ; a manager of the Magdalen So- ciety, of the Lehigh Navigation Company, a mem- ber of the Art Union, of the Zoological Society, etc. In religion, Mr. Cope, though baptised a Lutheran, leaned towards the Episcopal Church. He was allied to no particular creed, however, being more of a humanitarian than churchman, and giving to all denominations. In polities he was first a Fed- eralist, and then a Whig, being a warm personal friend and adherent of Henry Clay. He became somewhat of an Abolitionist, and voted for John C. Fremont in 1856, forever afterward remaining an uncompromising Republican. Living through nine- ty years, and prominent from almost the time of his majority, he knew cvery famous man of his times. He could remember Lafayette, General Arthur St. Clair-whom he described as a woeful example of the ingratitude of republics-Aaron Burr, Alexan- der Hamilton and Kossuth. He was the intimate friend of Joseph Napoleon, of Daniel Webster, of Horace Binney and of many other famous men. He dined with Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, and with Henry Clay at Lexington. Frequently pressed to accept political honors, he invariably refused them. He knew all but six Presidents of the United States, and every leading merchant, financier, statesman and philanthropist, with but few excep- tions, who has lived in the last three-quarters of a century. In short, the life of Caleb Cope was com- plete in every way, lacking in nothing that could
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be desired. Despite unusual reverses, he acquired a large fortune, which he frcely used not only for his own enjoyment, but for that of others. He earned a name so good that it commanded rare re- spect. And though he passed three score and ten by twenty-one years, he remained, according to his own declaration, happy until the close. The fol- lowing forceful and well-timed editorial from the Philadelphia Public Ledger, of May 14, 1888, thus summarizes Mr. Cope's long and beneficent career :
It is granted to but few men as it was to Caleb Cope, who died at his residence in this city on Sat- urday, the 12th instant, to live to an age so ad- vanced. Mr. Cope was born in 1797, before the century, which is now well-nigh spent, began. He was already eighteen years old when Napoleon and Wellington were disputing the vantage of the ground at Waterloo. Washington was still living when he was born, and John Adams, the second President of the Republic, had just succeeded him as Chief Magistrate. Beginning with eight years after it went into operation, his life ran side by side with that of his country's Constitution. He was con- temporaneous with all its wars except that which gave it birth. He was the friend of its great states- inen from Jefferson to Lincoln and onward. He was the last survivor of that committee of twenty- four eminent citizens of Philadelphia who were sent to Washington to petition President Jackson to ex- tend the charter of the United States Bank, and of the directors of that institution, as well as of all the managers of the Philadelphia Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, who originally served with him. He was older than the greatest inventions of his age, as the steam engine, the steam printing press, the cotton gin, the telegraph, the sewing machine, or the sower and reaper. To the last of his long life his mental facul- ties were unimpaired, and until within a few months of his decease he was as President of the Savings Fund Society, regularly at his post of duty. Of him it may be truly said that, iu dyiug, he had all that " which should accompany old age, as honor, love, obedience, troops of friends." There has been of late much inquiry inade of those who are called successful men, in respect of the cause of their suc- cess. In Caleb Cope there might have been found not only the truly successful man, but the cause of his success. The richest man of all is not always the most successful man. There are other things better than money-things which bring white hairs to a quiet, revered grave-and he possessed them. He once had great riches, or which were thought so in that day of modest fortunes, which through the errors of others, he lost, but in losing them he lost no love, nor respect, nor confidence as they melted away. He had that which is the best for- tunc of all-character. His whole lifewas builded upon that sure foundation, and to the last, in the thoughts and affections of men, the structure was unimpaired in strength and beauty. Whatever wealth subsequently came to Mr. Cope, came to him through what was knowu to be his unconquer- able integrity. He was a great merchant, a finan- cier, a man of affairs ; but there never was a day in his life when his simple word was not better than
