The Indianapolis journal., 1885-08-02

steamship companies. 1t is a mistake to SUP
pose that he has relied wholly upon the govern
ment for employment
AT one time his fortune was estimated at $5-
000, 900. He owns considerable real estate in
Chester. He has coal and iron mines in Virginia.
He is large stakeholder in the Chester Rolling
mills in blast furnaces, and the Combination
Iron and Steel Company. Strictly speaking, his
recent suspension was hardly failure; the indi-
cations are that his assets are nearly double his
liabilities. He claims that his credit was so
much injured by the rejection OF the Dolphin
that he found it necessary to suspend He has
employed 2 400 men: namely, 800 at the Morgan
Iron works in New York, at the foot OF Ninth
street. East river. and !, 900 in Chester He paid
$.'0 600 week in wages His shipyard cost him
81, ,0O0. 600. The ships are brought around from
Chester 20 the Morgan Iron works, where they
receive their engines and boilers, and fitted
up If the vessels are for passage service with all
the elegances known to modern steamers.
These works he purchased OF Charles Morgan.
who sold them on condition that the name
should never be changed
Mr. Roach is quite deaf A story is told
which huges on this fact. Every time he
launched a ship at his big yard in Chester there
was formerly a gathering OF DISTINGUISHED peu-
pie, including members of the Cabinet, United
States senators, representatives. hnanciers and
Others besides many ladies. There were special
trains from Washington and New York. There
was fine collation. In one of the sailing lofts,
converted for the time being into a banquet hall
back to the yard wharf, Immediately after she
had slid gracefully down to the river from the
stocksS the distinguished company, and espe
cially the ladies' were often shocked by the
profanity of one of the yard foremen who pre-
sided at an engine on the wharf bv means
which the vessel was brought back. This fellow,
wholly unmindful of any lady present, vent
such stream of lurid profanity upon his assist
ants that he became nuisance. Almost any
one else, under the circumstances, would have
dismissed Roach knew
that he was a valuable workman, who often
INDUCED this weakness unconsciously. The
m an came to Mr.. Roach one day and asked him
to have new engine put upon the wharf for the
purpose already mentioned as the old one was
worn out
John. said Mr.. Roach, ~ will tell you what
Til do; if you will stop swearing when there are
ladies in the yard will get you new engine
The man agreed to do so.
Soon after this preparations were made for an
other great launch.
Now, john" said Mr. Roach to the man. 'if
you control yourself at this launch will get you
the engine. | shall watch you"
On the day of the launch the man for a while
exercised unusual self-control; his men were
surprsed they thought he had been converted.
Soon, however, they were urdeceived. Some
thing went wrong. The next instant a torrent
of profanity announced that the offender fo:-
getful of the promised new engine, was express
ing himself in the old familiar way The next
day, Mr.. Roach, IN going round the yard accord
ing to his habit. met the man, and said:
John, am glad to know that you didn't
swear yesterday You shall have YOUR engine"
1t happened that Mr. Roach, though standing
quite near the man during the outburst, had
not, by reason of his deafness, heard word
of it.
He has an Irishmans love of humor; some
times in the past he has played practical Jokes
He was of a party of four mostly congress
men, that drove down Pennsy yvania avenue from
the Capitol on one occasion after ght session:
it was about o'clock in the morning. Most of
the party were asleep in the barouche when it
reached the hotel, but Mr.. Roach was awake,
ard when the carriage stopped two of
the three Legislators awoke- The third
remained sound asleep. John Roach
Immediately proposed that he should not be
disturbed, but allowed to sleep in the barouche till
morning. The others agreed. and Mr. Roach him
self paid the driver pretty liberal sum to remain
precisely where he till the distinguished
sleeper should awake. He slept like an infant
on the soft cushions, needless of the gradual
approach of day. the rising summer sun, tho
tramp OF pedestrians, the awakening life in all
directions. the rattle of vehicles and the hum of
voices gradually growing louder and louder about
the carriage. AT last, at about 10 o'clock in the
morning, the legislator began to move uneasilv,
and ended by opening his eyes slightly stretch
ing his arms III a loud yawn, and then starting
up iii seepy-eyed and disheveled CONSERVATION
at finding himself the object of curious, not to
say mocking, attention. from some 200 pairs of
known congressman sleeping all doubled up in
one corner of a barouche in broad daylight in
the principal thoroughtare in Washington. The
next instant the driver of the barouche obeyed
an ORDER to Get out of this. quick" The car
riaee rolled away with the congressman talking
softly to himself.
John Roach's face now has worm tired look;
he confesses that he feels dispirited. But he is
now we'll along in years; ne has always been a
man of wonderful energy; he has labOred hard
with little respite for years, and even his strong
frame begins to show the natural effects. For
years he has been quite deaf, probably owing in
no small measure to the ceaseess clamOr OF the
boiler factories in which he has passed so much
OF his life. He speaks in a low and somewhat
monotonous tone of voice
AS to education he has in one sense compare
lively little, being entirely self-taught but he is
a man Of natural ability he has sturdy common
sense and knows the world he is moreover
quite well versed in economic subjects though
more especially with reference to his own
particular industry. He addresses commit
tees of Congress in a slow, quiet con
versational tone. and can always enlghten
them any question of statistics. with
which his retentive memory Is well stored He
tell at once, for instance, how much capital
Great Britain or France has invested in ships or
how many vessels were built last year not to
speak of other details too numerous to mention
He is of course, strong protectiOnst He is
also a stanch Republican, and always contributes
literally to the campaign fund
He has fine country seat at College Point
Long Island, which he bought, together with
some property in Eighth and Fourteenth streets
New York to relieve IL friend of financial EN-.
barrassments. His country mansion is sur
rounded by handsome grounds and he is passing
the summer there. He has fine house at G24
Fifth avenue, a couple of blocks below the pala-
tial mansion of Mr. William H. Vanderbilt Ho
entertains literally, but his personal habits are
abstemious His private life is exemplary He
is clever in conversation and never INDUCES in
profanity. He is man of great force of char
acter-a natural leader of men. O. W. L.