WILLIAM OSCAR HEARN. Disease, accident, ordinary sickness - "the
thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to" - render necessary in every
community good drugs and medicants in sufficient quantities to meet
requirements and within easy reach when they are needed, which is often with
the utmost haste. The men who deal in these indispensable articles, and deal
squarely with the public in handling them, are public benefactors and
entitled to high consideration from those who are the beneficiaries of their
enterprise.
For this reason, and because of his excellent character
as a man, his public spirit and progressiveness as a citizen, his engaging
social qualities and his ample and up-to-date provision for the wants of the
people in his lines of trade, William 0. Hearn, one of the successful and
capable druggists of Carbondale. is held in the highest esteem by the
residents of the city and the county of Jackson in which it is located. He
has been connected with the drug trade in the city but seven years, and
merchandising in it on his own account but one, but he has won their
confidence by his ability in his chosen line of work and his integrity and
square dealing in all his transactions with them.
Mr. Hearn was born
in Carbondale, on April 30, 1881, and is a son of William L. and Mary
(Pulley) Hearn. The father is a contractor and builder, and the evidences of
his skill and capacity in his line of work are to be found in all parts of
the city in residence and business structures, and also in some of the more
pretentious works of public improvement put up for the enlarged comfort and
convenience of the people. He takes a great interest in the growth and
progress of the city and county, and is always willing to do all he can to
aid in promoting this and providing for the general welfare of the community
in every way.
The son received a high-school education, and after
being graduated therefrom studied pharmacy at the State University in
Chicago, from which he was graduated in 1904. He then returned to his native
city and began his business career as a clerk with E. K. Porter. On May 1,
1910, he purchased the E. S. Patten Drug Store, now known as "The Hearn Drug
Store," and that name has become synonymous with excellence in goods, skill
in pharmacy and uprightness in dealing. This was the first drug store
established in Carbondale.
It is to be said to the credit of Mr.
Hearn that although he is still a young man in years and much younger, even,
in business, he is very enterprising both in studying the wants of the
community and in providing for them; and also that he is not only skillful
but conscientious in the application of his science to the practical
requirements of his trade. His prescription department is directly under his
personal supervision at all times, and is all that full knowledge and the
utmost care can make it in the purity of its drugs and the manner in which
they are compounded.
On June 21, 1905, Mr. Hearn was united in
marriage with Miss Jennie S. Hill, a daughter of W. S. Hill, editor of the
Southern Illinois Herald, one of the wide-awake and progressive newspapers
published in Carbondale. Mr. Hearn is a deacon in the Christian church and
the secretary of its Sunday-school. Fraternally he is a Freemason, a Modern
Woodmen of America and a Knight of Pythias, and at this time (1911) is
chancellor commander of his lodge in the order last named.
Extracted 15 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 A History of Southern Illinois, volume 2, pages 733-734.