Philadelphia Salvage

The Philadelphia Inquirer was called the "Bible of Pennsylvania Republicanism" when the Elverson family bought it 45 years ago. Old James Elverson and his son James Jr. successively published it until the son died in 1929. His widow followed him several months later, and control of the Inquirer passed to his sister, Eleanore Elverson Patenotre.

Mme Patenotre was born 64 years ago in Philadelphia. When she was 24 she met Jules Patenotre, the French Ambassador, at a Washington party, was married to him by the late Cardinal Gibbons. A son, Raymond, was born at Atlantic City in 1900. Soon thereafter the Patenotres went abroad to live. Raymond grew up a Frenchman. Mme Patenotre who has visited the U. S. about ten times in 30 years, had little interest in the Philadelphia Inquirer when her brother's will dumped it into her lap. Gladly she sold her 51% to the late Cyrus H. K. Curtis and his step-son-in-law John C. Martin in 1930. Presumably the sale involved some cash and a series of notes which the new owners expected to pay off out of profits.

Curtis-Martin published the Inquirer along with their Public Ledger and Evening Ledger for four years, but the Philadelphia newspaper seas were heavy. Last spring Publisher Martin, who had already cut loose one of his stepfather-in-law's newspapers (New York Evening Post), tried to trim his load further by merging the Inquirer and Public Ledger (TIME, April 16). Last week he abandoned ship. The Inquirer, combined with what is left of the Public Ledger, will be taken in tow again by the Elversons as salvage for the notes which profits evidently did not pay off. On his way from France was Raymond Patenotre, to take possession on behalf of his mother.

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