Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-25
For T. g Freeman.
Stephen Girard.

education quite neglected, at fourteen
taking to the sea, for more than fifty years
3: very prince in commerce, dying at the
GOOD a@e Of cighty-onc years and eight
months, having continued " full of busi
ness " to the last leaving on estate worth
seven and one-half millions Of dollars,
founding Il college to support and educate
three hundred orphan boys year after year
through all remaining time. this life story
cannot fail to instruct.
It is another illustration of greatness
arising from humble origin. Stephen
Girard made his own fortune. His youth
was every way unpromising. If he could
triumph over circumstances, who cannot?
No boy so poor, none So forbidden the
helps of the schools, but all the world of
wealth and honors and science are his
birthrigh.
Born in France in 100, he became 4
captain of Il merchantmen at %; in 1777
he visited Philadelphia, and ut once quit
the sea, became naturalizcd Amcrican
and began his wonderful career rs a mer-
chant in the city of brotherly love. As
ln American his loyalty was genuine and
generous. Few men had more property
at stake in the war of 1912, and none be
lriendcd the nations impoverished treas
try more freely American seamen in
those days were peculiarly liable to abuse
in foreign ports, and Mr.. Girard invaria-
bly, instructed the captains Of his many
ships to take on board any distressed
american seamen and bring them home
free Of expense"
~ Il business man, we find him in his
lying day possessed Of Il Banking House,
with outstanding loans to the amount of
S3.4sO 600 He built and owned whole
fleets of merchant vessels; his captains
traded in all ports of the commercial
world and at his death - his books showed
between thirty and forty mercantile adven-
lures to different parts of the world
But with all his wealth he was under a
taSkmastcr as mcrcilcss rs was the bond
are Of his slaves at the Louisiana planta-
tion. In his correspondence he once
opened his heart as follows: - When |
rise in the morning my only effort Is to
llhor so hard during the day that when
might comes may be enabled to sleep
-oundly" Again ne writes 10 friend.
Il live like galley Slave. constantly oc-
cupicd. and often passing the night with
ont sleeping. ! am wrapped up in q
labyrinth of affairs, and worn out with
care 10 not value fortune. The love
Of labor j, my highest ambition You
perceive that Your situation is a thousand
time, preferable to mine He enjoyed
the work Of accumulating. but possession
rave him no joy. Such il surplus of mil
lions, so exceeding all possible wants
only burdened. Such riches are not til,
'convcnient food" So great wealth wa,
an atlliction.
Wealth could not change the sad memo
ries Of an unpleasant childhood, neither
did it save his wife from insanity, or THEN
only child from IN early grave. Fol
thirty years Mrs. Girard' WAS an inmate %
% lnatic asylum.
Ills personal habits were those OF The
model working man. Ills only equIpa@'
was homclv chai>e. drawn BY n sober
looking farm-hor~~. In his dress and per
-onal appearance h" was a. plain aS tho
Wmblr~t citizen
lnl795. Philadclphia w''~ terribly Sconr@
ed with the yellow fever. Out of popu
iatlon OF less than Twenty-Five thousand
NOR" than tour Thousand Wrr" buried II
one hundred day, " Authentic cases ar
recorded where parent and child, and nus
band and wife died deserted and alone
for want OF IIttle car" from the hands o
absent kIn'ir'd- y hospital Wa provld
"d- but money could not hire fompctcn
nurses. " / he entrance To that pest houS
was deemed bat 4 passage to the grave.
In this crisis, foreigner, man Of rapid
Increasing wealth, with no ties OF blood II
All the land, in the very prime OF life, cam
forward and offered his personal service
in experimenting the hospital. The ac
was deemed "a laying down of life for hi
fellow citizens. With another man of lik'
mind, he spent sixty days facing deatl
IN It's most repulsiVe form, performing Il
person the most Ioathsome and most men
FiI duties, ne@lectln% his business interest
to his great loss, and all with the @rea
probability OF Il nameless grave amon
the thousands swept off by this pestilence.
The soul of Stephen Girarl was not a
sordid.
The great work, the memorable work {
'Iirard was his UiU. What royal reading
And how must It man feel when thus scat
terin@ whole fortunes, Five thousands
Ten thousands! Twenty thousands! Thirt