Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-07
STEPHEN GIRARD'S STRANGE
LIFE.
His Persistent Pursuit of EEOney-HoW
the Love OF Gold Grew Upon Him
HIS fhllanthropic Schemes Developed
AT the Close Of Hts Life-An Interest.
ing AddresS by Mr. Jos. M. Wilson.

the Love of Gold Grew Upon Him
His Phllanthropic Schemes Developed
AT the Close Of Hts Life-An Interest.
ing Address by Mr. Jos. M. Wilson.
Last week, when the bust of Stephen Grard
was presented to the High school. Mr.. Joseph
NJ. Wilson. in behalf of the donor, Mr. Alfred S.
Gillett, of Philadelphia made very interesting
address, He sketehed Girard's infancy spent
in Bordeaux. The misery OF exacting poverty
was aggravated in his case by the loss of his
right eye. which subjected him to the jibes and
leers OF his vagaboll companions. He ran
away from his miserable home when about
ten years old shipped as cabin boy for the
West Indies, thence to New York. where, among
seafaring men he found friend with whom he
sailed out of that port. ''He early proved HIM
self, said Mr.. Wilson,, ''worthy of the friend
snip SHOWN him, commanding himself by indus
Try. fidelity and temperance. He was soon pro-
NOTED TO be mate. then to be the captain Of
small vessel making voyages to New Orleans
aud other ports along the coast He always
acted to the satisfaction Of his employers and
consignees In 1860 he removed to Philadel-
phla. where, in very humble way. he sirove to
make living by dealing in goods of interest to
seafaring men. Even then, though but nine
teen years OF age, lie was plain and
FLOODING MAN OF BUSINESS,
careful, prudent, and temperate.
The impending revolution, which soon ripened
into war, broke up his business, and when the
British captured Philadelphia he retreated up
the river, settling In Mount Holly, New Jersey,
where he continued In small way his business,
to which he now added that of buying aud sell
ing on commission, his means OF travel being
Dy small slOOp. He returned to Philadelphia
IN 1719. The war had left the city desolate.
Regular business was disrupted, wild specula
ton prevailed, and in the struggle many went
under Girard was enabled In 1850. to reopen
MS coasting trade with New Orleans and Saint
Domingo, which proved to be lucrative. his
commercial knowledge enabling him to extend
MS operations and double his gains, and though
slowly, was surely increasing In wealth. and as
the result OF an inventory. taken about 1870, he
was shown to be worth 100000. He was now
the owner OF two vessels. his West India
trade was eminenty successful. and his riches
grew apaCe. His close attendance to business
was abundantly rewarded and show to make
money and keep 1t" became the darling ambi-
ton OF his life, and an ali-absorhing passion.
In 1872 he established the Girard bank, and
during the war with Great Britain which soon
followed he had opportunities to increase his
hoard which were utilized, not in the line of
mere speculation, but in open straightforward
transactions. His hundreds had become thous-
ands. and these were swelling into the vast pro-
portion of millions.
HIS ALL-ABsORBING AMBITION,
whetted into keenness by his great success,
had but one object, the acquisition of wealth;
in this pursuit he turned neither to the right
nor the left. ''This one thing l do" was his
Paul-like motto.
He invested in all kinds Of enterprises, ad-
ventures both by sea and land, in real estate as
well as marine, in his own as well as in foreign
countries; cand every enterprise as by the touch
OF Midas turned into gold. And thus
three score and ten triumphantly. Even disease
seemed to spare him, as though in sympathy
with his great destiny, which In the providence
OF God he was preparing. himself to accomplish.
Others had risen and fallen with varying for
tune, but che, though tickle with Others, was
true to him.
Thus, step by STEP with measured tread and
slow he went up and up in the financial SCALE
reaching given point Of success. The ascent
was again begun, not ftfully, nor spasmodicaly,
but like
..The wolf's long ganop which can tire
The hounds deep hate, the hunters fire."
and jealousy, as though apurred by necessity. In
his pursuit he ever presented a self-wied
self-pOlsed, independents and uncOmprOmising
spirit. He was antutter stranger to sentiments
the dOgmatic and Overbearing habits of the
mariner stuck by him. He was taciturn man.
self-reant, dominant. free from visible emo
ton, unimpassiOned. cold, calous, no fondness
for literature no regard Tor art. no respecter of
persons, no consideration for the gentle aneni-
ties OF social life. = -
A RECHUSE,
keeping himself and his own thoughts intact
amid the hurly-burly of commercial life and the
storms of financial crises. as mysterious as the
gulf stream in the middle Of the dark Atlantic
To such an extent did this love of money grow
upon him that the people deemed him sordid
and avaricious but this impelling pursuit was
but means to the end, and that end shrouded
within the Utmost recesses of his brain and
heart, far from the gaze of men. Eighty years
were fully rounded, and the time had come for
Girard to ''set his house in order" and that he
did arrange it wisely and well warrants us in
placing his bust in this Washington High school
for the admir- alton and emulation of the rising
generations who are to come and go in this
grand educational establishment-thisc browning
glory of the public school system OF the capital
Ofthe nation.
Mr. Wilson, in conclusion referred to the
final lifting of the veil which had SO carefully
concealed the prime object Of his life when
Girard revealed the plan of the Girard college
which he proposed to found. He gave also a
brief sketch of the great good that has resulted
from the endowment Of the college and the re-
cent Introduction in it of industrial education
THUE lANESTNN VER ngrur