Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-01-28
The Late Judah Touro,

TOuro having, at eleven O'Clock last night, sur
rendered his immortal part to the Creator who
rave il. This melancholy occurrence, although
for some days past hourly expected, is keenly
and deeply felt in the heart of this community,
in which the departed spent SO large portion
of his honorable, spotless and respected career.
Judah Touro was native of Rhode Island,
and Of whom it may be almost literally said,
that his birth was saluted by the artillery of the
heroes Of Massachusetts at Bunker Hill, he hav-
ing been born in Newport. on the 18th Of June,
1775, and was consequently about seventy eight
years and seven months old at his death. He
came to New Orleans in 1902, when twenty-seven
years old, and strange to say, from that day
until the hour of his removal hence by the hand
of death, save when serving as volunteer on
the plains of Chalmette, under Gen. Jackson,
against the British, when he was severely wound
ed, he never passed beyond its limits. He ap-
pears to have been possessed, in common with
other members of his family, of very peculiar
idiosyncrasies-for his brother Abraham Touro,
who had a limb fractured, some thirty years
ago, in Boston, by being thrown from a vehicle,
preferred to die, and did die, rather than suffer
amputation and mutilation; which SO affected
our deceased fellew-citizen, who was greatly at
tached to him, that from that time until his
death he never rode in any carriage or other
conveyance, or on horseback, or put foot on
railroad car, steamboat or ship, not even upon
any of the latter while lying at the Levee, al
though he was largely interested in them.
In all his habits he was puntuality itself, in
variably retiring at an early hour to rest, and
rising in the morning before the SUM- He was
in his department modest unostentatious and Of
republican simplicity, estimating every one with
whom he came in contact by their moral worth
and intelligence, not by the accident of wealth
or social position. He passed from the cradle
to the grave without ever having partaken Of a
glass of spirituous liquors. Indifferent to and
regardless of all distinctions among men, other
than moral ones, he invariably evinced towards
the worthy mechanic and laboring man friend
ship and consideration, of which many charac-
teristic instances are mentioned by those who
shared his society and regard. One has been
told to US, which, having happened on visit Of
compliment and regard to Mr.. Touro by his
friend, the immortal Henry Clay, on the latter's
arrival in the city, we cannot help recording, as
illustrative Of this laudable popularity of the
deceased Mr.. Clay called ON the morning of
his arrival to pay his respects to his highly es-
teemed friend, and was engaged in earnest con-
yersation with him, when the colored barber of
Mr.. T. made his appearance on his usual GRAND.
He instantly quilted the room, to which he did
not return until the shaving operation was con-
cluded, when on presenting himself again to his
honored visitor, he apologized for his abrupt de-
sparture and absence, by observing that his bar
Der was an industrious poor man, to whom time
was invaluable, and that he could not reconcile
it to himselfto detain him for the personal gra-
tifcation, however great, conferred upon him.
self by the conversation of Mr.. Clay.
Mr. Touro, as is well known, gave largely,
but in secret, to the poor and deserving of this
city !; in fact, gratuities of very large amounts,
always accompanied with the strictest injunctions
Of secresy. Notwithstanding this, however, his
property in this city is valued at seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, exclusive of one
hundred and twenty thousand dollars inherited
from his brother Abraham, no portion of which,
it is said, was ever removed from Boston, where
it is still invested, save ten thousand dollars
paid by his order to the trustees for the build
ing the Bunker Hill Monument. f'
Judah Touro was of the ancient Hebrew faith,
and unmarried, and in the moral loveliness of
his useful and honorable life, reflected credit on
human nature, and did honor to the religion of
the chosen people Of God. His noble charities,
goodness Of heart, kindliness of feeling and
munifcent humanity, dignifed and elevated poor
human nature, and afford imperishable examples
to the cold-hearted sectarian, who believes that
those only are worthy Of the communion of the
blessed who conform to his own low and narrow
standard Of human perfectibifty. So gse@s>ss
Our respect for the deceased will not permit
us to say more, this time, in relation to the dis
position he has made of his large property, than
that it will be disposed of in the same catholic
spirit which governed all his acts while living,
and its benefits will insure to the advantage of
all. The inky cloak of mourning should indeed
he put on for such as the deceased, for of
truth, good man and respected citizen has been
taken from among us. Who will now be to the
poor, the afflicted and the unfortunate, Judah
Touro, whose generous hand was ever open as
day to deeds of melting charity? St. 800 |
.alfsa sd y, IN o. True Delta. /
3 A. LEAF OF MEMORY Losr.--Au old mans
memory is a queer place. Indeed, it resembles
an old-fashioned garnet, full Of relics, and SOU
yenirs of the past-the rubbish Of to-day but
the riches Of yesterday. ri - rs
In conversation yesterday with an old man,
who has passed q long and useful life, and with
whom it is now Indian summer, we were inn
pressed with remark he incidentally made.
He had seen the opening Of near seventy springs
at first the winters came and went, by and by,
unmelted snow-fakes fingered in his hair, and
he saw them drifting over the graves of one af-
ter another, whose feet with his, had brushed
the morning dews together. At last they whit
ened over his old wife's last resting place-her
who knew him when the shadows fell to the
westward, and ssthe day was before them both
who never thought him old, though oil the
world pronounced him so.r Everybody said
when she died, !" it is . terrible blow to the old
man, and few did al they could to make him
forget-but there was no need Of that "for,r
said he,s g they didn't seem To. know where the
blow fell which they 80 deplared-they didn't
think how much missed somebody to help me
remember r. III ag s,55e sasEea ~ sl,.73t's
These few words, indeed, contain world Of
RI