his bond; for it was felt that though in the vicissitudes of life untoward circumstances might weaken the one, nothing could destroy nor injure the value of the other. Mr. Cope's influence upon his time and the community in which he lived was most potential in indirectly urging public opinion to aid causes and institutions which need aid; his efforts in behalf of them awakened impulses which set thought in motion and became guides and helpers in the formation of opinion. The continu- ously extended usefulness of that great charity, the Savings Fund Society, of which for nearly a quarter of a century he was the responsible chief officer, was largely due to his wise and devoted service. Mr. Cope was an especially public-spirited man, a practical philanthropist and patriot. He demon- strated those nobly distinguishing characteristics in times of peace in the invaluable assistance he con- tinuously gave to prominent institutions of charity, in his office of manager or director, and to such elevating and refining studies as the Fine Arts and Horticulture; he proved his patriotism by the courage and alacrity which he displayed in the early days of the war, by giving the Government in its then time of great need, the pecuniary assistance it needed, in his activity in every effort made to sus- tain its credit in the market, and its prestige in the field, in his tender care for the soldiers. Mr. Cope was a gentle-natured man of noble impulses, benev- olence, piety. His sense of honor made him just, his humanity made him charitable, his faith made him wise. It is commanded that of the dead we shall speak no evil ; here the command is without meaning ; of Caleb Cope no ill could be spoken liv- ing or dead, as the daily beauty of his long, pure, simple and good life would confute all evil before it could be uttered. The example of the life of one such man being known of men is more helpful to the wayfarer than many sermons.
GEORGE W. CHILDS.
THERE is something marvellously fascinating, even surprising beyond the limit of wildest fiction, in the possibilities which open before the humblest born American boy and the actual achievements that are sometimes his. Taking, for instance, the case of George W. Childs, proprietor of the Phila- delphia Public Ledger-born in Baltimore, May 12, 1829-coming to Philadelphia when in his fifteenth
year, dependent entirely upon his own industry, integrity, tact and perseverance for success in life, entering a book store in humblest capacity at the lowest remuneration on which life could be sus- tained, working zealously, faithfully, discriminat- ingly, rising first by slow, short, laborious steps, and theu by strong, giant strides, until at middle age he stands, not simply as the first citizen of his adopted abiding place, but as one of the very fore- most in a Nation of sixty millions of people. The poor boy arrived at manhood's meridian, finds him-
George W. Childs
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self rich, popular, the controller of the best perma- nent newspaper property in America, the most inti- mate friend of the greatest soldier of modern times,- who was the preserver, as Washington was the founder, of his country,-and the thresholds of his three houses, pressed by the feet of the illus- trious of two continents. He is sought after and visited by titled persouages of Europe and by the nobility, not alone of blood, but of intellect and genius, the aristocracy of the world of mind, in letters, science and art, while finally he is mentioned with spirit and spontaneity by the press and people of North, East, South and West as the most avail- able non-partisan candidate for the highest position in the administration of the Government. Fiction has naught more strange or startling to show than is embodied in these serious, actual, nineteenth-century facts. And the better and more beautiful does the aspect of this career stand forth when oue realizes that in all the ascent from toil, and poverty, and obscurity, to case, elegance, fame, popularity and power, not one iota of vantage ground has ever been gained, or sought, at the expense, or to the depriva- tion of any other human being's happiness or pros- perity, but that, on the contrary, Mr. Childs, in his marvellous success, has helped thousands of his fel- low-men upward and onward, bestowing his benefi- cence in a multitude of ways, so lavishly indeed that it would appear to most onlookers he must have wasted his strength. But in this