New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-06
JOHN ROACH'S PLUCK.
HOW HE WORKED HIS WAY TO THE TOP

"These attacks on John Roach for political capltaI
astound 1 have known tho man thoroughly ana
know him STILL and know that every hair on his head Is
honest have seen him under circumstances where he
night have made money-and tho temptation would
have affected "a weaker mainly means not strictly
honorable but often considered proper In business pu
John Roach would have nothing to do with It, Again he
has done for American shipping than any othcI
fact II he Is embarrassed to-day IL IL because O
his efforts In that direction. He sank money in his
Brazilian line and he is left with immense ship
yard which he cannot utilize To show you what kind OF
man he is, lot me give you OF his inside history.
Passing beyond his coming here at sixteen poor
boy and his 'prenceshp, when no was young man III
the employ OF the Alaro Works he bought one or TWO
SECTIONS of land 100 $50 acres In Illinois, and went
there to locao his purchase While there the Allaro
Works failed aud he loot the money ne had paid for no
could not raise the balance as tho duo him TO pay
the rest was owing him from the firm. Young Roach
worked his way back 10 Pittsburg, Philadelphia ana
finally this city by doing days work His next move
go into business OH small scale with two Fellow
workmen In Goerck-st., where he remained until ne
bought the Morgan Works. They could not pay their
mcn and the other two disheArtenod. What Ola
Roach do 7 lie bought thom OUT lie had no money to
pay down, but he paid his their money each week
aud finally paid of his partners II lie could get hold OF
$40 he could make further than 500 with any otheI
man. lie had tho faculty Of inspiring men with conf
dence in his integrity and could get loans and advances
OF material where other men coud not.
Roach next went into business With his brothcrn-
law Johnson with the same result Oefore he bought
his brother out because johnson nothing but
ruin before thea. With the same indomitahlo Iluck
John Roach went TO work again. lie beard OF "a line
opportunity to do piece OF work. but he hadn't the
money IL at this time that was lrst intimately
associated with him. Roach vent TO some brokers. who
declined purchase for him the iron no wanted; 40 he
went directly tho irm tsei stated his case in his
blunt way and astonshcd the brokers by nourshng In
their faces an order from the firm for the iron he wanted
BY such strokes by rising at a. M and going to work.
by paying his obligations promptly when due. and by
unilinohing honesty jain Roach bul himself up. Aad
this takes down 10 tho beginning OF tho war.
"JChn Roach bad had a hard pull In building himself
up 40 far: he had rivals. who became moro strongly
arrayed against him the higher he got, rs always
happens He had made up his mind 20 get some Govern
ment work. Bat how should ho got t He fonnd him
self blocked Washington by his opponents they had
given that he had shop and that be was fraud
What did John Roach do : He went plump to Washing
and saw Secretary Salmon T.. Chase. whom he hal
met. SIR Chase said he could do nothing for him
beyond glylng him letter OF Introduction 70 MI LIN
coin Mr Roach took 1t aud went 10 the President MT
Lincoln, ~ IA well known. could tako man In AZ n
gauco John Roach had hardly oIened bis mouth before
Mr. Lincoln who held his hand no shook H. rad; MI
Roa H. that Is the hand OF wOrkngnan You need say
nothing more. will give you line TO Secretary wellcs
have ever shaken hands With him you know his hand Is
hard and coused from the manual work he does or has
done. The very next morning John Roach presented
himself to Mr. wcllcs and said Mr.. Wclles have como
here 70 get "a share Of the Government work have
Workshop where can d. the work. despite the asser-
tons OF my enemies To prove this want you 10 send
one OF your best and most trusted young with mo
TO New-York to examine my shop aud whether what
any Is true or not The sont aud tho result
was hat John Roach got the work no wanted That was
the beginning OF his Government contracts, on which
IL Il alleged grew rich. Why, bless you John Roachs
Government contracts have boon an ssnieant part OF
his work And ~ for his being In collision with Gov
eminent officials It's sheer Every contract
has been honestly secured and honestly carried out
John Roach T. u OF immense prtdo ami ho would
scorn dishonesty one tng concerning the charge that
he was favored In his contracts:
lie put In bid after bid for work. but found that no
was Invariably underbidon. Ills made up his mind that
thero niger In tho fence lie put In Did 10
certain contract and nfteon minutes before l2 the
day on which bids 20 close he went 20 the chief
clerk OF the Department and said have concluded not
10 bid ON this contract and would like my bid back
That can't be DONE was the answer
But insist that have right TO withdraw my bid
up 10 q minute before IL o'clock, aud want mine
The answer was the same, Ihen nv, koaeh turned
that have demanded my contract back; Now, taxing
document from his pocket t9is Is my Did ana oher
The fret bli was thrown oyer to him and IL was
second bid low enough 10 secure him the CONTRACT
That ended trouble OF that Kind;
Mr., Roach was uDlt 10 uNucFDlu toinHctlOIt lot
the reasons that tho Congressional Committee In
the Tennessee matter lie told tho committee that he
could do tho work a. 90 Psr ee cSs 5 v t mo
at 10 per cent less; noxt whom one OF his worknen
wanted n piece OF Iron he would not have 70 make q
reqn-on on foreman he on the head OF tho depart
ment and 50 through lot oI rel tape inc workman
all mis- time being ,s sn,,ea i' bS heal and r aid Well
had It In here when came IN hai II OIL hgnred out
but eaq recall s !"S On yo 'S my sn work to
the une oil" Yankee Doodle while yours work to Old
Hundred A.. ,r -.
S45 900 when they had cost 100000 or some high
knows that Old engines are only Tor,h Ihe IRON
which has 70 be broken up ana reAineltcd. Inc on
saught tho sale OF such material at mere song
"To show another phase Of John Roachs character lie
s3 a a. one Line but he invariably failed aud the
contracts were secured by Hoingsworth. An Intimate
naev u he ~ now dead Mr. Roach made up his mind
that his bids never opened because OF the friendship
with Holiinqsworth SO when the Government gave ono
or two monitors Hollngsworth to repair ana ono or
I'm The contract providing that II contractor nnishcd
his work before the other had begun IT, ths contracts OF
might and main and finished HIS contrasts Tor tho
Government and "a Hollingsworth had not begun his,
the monitors 10 his own and repaired them. Holdings
S9rh feauy angry ana saa mean uaS thar az
can do replied John laughingy. lie would DO thing
OF that kind TO punish rival but ne wouid not do
thing that suacked Of dishonesty.
Isu nboye aud beyond his personal relations, there
stands forth the fact that John Roach has dcne more
than nnv other man, moro than "a dozen Cevelands-
tb0ush Il am a Democrat who say Ito uphold the
American Gag lie has fought In tho Interest OF Amer.
ioan shinnIng before Congress aud whenever and
wherever he could Il Is his great hobby to-day, and,
as gad before he sunk great sums OF monay In try
inc IN ouf bs theory he thought that by his old
time he would at last Induce the Government
TO see the wisdom OF his Views Instead OF that what
hSs Iean dcnet John Roach been assaulted In tho
most Infamous manner the whole power OF the Govern
nont has been turned against him. IA onoi law 0ncer
haf mad contracts the building OF
the DOLPHIN and the three other vessels And this drove
him to an assignment His enemies point 10 his sched-
nes and ionsh nj his assets. What do they show
EXAMINE them and you nd Sl,500,00O OF the assets
knocked ont OF by the fact that tue chester plant
and other works DO put 10 no use now That John
Roach can build no ships Take all the facs into con
slderaton and you VIII ma that tho actual assets
as some think yet diminish his property 70 compara
lively smhll compass IL Is disgrace 70 Tue american