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Man Of The Clock
The curious story of "Little Jake" Seligman of Saginaw.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor
Q
: I seem to remember hearing about a colorful
Jewish character, I believe his name was "Little
Jake," from up north during the late 1800s. What
can you tell me about him?
A : Jacob Seligman, better known as "Little Jake,
the Midget of Saginaw," was an extremely colorful
character who started out in Pontiac. Some time in
the late 1800s, Seligman moved to Saginaw where,
like many Jews of the time, he opened a clothing
store.
Little Jake, so named because he was only 4 feet
11 inches (though he still found a bride, Nellie
Fritzs of Port Huron, whom he married in 1866),
was an immediate success in Saginaw. Much of his
clientele consisted of men from the lumber trade, a
hugely profitable business in the area (if you were
lucky enough to own the business, that is).
In addition to his store in Saginaw, Little Jake
opened a branch in Bay City and then became vice
president of several local banks, finally owning his
own bank, Seligman's Bank of Commerce, as well.
Little Jake bought land throughout the country and
was responsible for Saginaw's premier horse-drawn
streetcar system.
Jacob Seligman was a good businessman and a
brilliant salesman. He had his name plastered
throughout the city on everything from streetcars to
sandwich boards, worn by mostly unemployed men
looking for a day of work. "Follow Me to Little
Jake's — the Great Clothier," the signs read.
Seligman even bought a six-story building for
$40,000, just so he could write the name of his
store on a huge clock he installed at the top.
Legend has it that champion fighter John Sullivan
came to town, then dropped a S50 bill at a Saginaw
bar and invited everyone to have a drink with him.
Little Jake promptly asked everyone to do the same,
then topped Sullivan's $50 by another S50, telling
the bartender, "Keep the change."
Seligman, who favored rather garish checked suits,
finally sold his business in 1880 and moved to
Colorado. After that, apparently no one knows what
happened to him. He reportedly was in poor health,
and some say he committed suicide.
Little Jake's famous clock, along with a statue of
himself he had made and placed beside it, stood
until World War II. These were then
taken down and donated to a scrap
drive, to be used for the war effort.
Note: Those interested in reading
more about Jacob Seligman can turn
to a limited-edition biography, Little
Jake of Saginaw, by John Cunning,
published in 1978
Q : Recently when I looked
through my prayer book, I noticed
that the last letter of the word
shema and the last letter of the
word echad are bigger in the
Shema. Why is this?
Pine Lands, City Real Estate,
Farming Lands, Vessels,
Colorado Cattle Ranches,
And California Red Woods.
CORRE
SPONDENTS :
THIRD NATIONAL BANK, Dc troit, Michigan.
A : Some prayer books, as well as
some Torah scrolls, make the ayin
(the last letter of the word shema, or "hear") and the
dalet (the last letter of the word echad, or "one")
larger because these letters, when combined, spell
the Hebrew word eyc4 "witness."
Scholars say this is to remind Jews to conduct
their lives in an honorable, responsible and thought-
ful way because they serve as witnesses to God's sov-
ereignty.
Q
". I heard that the contents
of the iPod that President
Bush uses while out jogging
were made public. I'm won-
dering if W. likes any Jewish
music?
A: Actually, the president
himself does not select the
songs he listens to; he has staff George W Bush
to do that for him. And usual-
ly his taste leans toward coun-
try music, where there's an
extremely limited number of Jewish performers.
However, there is a slight Jewish connection, and
one with a Detroit angle, at that, you can find on
Bush's iPod music list.
Among the songs the president hears while out
running is "My Sharona." This was a huge hit in
1979 for the Knack, released on their album, Get the
Knack. One member of the Knack was (and is —
the group is still around) Doug Feiger of Oak Park.
IMPORTERS AND TRADERS NATIONAL BANK, New York.
ANGLO CALIFORNIAN
BANK8an
Prancisco,
One of Little Jake's early advertisements
Feiger (brother of the famous attorney Geoffrey
Feiger) is the son of a Jewish father and a gentile
mother.
Incidentally, President Bush may be a staunch
conservative, but the words to "My Sharona" are not
exactly for the meek or easily offended. The song is
about interest in a much younger woman and
includes such deeply profound lyrics as, "When you
going to give me some time, Sharona? Ooh you
make my motor run, motor run."
Q
: I seem to have heard that Marco Polo's discov-
eries were first incorporated in a map created by a
Jew. Is that true?
A : Indeed it is. The famous explorer's findings can
be found in the Catalan Atlas. This was created by
Abraham Crescase of Majorca who, in the 14th cen-
tury C.E., was master of maps and compasses for
the King of Aragon. Marco Polo's discoveries were
included in Abraham Crescase's 1377 atlas, then
regarded the best map of the world. The original
can still be seen at the Bibliotheque Nationale in
Paris. ❑
6/ 2
2005
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