very matter has lain undoubtedly one of the chief elements of his power, and, viewed aright, he is a splendid example of the truth that none help themselves so surely as those who labor to assist others. George W. Childs, after about four years service in the place which he first entered on coming to Philadel- phia, opened a small book store of his own in the old Ledger building, at Third and Chestnut streets, and it is said that while there he made up his mind to some day become the proprietor of the Ledger- a purpose formed in what would appear a boy-like way, but ultimately to be carried out manfully and masterfully. Constantly advancing, he became in due time, soon after he had attained his majority, a publisher of books, and very shortly afterwards the head of the house of Childs & Petersen, whose pub- lications attracted marked attention, not only from their intrinsic value, but from the extraordinary favor with which they were received. Among them were such well known works as "Fletcher's Bra- zil," "Bouvier's Law Dictionary," "Sharswood's Blackstone's Commentaries," "Lossing's Civil War" and "Petersen's Familiar Science," the last of which was, by Mr. Childs' methods, pushed to a sale of more than 200,000 copies. His next publish-
ing enterprises were equally large and successful. For Dr. Kane's narrative of his Arctic explorations he was cnabled to pay the author $70,000 royalty, and the success of Parson Brownlow's " Debates on Slavery" and "Sketches of Secession" may be approximately measured by the fact that lie paid the writer $15,000. He also published Allibonc's "Dictionary of English and American Authors," and such was his handling of this enterprise that the author dedicated the work to him, an act char- acterized by an eminent literary man as "both graceful and grateful." Upon the retirement of Mr. Petersen from the firm, Mr. Childs formed a partnership with J. B. Lippincott, which, however, eudured but a year, when he resumed business alone. In 1863 he purchased the Publishers' Circu- lar and by remodelling it and changing the name to the American Literary Gazette and Publishers' Circu- lar, greatly increased its value to the trade and gave it a more general circulation. He also acquired the American Almanac, changed its name to the Na- tional Almanac, and soon pushed it into a circula- tion of 30,000 copies annually. During all of this time he carried on general book publishing very extensively and successfully, and bade fair to be- come the leading man in this line in the United State, but he had not forgotten his old time ambi- tion to become a newspaper proprietor, and finally this was gratified by his purchase of the Public Ledger, on the 3rd of December, 1864. This step was taken against the advice of his friends, but time has fully vindicated the wisdom that directed it. Concerning this venture and the subsequent management of the paper, we quote from the Printers' Circular (of June, 1879), an acknowledged authority on all matters pertaining to the craft of types and the profession of publishing :
"This time-honored and influential journal had then reached the nadir of its existence. Its publi- cation for a considerable period had ceased to be remunerative, and at the time of which we speak it was issued at a daily loss. No ordinary intrepidity and self-reliance were required to prompt the pur- chase. But a pilot of consummate sagacity and skill now seized the helm. He was a thorough judge of the indispensable conditions of success. Having been a prosperous book-publisher, his faculty for detecting the public taste and of supply- ing the public wants had received unwonted devel- opment. The subscription price of the newspaper was doubled ; the rates of advertising were propor- tionately modified; fresh blood was infused through all its channels; and the journal was organized anew.
" The Ledger at once assumed an exceptionally high tone-a tone which has ever since pervaded it in all its departments. Every improper feature in advertisements or in news was excluded from its columns; a spirit of almost judicial fairness was
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made to breathe throughout its reports and opinions of men and things; whatever weight is due to dig- nity, independence, impartiality and a wise and considerate estimate of social and political topics was imparted to its editorials; and no expenditure, however lavish, was withheld in enhancing its value as a trustworthy and salutary fireside visitor. The forecast of Mr. Childs was eminently justified. The Ledger ultimately reached a circulation of ninety thousand copies daily."
