Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-01-27

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/ STEPHEN GIRARB.--Wi1hin the memory of many
persons still alive, ''old Girard, as the famous
banker was usually styled, short, stout, brisk old
| gentleman, used 70 walk, in his swift awkward
ay, sle si~e.s e se l9'e- rert Of PhiladelnEia
very little IN common with his fellow citizens he
was the marked man of the city for more than a
generation. His aspect was rather insignificant and
quite unprepossessing. His dress was old fashioned
and shabby; and he wore the piy-tail the white
neck-cloth, the wide -brimmed hat and the large
skirted coat of the last century, He was blind in
one eye the other though his bnrly eyeb brows gave
some character to his countenance, was curiously
devoid of expression. He had also the absent Iook
of a man who either had no thoughts or was abb
sorbed in thought; and he shufled along on his
enormous feet, looking neither to the right nor to
the left There was always a certain look of the
old mariner about him, though he had been fifty
years nhabtant of the town. When he rode it
was in the p!aines least comfortable gig in Phila-
defphia, drawn by an ancient and Informed horse
driven always by the masters own hand at a good
pace. He chose still to live where he had lived
for fifty years IN Water street. close to the wharYes,
in small and incolvenient house. darkened by tall
store houses, amid the bustle the noise, and the
odors of commerce.
His sole pleasure was to visit, once day, little
farm which he possessed a few miles ont of town,
where hewas want to take off his coat, roll up his
shirt-sleeYes, aud personally labor in the field and
in the barn, hoeing corn, pruning tzees, tossing
hay and not disdainng even to assist in butchering
the animals which he raised for market 1t was no
mere ornamental or experimental farm. He made
pay. All of its produce carefully, nay scru-
pulousy husbanded, sold, recorded, and accounted
for. He loved his grapes, his plums, his pigs, and
especially his rare breed of canary birds but the
people of Philadelphia had the full benefit of their
increase-at at the highest market rates. Many fear
ed, many served, but none loved this singular and
lonely old man. If there was among the very few
who habitually conyersed with him. one who under
stood and esteemed him, there was but one; and he
was of such abeunding charity, that, like I'm
Gle Toby, if he had heard that the Devil was hope
lessly damned, would have said Il sorry for it.
Never was there person destitute than Girard
of the qualities which win the affection of others.
His temper was violent his presence forbidding,
his usual manner uugracious, his will iuhexble, his
heart untende1, his imagination dead. He odi-
Gus to many OF his fellow citizens, who considered
him the hardest and meanest of men. He had
lived among them for half century, but he was no
more Phiadelphian IN 1880 than IN 1776 He
still spoke with French accent, and accompanied
his words with French shrug and French gesticu-
he had helped to build, he remained sturdy unbe-
lever, and possessed the complete works OF only
one man, Voltaire.
He made it a point of duty to labor on Sunday,
as good example to others He made no secret
of the fact that he considered the ideness of Sun
day an injury TO the people, moral and economical.
He would have opened his bank ON Sunday it any
one would have come to it. For his part, he re-
travelled. He never attended public. assemblies or
amusements. He had no affections to crafty no
friends to VISIT curiosity to appease tastes to
indulge. What he once said of himself appeared
to be true, that he rose in the morning with but
SINGLE object, and that was to labor hard all day
as to be able to sleep all night. The world was alb
solutely nothing to him but working place. He
seorned and secuted the idea that old laen should
cease to labor, and should spend the evening OF
their days in tranquility. "No,n he would say,
'abor is the price of fe its happiness, its every
thing; rest is to rust; every should labor to
the last hour of his ability" Such was Stephen
Girard.
This is an unpleasng picture OF citizen OF pohte
and amiable Philadelphia. 1t were indeed grim
and dreary world, wherein should prevail the prin
ciples of Girard But see what this man has done
for the city that loved him not Vast and imposing
structures rise on the banks Of the Schuylkll
wherein at this hour six hundred orphan boys are
fed clothed trained, and taught upon the income of
the enormous estate which he won by this entire
conservation to the work of accumulating property
In the ample grounds of Girard College, looking up
at its five massive marble edifces, stroling in its
shady walks or by its verdant play grounds, or hs
tening to the cheerful cries OF the boys at play the
most sympathetic and imaginative of men must
pause before censuring the sterile and unoyey life
OF its founder. And if he should inquire closely
into the character aud career of the man who wied
this great institution into being, he would, perhaps
be willing to admit that there was room in the
world for one Girard, though it were pity there
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