Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-03-26
Poverty and Ambition.
From the New York p,;,v New. !

..
! 1t is. now nearly six years since there saun-i
tered into our Office a;tough specimenof PLAYED
out Southern chi valry, asking for situation;
saying that he would be willing to work at
any kind of writing, ten hours day, for "a
place to sleep and something to eat, Hesaid
he was hard up up, and hungry and cold, he
wanted the situation only until he could get
into shape-a month at most We wanted
him for year; he remarked that, though
famished and ragged, ten thousand dollars q,
year would be no inducemsnt, that he onIy
wanted to KEEP alive until he got his machis,
merry into motion, and then he would show us
northern people that there was still left some
stern and stubborn stuff in the rough REM
nant of the Rebellion. Money would not
buy this shivering but audacious devil for a
single year. For days and days afterwards
he trequented free lunches; went into whole.
sale groceries for samples of crackers, made
examination of pie bakeries, investigated
bread and cake houses, sugar houses /: eat any.
thing-evsrything his talismanie word was
pluck.
BE began eight thousand dollars in debt.
and his first operation was in the stock ex-
change; in three hours he cleared 50, 500
upon the strength of lucky leak in telegram
from Liverpool. Then came his operatio in
the auction rooms, his Brooklyn victories, his
gigantic operation in smuggled goods-nine
times have his principals been fastened I'D in
the Ludlow street prison, but gold seems to
be more potent lever than even the crowbar.
Oceans of Laees, of Ribbons, of fancy wares,
came pouring in upon the arrival Of every
steamer. No wonder his goods were cheap.
no wonder his business prospered and grew
into such tremendous proportion ), an arthyof
smugglers, of auction watchers, of sheriffs'
attendants. At night: they received aud
shipped the goods to stores in Virginia-to
Richmond, Martinsburs, Charlestown, to
Harrisburg, Leesburg and Piedmont and Cum
berland, and Grafton and Stanton, to almost
every State in the Union to Chicago, St.
Louis and Cincinnati. everywhere. and tn
every store came from head quarters. the or.
der to ''clear out your goods"-short profits
upon such bought goods might we'll pass for
cheap goods. 1t were nonsense to compete
with men VINO had not fairly earned the title
to imported fabrics, and here is the secret of
the story-they are no importers but smue-
glers, and their opposition taunt them with
the story of ''auction and stolen goods ~
Never did victory cling more tenaciously TO
the banners of immortal Jackson than it has
to the cause of this iron band of brothers.
Gigantic enterprise conceived to>day and to-
morrow executed. One monopoly smashed
to>day, another greater to kill on the morrow.
Bull Run yesterday, Mauassa Tomorrow
Victory from defeat. Success out of disaster
but yesterday pauper, millionaire to-
morrow.
What strange but unerring impulses di-
rected this frail and hayward relic of the war
to come forth from his hiding place to battle
single handed and alone against fearful odds
with the proudest and greatest masters Of
modern times.
Six years ago begging us for bread to keen
him alive, to-day millionaire Of Broadway.
elk years hence where. A meteor of dazzline
briliiancy to-day shooting across the sky into
darkness of obscurity. Many of his men
most OF his partners and managers, were sol.
d'ers OF the war, and it is to Is a pleasure to
record the fact that there exist among these
men who once wore the grey, and upon whom
Ignorant fantics has fastened the libel of
traitors, world of energy, enterprise, aud
genius that does credit to the proud old
mother of presidents and great men.
For the Benefit of our readers, we will
state that the subject of this article is G. 3,
Rouss, the Auction Prince