Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1891-09-29
Success of Southern Men in the
Great Metropolis.
caarles Brovd.eav Rouss and HIS In,meas
Structure of Brick and Iron.
New York correspondence of the Atlanta

i .Fla.t ~ e~~et%'S - - s-|@ N--eN@ -f-fe-
| New York correspondence of the Atlantis
Constitution.
New YORK; Sept 1.-The splendid successes
achieved by southern men in this metropolis
are not confined to the legal profession or tc
the railway and banking world. on the thor
oughfare. where commerce is king, there
stands splendid edi6ce OF brick and iron-n
monument to the energy of q man who emerged
from the surrender of Lees army. ragged and
pennfless. and who even eince then has known
the oblivion which comes from financial fall
ure. This man is
CHkREFs p. RoUss, -
And his history has in 1t some of that same
encouragement contained in BenVenitio Gel
linfs autobiography for the sculptor, Barthol-
omew. Born in Woodkboro, Maryland In 1886,
he early in life moved to Berkeley county, Vir-
ginia. now West Virginia. From thence his
family went to Winchester, in the far-fsmed
valley ofthe Shenandoah. Here the war found
him prosperous Young merchant who, from
a capital of $500, was making great success
in quiet way.
Forsaking all, he followed the flag of the
Confederacy as poon as 1t was uufurled, and
from thence on till the agony of Appomattox
there was no more splendid soldier in the ranks
Of the army of northern Virginia.
After all was ended of the patriots dream he
had indulged in, Mr.. Rouss resolved to SEQ If
peace had not her Victories as well as war her
defeats, and with characteristic energy he
came on here with just $40 In the pocket
of the
RAGGED ooNFEDERATE UNIFORM NE WORE
Starting in on rent of so cents q day, al
lowing himself similar sum for board and
lodging, he began the battle for fortune He
started in at 149 Duane street aud by 1876 had
so far thrived as to have established branches
of his business in forty different cities. But
the credit system undermined him aud he went
to the wall. Emerging from his failure some
$50 900 worse off than nothing, he began again
and now can count his fortune by the millions.
Every dollar of his old debts were paid and he
owes no man anything save courtesy. Vast
as is his present building, $40 to $50 Broadway
aud 100 to 1874 Mercer street, with its 10 stories
and 1885, 900 square feet of floor room, 1t seems
likely that Mr.. Rouss will soon be obliged to
enlarge his quarters. From q business OF
nothing, his has grown to one whose annual
sales foot up between twelve aud fifteen mil
lions dollars,
ALL FOR CASH AND CASH ALoNR.
Mr.. Rouss is member of the Confederate
Veterans Camp and the Southern Society, and
hia deeds of kindness to southern soldiers and
southern soldiers sons are more numerous than
can be told. In personal appearance he is
rather stern and severe looking. but when prop
srly approached is one of tho most genial men
in the metropolis. He works on an average
sixteen hours day aud seldom allows himself
any dissipation. He is fond of the theatre,
however-is well known at Wallack's old house
and now and then he takes a rural visitor to
NibIo's. A personally temperate man, he has
g large degree of patience with others gifted
with less self restraint, and he has In his en-
ing them work when most would have bestowed
only words.
THE MANS GREAT GENIUS
Is that of organization. He handles his army
of employees as if they were battalion of
soldiery. His correspondence alone IL an enor-
nous task but 6 refuses to commit It TO the
keeping of any one else.
At the Ninth National, one of the banks In
which he deposits, his cash account is said to
be the heaviest in the dry goOds district. In
addition TO the routine cares of his life he
edits the Monthly Auction Trade Journal, q
trade bulletin having circulation of over two
million copies. His eaders-phonetically
spelled always-are full of sound common
sense with now aud then ring of trueSt clo-
quence about them.
His tribute TO his mother when she died and
his lament for his splendid boy and nameSake,
who was cut down in his prime by the grippe
last spring, were full of aplendid thought of
sort Carlyle called divine" No matter what
his personal sorrow he never forgets COM
rade in distress, and one of his first acts after
returning from the burial of his beloved boy
in Winchester last spring, was to send check
for seven or eight thousand dollars to the cem-
etery there g to build au iron fence about my
nelghbors grayes"-as he modestly put it.
TOUCHING TRAIT
In the name character is his devotion to the
town where his business life began. Ho keeps
files of its newspapers, gives profnsely to its
fire department and agricultural fairs and
doubtless when he dies, win even more sub-
stantially remember IT, Ex-Governor W. F.
Hollid ay is one OF Mr.. Rouss' closest friends
and warmest admirers. The one armed Ex-
Chief Magistrate and the nnostentations mer-
chant prince, illustrates two vastly variant
types of character, but both ara essentially
southern. There is something of the came
splendid self reliance and magnificent nerve
about them both and that, after all Is the true
genius of success.
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