Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-11-01
Stephen Girard.

Centennial talks about Stephen Girard.
They knew something OF him before.
but because they only read OF him thew
did not feel much interest. He was
Frenchman, and was born in the wear
1850, in Bordeaux. His parents were
very poor and not able to send him to
school much, and his education was
very limised. He could only read and
write. He never acquired the English
language readily, always bIundered in
h's commonest speech, and if he be-
came excited be resorted 10 his mother
tongue entirely. 80
When he was ten years old he ship
ped as cabin boy on a vessel bound 10
the East Indies. Afterwards he sailed
from New York in the same humble ca.
Paclty. He was trusty lad, and SO
faithful IN the interest of his employer
that few years later the master of the
vessel gave him command of a small
craft, and the young man Stephen made
several trips to New Orleans and other
ports.
He was so successful in all his under
takings and so frugal with his earnings,
that IN little time he was enabled to
become one Of the owners of the ves-
sci that had been entrusted 10 his man
| agement.
when he was nineteen years of age
he settled in Philadelphia, and before
he was twenty he married poor SER
want girl, who was as pretty as doll.
Her name was Polly Lum, only seven
teen years old, the daughter of a poor
man who repaired vessels, a caulker bv
trade. We suppose Stephen, while
waiting TO have his craft tinkered up.
cast his eye upon the pretty girl--,he
tlnkers daughter-lost his heart and
married her.
But pretty Polly had better have gone
on cooking dinners, tending babies, do
ing chamber work, etc, for the mar
rlage proved very unhappy one. The
young husbands temper was unman-
ageable-he was hard and stern and
cold, and exa>pcrating, in his broken
French and English, and the final re-
suit was divorce from his wife, who
afterwards became. insane, and for the
last twenty-five years of her life was
an inmate of lunatic asylum. She
died in 1915.
They had no children except one, and
that died in early infancy.
GIrard had not long entered the West
india trade before he was recognized "a
rich man. People who have seen
him, concur in the statement that he
was the homciest man they ever looked
upon. He was short and thick and as
un>hapclv as a butter tub. The sway
Ing. swinging gait of the old-iimc sail
or was his a long a> hc lived. He had
one wall-cyc, which in itself was blcm-
i>h enough to spoil handsome face:
was deaf in one ear, always dressed
very mean and shahhv-wa. cold and
stern and vulgar, and his whole cxtc-
nor, coupled with his miserable broken
language. rendered the man n forbid
ding object. There was nothing favor
able IN his appearance whatever. He
talked but little; he did not like 10 talk
on any subject but business, and then
asIti'lc a> possible.
His habits were precise. and regular
as clock work. Aside from the bu>i-
ness ot money getting he cared for moth
ing but his fig trees and shruhhcrv and
grape vines. He was a Catholic in his
religious belief.
At the time Of his death, in 1881, his
estate was valued at twelve millions OF
dollars. and by his will was all devoted
to educating destitute children. and TO
the relief of the poor and distressed As
Is too often the case in important mat
ters of this kind, prolonged litigation
was one Of the dcplorahlc results.
In his will, Mr.. Girard gave direc-
tons for constructing the Grrard Col
lrgc: the size, form and the kind Of ma
tcrials 10 be used. The building was
commenced IN the summer of 1888. bu:
not opened until 1918.
The form is that OF Corin,hian tenn
pie, surrounded by a portico having
thlrtv-tour columns, each six feet in di-
ametrr, and titty-fvc feet high. resting
on basis of eleven white marble steps.
The building is ninety-scyen feet
high, one hundred ard eleven feet wide.
and one hundred and sixty-nine feet
long. The halls and stairways and roof
are all white marble. The entrances
are on the north and south fronts. each
having doorwavs thirty-two feet high. |
and sixteen ieet wide. On each of,he cast
and west sides are thirtv-four windows.
Visitors al the Exposition were shown
the place where rests the remains Of
the founder of this college. They are
buried beneath the center oC the lower
re>tibulc and are covered BY marble
statue of Girard himself. The cost Of
erecting the building was not less than
two millions of dollars.
Provision was made in the will for
supporting as many orphans as could be
accommodated; first the orphans Of the
city of Philadelphia: secondly. those of
Pennsylvania: thirdly, of New York.
and tourthly, of New Orleans. Gener-
Gus provision was made for these poor
children between the ages of SIX and
ten years, aud when between fourteen
and eighteen wears OF age. thev are =
be bound out 10 learn trades or follow
useful occupations.
The eccentricity Of the mans char
ac;er Is shown IN his will. where he
says, No ecclesiastic missionary or
minister Of any sect whatever shall ever
exercise or hold any station or duty
whatever IN said college, nor shall any
such person ever be admitted within
the premises appropriated 10 the purpo-
ses Of sa'd ceilsse.'