Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-08-04
Girard, the Money-sTsser.

4 recent nupler or The HDasej,ssd Words con-
tains sketch If Stephen t;irsrd. Il is not cur
ret 10 al particulars. and yet it cmbodies many
interesting facts. in t,e history " the celebraf-
Cd banker After giving the leading events in
the early life Of Girard, the writer proceeds fol-
lpws;--
In 1912. Stephen Girnrd. the one.eyed cabin
boy Of Bordeaux, purchased the banking premises
If tho old Bank of tho United States Whose char
ter was not renewed aud started the Girard Is INK
n large private establishment which not only con
ierred advantages On the community greater than
tho State instit uton upon which il founded but
while the public credit was shaken the Govern
,ncnt finances were exhausted by war, the Girard
Bank could command large subscriptions Of loan.
and put itself in the position II the principal cred
itor ofthe country. IL 1914 Girnrd subscribed the
whole Of large Government loan from patriotic
motives, and in 1877 he contributed by his un-hn-
ken credit and undininshed funds to bring about
the resumption Of specie payments In 1881 his
operations were 50 extensive that when the
try was placed in extreme embarrassment from
the scarcity OF money by reason Of the balance of
trnde being against IL, he WIS enabled. by n sin
gle transaction with nm eminent English firm, to
turn the exchanges aud cause specie To flow into
the States.
To add to his singular and deficient character.
he was deaf in ear, could only speak broken
English, never convcrscd upon anything bu. bu-
siness, and wore the same old coat, cut in the
French style, for f,o Years together. An old
rckctty chair, remarkable for its age, and marked
with the initials rs. g." drawn by fadcu horse
was used when he rode about the city lie had
no sense "f hospitality friend to share bs house
or his tnbc. lie was dcfercntial in appearance to
rank and family; violent and passionate. only 10
one Ina,,-e, old and faithful clerk named Kolri-
got His theological opinions were heretodox in
the extreme, and he loved to name his splendid
vessels niier Noltairc and Jtmisscau. lie was de-
voted to the improvement of his adopted city and
country le was determined follower Of ostcnta-
tiuns charity. No man applied to him for
large public grant IN vain,while the starving beg
gar was invariably sent from his gate lie stead
lily rose every morning before the lark, and I'M
cca-ing labor was the daily Worship Of his lille.
Stephen t'irald began his remarkable trading
career with one object, which he steadily kept in
view all his long life, the making of money for
tho power it conferred. lie was content, "A, start
ing. with the small profits Of the retail trader, viii
ling TO labor ~ amy capacity to make these profits
secure lie prnctccd the mot ii gid personal er n
omy; he resisted all the a'.hremcnts Of pleasure;
he cxactcd the last E,rthing that was due him: and
lac paid the last inrhing that he owed. lie took
every advantage the law allowed him III resisting
II claim; he used men Just so far AZ they would ne
complish his purpose; lac pnil his servants 10 more
than the market price; when inlthtu cashier
died, he exhibited thc utmost Indifference. making
M provisions for his ian g. and uitering no
ument OF regret Tor his lus~. lie would hi9glc Tor
II penny with hurks,er in the streets; lac would
deny the watclnan at his bank the customary
Christmas present Of great cont
Thus he attained his eighty second year. in
1890, he had nearly lost Tia" sight Of his one eye,
and used to he seen cropping about his bank, disc-
garding every offer Of assistance. Crossing one of
the Phadelp hla roads he was knocked down bya
passing wagon. his face was bruiscd. and hs right
was nearly cut Off His one eye, which before
opened slightly, was now entirely closed he gra-
,lunlly wasted away, mud his health declined On
the twcnty-sixth Of December. Stephen Girnrd cx-
pred in the back room, the third noor of his
house in Water street, Philadel phia leaving the
bulk of his large fortune, upwards of n million
sterling to ound charities. and to benefit thecity
aud the country IN which he had acquired it.
He loft his mounmcnt in the 'Hirard College"
that marble rooted palace for the education and
protection of the orphan children Of the poor which
stands, the most perfect model Of architecture in
the New World, high above the buildings of Phil
abel phia. visible from every emlncnce of the sur
rounding country, Every detail OF the external
M internal arrangement of this orphan College
wn' set forth clearly and carefully in hs viii,
showing thnt the design upon which he had Law
ishcd the mass fhs wealth was not the hastily de-
veoped tnncy Of II few hours or days, but the
heart ,herishrd, silent project Of his whole life.