Bookman Totman

NZ Truth, Issue 1193, 11 October 1928, Page 6

Bookman Totman

IT might not be thoiight that the. dis- 1 perisirig: of literature 1 toi tK'e citizens - ; of /a .large city would tend .to 'in-' creiase 1 one's' interest m life. or. to" keep one i yqungf;but if ; Harry 7 Totmalri' is to ~J5e taken as an example,; then this is so,- for 'fifteen years of the^ bu.sitiess has : only' increased his pleasure ,'ln .living and given him valuable knowledge 6f his fellow-men. ■ , ••- ?.}■■■// -■, .', 'Oil .one of the. busiest ,;.corners m Auckland, :H;T. may be discovered behind a barrEtge; of gaily-colored peri-' odicals ariid novels, : and a keen observer mayifind- that this man, carrying, on his business.i n .'the .heart of the city is no mean ; psychplpgist — m other words, he knows his public. , :. : Thbse.who have seen his .rise. from sman.'beginni'ngs know him to " be the 9 same unassumihgmah of business who set up -as' a stationer with his brother m Que^n ;' Street, fifteen years ago. '.VBut there are, many who do not know that; he made^ one of a family of seven • -that -stepped, ashore at. Auckland from a sailing yesse'r just 44 y,ears- ago'; yes, one of the v last sailing „ ships that • brought passengers from England deposited, this i faniily from Essex on the shores of New.; Zealand. ; :|: ' . ' His" life from- the time of his landing on these , shores, until the present- 'day has been an"; adventurous brie at ■;■ timtss, . and when opportunity offered he, tobk a shop in- ; the "main 'Street and ■ opened his" stationery.' stand; :.-.- .. ,v r ; :;" . Just how; much of a success he has made of ihis. ■•la.st venture is easily seen. His ; customers, many ' now; of ■'- long standing, are to ' him something more than mere -purchasers of books, and he is pbpular with them all.' .