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"But it is as a printer that we wish to speak of Mr. Childs with emphasis. Having for a long time employed printers, mediately, as an eminent pub- lisher, he is directly and prominently connected with them as proprietor of the Public Ledger. The building from which this newspaper is issued is a marvel of architectural beauty. " In it are contained the appointments of a first class printing office to a degree which, as far as we are aware, does not exist either in the United States or in Europe. What- ever a considerate regard for the comfort and health of his employes could suggest to the accom- plished chief has been provided for. Lofty ceilings, roomy apartments, abundance of liglit and air, bath-rooms, water-closets-in a word, every acces- sory adapted for the physical well-being of the men who perform his labor-meet the eye. From base- ment to roof, all is bright, cheerful and attractive. But the interest he takes in his employes does not cease with providing for them an elegant and healthy workshop. His regard for them is shown equally in wise counsel, prudential suggestion, and in beneficent action. One instance may serve as an experimentum crucis. He refused to reduce the rate of payment of his compositors, notwithstand- ing that the Typographical Union had formally sanctioned a reduction, and notwithstanding that the reduced scale was operative in every printing office in Philadelphia except his own. He said to us, 'My business is prosperous ; why should not my men share in my prosperity ?' This act of graciousness, while it endeared him to the hearts of his beneficiaries, was commented on most favorably at home and abroad. It did honor to the head and heart of the philanthropic printer and publisher who wielded a power that enabled him to com- mand, at a moment's notice, what conditions he pleased. That his employes, in a formal interview with him, expressed their willingness to accept the reduced rates, simply augments the generosity of his act.
"Such comprehensive and far-reaching kindness has its appropriate accompaniments. Mr. Childs is at all times surrounded by as efficient and faithful a set of collaborators as can anywhere be brought together. Compositor, pressman, cashier, chief and subordinate editors, reporters, desk clerks, office boys-all are linked to him as with bands of steel. "Quick to discern merit, he is prompt to reward it; and the humblest person in his employ, who does his duty conscientiously, leans on no broken rced. Every individual in his establishment is the object of his unceasing care. Each has a summer va- cation of two or more weeks, and not only are his wages allowed to run on during the vacation, but he is paid in advance, and is presented with a liberal sum besides. On Christmas Day every man,
woman and boy in his employ receives a present in money-the total outlay, as may well be conceived, amounting to many thousands of dollars annually.
"He has even taken care of those who had be- come old or disabled in the service of his predeces- sors. The foreman of the composing room had worked for Mr. Childs less than a year when his health gave way. He was told by his physician that if he continued in his vocation he would prob- ably live but a few months; but that, if he could give up work, his life might be prolonged for years. This person, though he has not been near the estab- lishment for years, has drawn and continues to draw his weekly pay, which has thus far amounted to a very large sum.
" The Ledger Almanac, which is furnished gratui- tously to every subscriber to the Public Ledger, has cost, during the ten years of its publication, more than fifty thousand dollars."
Mr. Childs' regard for the followers of the trade with which he has been all of his life associated has been shown in various ways, as the foregoing ex- tracts exhibit, but there has been nothing more touching to his beneficiaries than his presentation, on the 17th of October, 1868, of the Printers' Ceme- tery, Woodlands, to the Philadelphia Typographical Society, and his further perpctual endowment for keeping the same in repair. But this is only one among thousands of good deeds which have flown in a constant and ever increasing stream from the proprietor of the Ledger, as the success of his great business enterprise has increased his ability. Messrs. Childs and Drexel, in 1886, sent their checks for $5,000 each to the Convention of the International Union in Pittsburgh, and provision was then made that the individual members should have an opportunity of assisting in augmenting the fund until such time as it was seen fit to make dis- position of it. It was then arranged that the prin- ters east of the Mississippi should contribute the price paid for setting 1000 ems on Mr. Childs' birth- day, May 12th of each year, and that the printers west of the Mississippi should do likewise on the annual recurrence of Mr. Drexel's birthday, Sep- tember 13th. Following out this plan of mutual assistance, the printers west of the Mississippi have made two annual contributions to the fund, and on Saturday, May 12, 1888, the second contributions of printers east of the great river were made. In acknowledgment of their appreciation of Mr. Childs' thoughtfulness in establishing this fund, and also to give expression to their acknowledg- ment of his friendship for the fraternity, the Ex- Delegates' Association of the International Typo- graphical Union modestly undertook to fittingly commemorate his natal day. The grand culmina- tion of their efforts, on the evening of Saturday, May 12, 1888, was a banquet at Dooner's Hotel, in Philadelphia. It is safe to say that no philanthro-
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