Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

monopolies."alway"460 acres, besides subsidary plants, making accessories such aslenses, etc., were later results.Like most human beings George Eastman hadhis faults. Like other great moguls or captains ofAmerican industry, if you prefer that name, he wasbitten by the monopoly bug. Like Vanderbilt, Hill,Harriman in the railroad business, Carnegie orSchwab in the steel business, Rockefeller in the oilbusiness, Morgan and Mellon in the banking business,he wanted a clear field without competitors. Hebought up the entire photographic paper supply ofplants in France, he tried to merge or crowd out therival manufacturers, and did until the United StatesGovernment said, "George, you can't do that. Wehave a law againstAnd George said,"I don't see any justice in such a law." But he wasa loyal citizen. In World War I he did not take advantage of his power to charge high prices, but madelarge gifts to the government to promote the cause offreedom and democracy.George Eastman was one of the first men toutilize four bases of successful business : Large scaleproduction, low costs for world markets, scientific research, and extensive advertising. Incidentally,Thomas A. Edison's invention of moving pictures became a market in itself. The world, the flesh and thedevil all owe a great debt to George Eastman, and theChristian world too. When Herbert Hoover recentlywent back to his birthplace to celebrate his eightiethbirthday with 20,000 other people there to congratulate him, he was reminiscing on the simple life of hisboyhood days in that community, comparing it withtheir relative luxury now, and he climaxed it withthis : "and every one has acquired a camera, as I seeyou here today." The present writer just havingcome from seeing a crowd photographing the Borglummasterpiece of the four presidents in the BlackHills, thanks George Eastman that they were not allequipped with portable darkrooms. If the world recognizes its debt to George Eastman, his heirs andassigns, it is surely working day and night to paythat debt by using miles and miles of that film everyday.If we may judge from our limited knowledgeMr. Eastman was somewhat despotic in his treatment of employees. He discharged his first chemistbecause he was harboring dreams of becoming acompetitor in the plate making business. When hisemployees became so numerous that they were unknown by name, he inquired of one, his surname."Spittles"was the reply, whereupon he was discharged without redress, supposedly because thename had an unsanitary sound. Had George beenmore familiar with his Bible, such a name might havesuggested to his photographic imagination the Saviour spitting on a small lump of clay in His palm,molding it with His finger to the proper consistency,then anointing eyes and ears to restore their lostfunctions. Christ employed Spitals.But to return to the man on the postage stamp.It was not for any of the above qualities unless it washis war service that gave George Eastman that honor. One of his brief biographers asks, Why does arich man keep on accumulating far beyond his needs ?What are his motivators? The primitive one ofcourse is the same as for most of us, we are drivenby the fear of hunger. When that is satisfied, whatnext drives him on? The desire for power over oth-September 8, 1954ers. What next? The satisfaction ofpossessing as ameans of self-expression. Then what ? The realizationthat the end is coming brings the desire to distributewhile it is still in your power. These were the stagesof progress in Eastman's life.When the ordinary art of photography had beenmastered, he turned to the development of colorphotography. He built a magnificant home where helived with his mother until her death in 1907 ; he never married. He filled the home with the works of themaster painters, and a fine pipe organ, and broughtthe finest musicians to entertain his friends withthe best music on Sunday afternoons. His was nota superficial culture, for he acquainted himself withthe history of art and music thoroughly as he hadformerly mastered chemistry. This was the stage ofself-expression.But it was not for all these achievements thatGeorge Eastman was honored with a place on a postage stamp, with Washington, Lincoln, Grant, et al,but for his monetary gifts the distribution periodof his life. Science had done much for him, naturallyhe was interested in educational institutions. Rochester University received some $55,000,000, Massachusetts Institute of Technology was second on the listin size of grants. Numerous dental clinics in thiscountry and abroad were generously remembered,Tuskegee and Hampton Institutes were not forgotten, nor the Welfare agencies of Rochester. It alsoshould be noted that the Rescue Mission, the Y. M.and Y. W. C. A. were not overlooked. Our informantdoes not mention any strictly religious organizationreceiving grants ; perhaps they did."To be or not to be?" We do not know howlong George Eastman halted between whether to endure the pangs of lonliness (twenty-five years havepassed since his mother's death) or to fly to that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns, that dread of something after death, but onMarch 14, 1932, he made the irrevocable decision,leaving this message, "To my friends: My work iswait?"done; whyWhy wait, Mr. Eastman ? Because God told youto wait when He said, "Thou shalt not kill."Why wait? For the sake of your footprints.(Pardon me, Mr. Longfellow.)Foot prints that perhaps another,Tossed upon life's stormy main,Some forlorn and shipwrecked brother,Seeing, may try the thing again.You should have waited for the sake of the nameof the man on the postage stamp.Why wait? Because, your opinion to the contrary notwithstanding, your work was not done.Were you thoroughly prepared to meet your God?Were you entering in by the Door, or were you climbing up some other way? Had you become acquaintedwith that loving Companion, who said, "Lo, I amwith you ? In many ways you were fighting agood fight, but did you finish your course? Did theRighteous Judge say, "Well done?" Did He awardyou the crown ?149