The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-08-21
Girard, the Money Maker.

"A RECENT nuiubtr Oh the Il 'uSeuOiu w oT0S
contains n sketch of Stephen Girard. The
Philadelphia Inquirer says it is not correc,
in all particulars. sud yet it embodies many
interesting facts in the history Of the cels
hrated banker. After giving the leading
events in ihe early life of Girard, the writer
proceeds as follows:
In 1912, Stephen Girard, the One-eyed
cabin boy Of S"rdeanx, purchased the bank
ing premises of the O,d Bank Of the United
States (whose charter was not renewed) and
stated the G,rxr., Bank. a large private
establishment, which not only conferred
advantages on the community create, than
the State Insiirution upon which it was
founded, but while the public credit was
shaken, aud the Government tinsnceS were
exhausted by w.r, the Cirard Bank could
command large subscriptions OF loan, aud
put itself in the position of the principal
creditor Of the country. in 1914 GTar'i
subscribed the whole of . large government
iuan from patriotic motives, and in 1917 he
contributed by his un>haken credit an un.
di'.inish.d q funds To bring about the reSunp
ton of specie payments. In 1881 his ops
rati"pS were 80 extensive that when the
country MAS placed in extreme eInbArraS
mrnt from the scarcity ot money by reason
OF The balance OF trad: beng aga nst it, he
was .nabied. by a single Transaction with
AN eminent En5lish firm to turn the ex-
changes and Cause specie " how into the
States.
To add to the singular deficient character
he VA. dsai IN one ear. could only speak bro
ken English, never conversed upon anything
but bu>lneS~, ami wore The saHIe Did coat,
cut in ia. French style, for tive years togcth.
er. An oil rIckcriy chair, remarkable for
its age, aud marked with { Initials " ).
q. drawn hy faded horse, was USED
wh-n h- ,odr about The city. He had no
sense OF hospitality. no friend 10 share MS
house or his table. lie &aS drfercuisal in
appearance ~ rank aud family; violent and
psS.iunaJe ia on!y one uial--Ln Old and
faithful citrk named k.berg"t. HIS theo
lGsicai opinIonS were hetrrodpX IN the ex'
lreIu-, aud he luved 10 name his splendid
vessels after toIiaire and Rousseau Ic
was d, voted ~ the improve nent "f his
adopted city and country; he was a deter
mined follower ni ostent 'uou> charity. M
man ever a"ll.d Ia hIu, tor lstge public
grant in vain, whiie the starving h,ggar Ma
invariably sent from t.i> gate. lie stead y
rose every morning before the ARK, and Un
cea,iug iaUvr wa, the daily worship vi n;'
life.
Stephen Girard began his remarkable ira
d;ng career S!th one object, which he stea
dIiy k-p; IN view all hi, long ii.e-tne ma
KING q! money for the power II conferred
lie was content, at starting, with the snsl
profits Of the retail trader, Willing TO Labor
IN any +apa"iiy To MAKE these profits secure
lie practI,-i The most rigid personal etUn-
ON. lie resisted al, the ailurrtn- = o
llra,urr. he exac,ed the last farth-u. tha,
va. due him :, aui he paid the last farthtnl
that he owed lie TOOK every advantage III,
Law allowed him IN rr>istin-. "A claim he Us
.d Iirn Just % far a. ii-r would accom-
pli>h ti> purp >e; lac PAID his servants N
nnr. than the market pyicc; when a faith
ful ra>,,vr diyd lac exhibited the ulumo>
indifference, making uu provision or la
/ family, aud u;'rrIus sen,IHr, Of r-srr
for h> loss lie Won i hiE.ie for penn,
/ with a huxS'er IN the streets lac would de
NV the watchman at las bank the cusiulna
~ present al a great coat.
7 Thus he attained hi> eighty second wear
/ H. 1870, lie had nrar'y los, the sight q
I'll, one eve, aud used Ia br seen g-oyiu;
I about his bank di~regard.nC every nifvr o
; a,>i>tance. Cruising one of the PHlllI,lphi
roads tr wa> kno.k X, ii down hv a ps~,lB
wagon, hi> ta"e hru'>rd, and his r'-ht "a
was nearly Int Oft ii one eve wi'Ch IL,
fur. op-n-d slightly, ws> now entirely cl y
Ell he gradually wa-tr,i away ani i.i> lie iii
declined. on thu 26th f December, Ste
! chen Girari expired in II * room, ~ tut
tmi,h i,": az hIS nus' in N..ivr st. pniia
+ d.lph.a, leaving the Bulk oi his large for
/ tune, upwards of a million sterling, ro fnun'
/ crlarlb,., and 10 ben, 1T the city and IN
+ count IL winch he had srqnired II.
T H.. left his monument in the "G'rard Col
legr," that ms,t.lrrooi,d d palace TO the edu
/ cation a d protection at the orphan childrer
. us the poor, wbi"h stands th- most peri, c
F undi-i ai architecture ID the NV Wn' /
high ai,"ve th- bG ldincS of Philadelphia, Wis
ihle tra'u every sminencr Oft the surr"u' d'n
country Every drial Of the external ant
( ,riernal arrangement oithiS Orphan Coll, &
wa se, forth clearly and carefully IN hi
" /; showing that the design upon which h
! had iavi>h,d the mass uf his wealth was no
! the hastily developed fancy of a few hour
! or DAYS but was the heart cherished, siien
project ui his whole lfe