St. Mary's beacon., 1858-08-12
SELECTED MISCELLANY.
Stephen Girard,
TEE NoEEY-HAKEa.

About The year seventeen hundred and hity,
iD sis= envrOn~ of Bordeaux, ia trarcc, there
hved an old sea captain, nanscl PIcITG Girird,
with Madame LarIArgue, his wife. Tney had
already four chIldreu--nn matter whether male
az gem .le, for they ivca and died III the obScu-
ritz in which they were burn. But IN the year
seventeen hundred and fifty, oa the twenty
first Of Nav, = inthcr child came Into the world
"a boy naInei Stephen Gifard.
Up - she age vi ten or twelve there Is no re-
rUrd OF i.lc lie aid progress VI this boy. AT
Z 10: tiuIe he Was tJUtnd, with one eye, embark
FL ~ n cabin bny, with no other acquiruienis
t.ran au i,n perfect knowicIgc of the elements
Cf reading Anh writing, on bard vessel
bnund fJr the West In.iles. Ills one eye was
n ,ds the sublScs Of riiiculc am,ng his COM
lAni,,Ils. and his temper waS thus carly soared
sar life. With this physical dei0rElity, with
out friends, patronage, Or mJiIey, he was thrown
upun the world.
is did not remain long IN tie West Indies
L1: bound himself al apprentice to a slip
master in whose service he tirst set foot in por.
uf New York, abmt the year seventeen hun
tired au1 AiSfy-:our. MoruSe rs Stephen Iii
raTd was he gniued thc confidence uf his ell
ployeT, he was made mate OF the vessel in
which he slilei, AMI afteSwards captain when
hi master left the sea. lie yaYagcd several
vines successfully 20 aud frOFm New Orfcans:-E
In this position he first began to accumulate
means and to tra,le on his own accoudt, and
he son became part owner Of the ship and
carsO, which he commanded A large grp in
the minute progress Of his history now occurs
hut in scve:teen hundred and sixty-nine we
ind him an obscure plodding, quiet, thrifty
trader in Water Street Philadelphia.
At this period he took liking 10 one Mary,
p,lI I nm ha dauuItnr of f,i6 ahi ~
cAulker, who lived in q water-side house down
among the vessels that traded to that city
The girl was plain, but conety, and employed
RS a Domestic servant in a ncighboring family.
Stephen Girard does not appear TO have been
loo&ed upon with favor by the parents Of the
girl, for they forbade him the house for
rome time. They Were eventually married.
hut the union was not happy one She was
ncgiectful OF her duty: he wns mnruse and
austere. One child was born. which died
At length he applied to the Legislature for a
divorce, and obtained it.
He still continued to rent the small house in
Water Street, TO which he had taken his wife
when they wcre married, and he industriously
pursued his combined occupations Of Sca-cap-
tain. ship- 'wu:f AMI merchant. About this
time he entered into partnership with one Isaac
Hszlehuct, Of Philadelphia and purchased two
vessels In which to trade 10 the island of Saint
Domingo. The bgigSOwere captured by Brit
ish uea-ui-wAr and sent TO Jamaica: miSfor-
tune which dissolved the short partnership
There is another gap in the story Of Stephen
Girard extending from seventeen hundred and
R,Venty-Six. Ii is probable that during this
time he contimucSl his old busnes, trading as
aaipmastcr ard meI hant to New o.l=lns and
Saint Domingo.
TIE war put an end to the sea enterprises
, Of stephen Girari, and he was compelled to
4 Surn his attention - the land.
= He opened small grocery store IL Wa:er
Street pincd with 9 bottling establishment,
where he worked hard with his own hads at the
Occupation Of bottling claret and cider. About
wear seventeen hundred and seventy y-sevun,
the alleged approach Of the British tO
ssiadelpl.ia, he pnrchos=d q small tract OF
1hnd from his former partner Mr.. Hazleh1fst,
&cn which there was q house, 70 which he re-
mSyed his business; employing his time, early
and late, in preparing claree and cider for the
market, and selling them q: large profit to
the American army encamped near his resi-
dence. Here he remainded until seventeen
hundred and seventy-nine, sometimes making
voyage in boat as a water peCl!er to Phiia-
delphia 70 dispose of his wares. His appear
ance was not much in his hvor. His skin
lvSsdaFk and dingy; his form was short and thick;
ne was coarse. rough, vulgar, and ungain!y;
and his one eye glared ominOusly upon his
customers. He met with ieeFs aEnl taunts from
every side. which hs bore with great tacitunity
and cOsnposure. He had but one object in
Ssew, which no followed with all the steady Gu
srgy Of an iEoE will. Thza cAject was, ~ make
money.
When Philadelphia was evacuated By Che
British In seventeen hundred and seventy-ninc,
Stephen GiTard was again fonAd ~ Water
Street, this time occupying q range Of frame
stores upon the east side. He was no more
tean twentSzaine years Of age. but 90 plain,
eFaSe. and. srpalsive in appearance, that be
was kEassn - s'uld GiEard." His business
eOnld nOs have been verS prospezous at this
ResiOd. considesing the disturbed and depressed
state pf the ooantFy. lie was quietly hiding
hn tsgse His SIRE was wrle GilCd with old
Al0ekR Ssfh fSeces oeshraase, ana OtAes ma!
SfSia& d=sal 80 sAip~6aiNlng.
yR@yeasecn hus1bsa apd eighty SsepAca