The Placer herald., 1858-06-05
NUMBER 80:
"reminiscences Of Stephen 0irsrd

"reminiscences Of Stephen 0irard
cannot let this opportunity slip by with.
out saying something Of another ,nerchantile
celebrity Of the United States, viz: Stephen
Girard. This man was born in vilsge near
the banks of the Garonne. He was the son
Of peasant, and had left his own country
as n common sailor. Having gradually ris-
en- 10 the post Of second mate, he came as
such to Philadelphia. where lie remained and
opened tavern on the banks Of the Delaware
for such Of his countrvmen who were engaged
in the West India trade, particularly that
with St. Domingo. The revolution in St.
Domingo caused nn emigration which con-
tinualy brought him fresh customers, and:
having built some small vessels to bring his
fugitive countrymen away in safety from the
island, he battered -four and meal for coffee.
until his capital which had been scarce worth
mentioning at first, gradually increased, and
enabled him 10 build larger vessels and ex.
tend his spirit Of enterprise in all directions.
His frugality bodered on avarice Sailors
fare was to him the best, and the freightinp
of vessels his favorite pursuit. The success
which extended his exerions at length be.
came unexamped; for he never had his ships
ensured, but always chose ski.lful and exper.
fenced captains, thus saving himself the heavy
expense of taking out insurance policies, and
continued acting on this principle gradually
increasing his capital more and more, until
it swelled to an enormous amount. Hitter.
ate, rs French common sailor needs he,
and scarcely able to write his own name. he
called ali his ships after the great authors Of
his native country, and thus enjoyed the SEN
sation OF beholding the American flag waving
al out Mon,esqueu. Voltaire. Helve:ius
and Jean Jackues Rousseau Ills ships.
which he was in the habit of sending sue
cessfully to the island Mauritius, at that ti,ns
the Isle de France, to Calcutta aud Canton.
and each OF which cost from forty to sixty.
thousand dollars, hrough, back cargoes worth
from one to two hundred thousand dollars
to Philadelphia, and thence to Europe, par.
ticularly to Messrs. Hope g. Co., at Amster.
dam, and were never insured Remarkable
good fortune attended all these enterprises.
Until the year 1915 not one of ha ships was
ever lost or captured 1t will be easy to
form an idea of the amount Of capital accu.
muated by this saving Of insurance premi-
uns, when the latter went as high as from
ten to fifteen, and even twenty per cont.
Girard's right hand man WAS countryman
Of his, named Reberjeot, who, however, had
received his merchantIe education entirely
at Hamburg under the tuterage Of Professor
Busch This Robe;jeot was the only man
whom he now and then and ONLY now and
then, took into his especial confidence, and
he worked In the House of Girard for res.
pectable, yet very moderate salary, during
the lapse Of twenty years; frequently some.
| t,ipcv roil otnnt ;poron,;D,- II b.t II.
ing Of the sort was ever dane. Roberieot
who had some desire to be taken care Of in
his Old age, resolved to let his patron know
that if he desired to keep him any longer,
he must take that matter into serious cnpsid-
Grafton. and give him a handsome sum, ths.
he might put aside and turn TO good account.
Girard. little netlcd by this, replied that
he would give him ten thousand dollars, but
ilohereot demanded sixty. He was told to
wait until the next day, when, without hear.
ing another word In relation to tie matter,
he received what he asked for-sixty ,hous.
and dollars.
Magnanimous as Girard could be in MANY
things, he was on the other hand equally
petty in many Others Oh his numerous re.
atives in France, who were all poor peasant
folks, he would never hear a syllable men.
toned. When some Of them on one occxs.
ion ven'ured to cross the ocean to visit him
at Philadelphia, he Immediately sent them
away again, with trihing present. In ono
particular instance he exhibited unusual
hard heartedness. His captains had received
the strictest orders not to bring either
strange goods passengers or letters packed
with Them One of his ships was returning
from Bordeaux, and through another which
had hurried on before it, he learned that it
was conveying him some relations of his as
passengers; he instantly aent to New Castle,
on the Delaware, where the ships usually
touch, an order to the captain forbiddins
him to land any passengers, but to remain
at the point until another vessel had been
procured to take them back to Bordeaux.
when he might come up to Philadelphia with
his cargo. The captain WAS then replaced
by another person. lie however made an
exception in iavor Of two nices, the orphan
daughters of a brother who had died in poy-
erty. lie allowed these girls 10 come TO him,
and gave one Of them permission, along with
some twenty thousand dollars, to marry the
brother Of Gen. Lallemoni, who had emigrs.
ted to America upon the restoration of the
Bourbons after the battle OF Waterloo. In
his will he bequeathed TO the other an equal
sum.
The gathering Of the mistletoe was an i'm.
portant ceremony with the ancient Druid,
accompanied By the people. Il took place
at the end Of the year and the parasite was
distributed to the people on the first day Of