Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-02-01
stephen


says: 0skSs
Within the memory of many persons stiii
alive, q Old Girard - az the famous banker was
usually styled,1a short. stout. brisk old gentle
man, used to ~alk. ia his swift, awkward way,
The streets Of the lower part of Philadelphia.
Though everything about him indicated that he
had very little in common " ith bis fellow citizens
be was the marked. man Of he eity for more than
! a generation His aspect was rather insignif-
can't and quite unprepossessing His dress was
old fashioned and shabby; and he wore the pig
tail, the white neck-clOtl. the wide-brimmed
hat, aud the large skirted coat OF the lat Ten
tury. He was blind IN one eve; the other,
though his buIg eve brogs gave some charac-
ter TO his COUNTRYWIDE, was cur.0usfy devoid of
expression. Heftnd also the absent look of A
man who either had 10 thoughts or was absorb
ed in thought; and he shufled along on his en-
ormous feet, looking neahet to the uefl nor the
LETT. There wat alvsysa certain look OF the old
mariner abOut him. though he had been fifty
wears All iuhabitant of the town When be rode
il was in the plaiuest, least comfortable zig IN
Philadelphia. drawn by an ancient and i'll formed
horse, driven always by the masters own hand
at "A good pace. lie chose still 10 live where be
had lived tor fifty years, in Water street. close
tn the wharves, in Il small and inconvenient
huuse, darkeued by tall store houses, amid the
bnstle, the noise, and the odors OF
His sole pleasure was 10 visit. once a day, u
little farm which he possessed a few miles ont OF
Town, where lie was wont TO lake of his coat,
roll up his shirt sleeves and PERSONALLY labor in
the field and in the barn, hoeing corn, pruning
trees, tossing hay, and not disdainiug even TO as
sist in butchering the animals Nhich he raised for
market was no mere ornamental Or expert
mental farm. He made it pay. All of his pro-
duce was carefully. nay scrIpulOusly husbanded
sold. recorded. and accounted for. He loved hs
grapes. his plums, his pigs. and especially his rare
breed Of canary birds but the people OF Phila-
delphia bad the full benefit of their 1ncrease-at
the highest market rates Many feared. 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 a man of such Astounding charity that,
like Uncle Toby If be had heard that the devil
was hOpelesslv damned, would have said, I" | am
sorry for It," Never was there a person more
destitute than Girard OF the qualities which win
the affections of others. His temper was violent.
bis presence forbidding. his usual manner ungra-
cious, bis will infexible. bis heart u~ntender, his
imagination dead He was odious to many Of
his fellow citizens, who considered him the hard
est and meanest OF men. He had lived among
| them for half a century. but he Was no more a
Philadelphia IN 1880 than inf E16J He stifl
spoke with a French accent, and accompanied
his words with a French sbrug aud gesficulaiion.
wv Nho'NhNC 'tfNb aI
had helped TO build. he remained a sturdy unbe
Lever, and possessed the complete works of oplv
! one man-Noltaife.
He made il a point of duty to labor on Sun
day. as a good example to Others. lie made no
secret OF the fact that he considered the idleness
of Suudayan injury TO the people moral and
economical He would have opened bis bank
on Sunday if any one would have come 10 it..
For his part. he required no rest. and would
have none. He never travelled He never at
1 tended public assemblies or amusements. DE
had no affections to crafty. no friends to visit.
no curiosity to- eppesse. Ro-tastes TO indulge
What he once said of himself appeared to be
true, that he rose i'm the morning without n
single object. aud that vas TO labor so bard ali
day as toibe ablesto sleeD all night The world
was absolutely nothing to him but a working
place. He scorned and secuted the idea that
old men should cease to labor, and should spend
the evening of their days in tranquility. No
he would say, "laboris the price OF lite, its hap
piness. its everything to rest is 10 rust every
man should labor to the last hour Of HE ability
Such was Stephen Girard,
This IS an rnplessing picture OF a citizen of
polite ard auiisbie Philadelphia. IL were, 10
deed. a grim and dreary world. wherein should
prevail the principles of Girsrd. But see what
thi. man has done for the city that loved him
not Vast and imposing structures rise on the
banks of the Schuylkill, wherein al this hour six
hundred orphan boys are fed. clothed trained
and taught upon the income of the enormOus
estate, which lie woD BY ;his entire conservation
20 the work OF accumulating property. In the
ample grounds of Girard College. looking up at
it's five massive marble cdifces, s~trolling in It's
shady walks. or by its verdant play grounds, or
lisieninn to the cheerful cries OF the boys at pisy,
the most pathetic and imaginative of men must
pause before censurins the sterile and %unloyely
life of It's founder. Aud If he should inquire
closely into the character and career of the man
who willed this great Institution into being, he
would. perhaps. be willing 70 admit that there
was room n ,he wosld Tor one Girafd. though il
we're a PITY there should ever be another.