Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-10-24


but TO the physioguomist he is a
study, and his strong. well cut fea-
lures reflect the fndomitabIe spirit
within. He is of medium height, of
middle age, has grey hair and mus
tache, and carries himself with quiet
dignity. Nevertheless, though so
long in business and though almost
a new generation has sprung up since
he laid down his musket, Something
of the air militaire is bound to stick
to him to the end. In fact, you
strike one of the tenderest chords in
his nature when you mention any
thing about the war. When his
brilliant son, that he loved more than
business and fortune-better than he
loved life itself-was torn from his
grasp by the hand of death, the New
York millionaire, though PROSTATE
with grief, did not forget his brave
comrades in arms, and it is on record
that after returning from his sons
funeral, he sat down and wrote a
check for 81 800, which he sent to
Winchester "to build an iron fence
about my neighbours graves" as he
put it in his own quiet way. Indeed
he is man OF strong domestic affec-
tions. He has never forgotten Win
chester, which may he almost con-
sidered his native town. He sup
ports its institutions from here in
New York just as literally as IL he
still lived there. He subscribes to
its fire department, its agricultural
fairs, its Institutions; he keeps its
newspapers religiously on file and
reads them from column to column !;
in fine, his spirit moves upon Win
chester and its quiet domesticity
" hen released from the turmoil and
hustle of the American metropolis.
The picture he takes most pride in
has been painted by a Winchester
aFtist-Mr. Bruce-and the subject is
a portrait of his old and well-beloved
commander in-chief, Robert e. Lee,
whom he considers the greatest mill
tarY genius this country has pro-
duced. After his son, the person
who holds the deepest affections of
this singular man is Ex-Governor F.
w. III. Holiday, his closest friend
and warmest admirer. The one
armed ex-Chief Magistrate of Virgin
ia and the metropolitan merchant
prince illustrate two vastly variant
types of character" says the New
York correspondent of the SPIRIT OF
JEFFERSON. paper published in
Charles Town, w. Va, shut both
are essentially Southern. There is
something of the same splendid self
reliance and magnificent nerve about
them both, and these, after all, are
J the true genius of success" After
what has been written concerning the
domestic disposition of Mr.. Rouss
we can easily imagine the weight of
the blow that struck him when, on
April 10, 1891, his welI-beIoved SON
died in the full tide of his young and
beautiful manhood.
1t was the great calamity of his
life, and though he did not succumb
beneath it, though his iron will kept
him outwardly calm and seemingly
impenetrable to grief, his nearest
friends noticed what a change the
bereavementhad wrought when all was
over. For young Mr.. Rouss was no
ordinary man. He was his firstborn.
He was thirty-one years of age,
highly educated, literally gifted by
nature, and, as regards business, was
after his fathers own heart. He was,
as lie says himself in his quaint pho
netic phraseology, his trite hand
man,"
Nor was Mr.. Rouss' grief always
poured out for his own flesh and
blood. He mourned almost as keen
ly for a departed faithful empoyee.
Witness, for instance, this extract
from placard in a prominent place
in his store, which is really a poetic
monument to dear friend:
1.-THE fearless, tireless little veter-
an (Henry Opie), of 231 and 35I
and 341 and 468, dating away back,
No. 373, in 1870, passed from time
to eternity last night at haIf-past ten.
All me! How bitter those terrible tri-
ais that tear friendship and affection
to atoms with unsparing and merci-
less severity. Poor, dear Opie =
He stood at his post as long as he
was able to stand, with courage and
fidelity that would command adora-
ton from ingratitude itself. Fare
well, my brave, true Opel Often
have 1 said. Come, Opie no rest for
the wearyH But it is all over now,
and that impatient, persistent, loyal
bundle of devotion, fidelity and toll
sleeps in perfect rest. If that DEATH
less spark that works the mind sur
wives dissolution, then he has greet
ed the deathless, chiValrous veterans
that have dropped from the ranks in
our march from 40 to 468-Bob, Clint,
Peter, ONO. Frame, Lee. Yes, Opie,
with thousand unaVaiIing regrets,
with unspoken prayers and hopeless
hopes, bid you an effectionate fare
well forever.-C. B. r."
(The above numbers refer to the
various locations of Mr.. Rouss's
store at different times). Doubtless, |
after a tour of his mammoth store
nothing would give better idea of
Mr.. Rouss' business than his Month
ly auction Journal. 1t contains six
ty pages, and after three or four
columns of editorial matter, is dedi- |
Gated to price list of his wares, than
which a more miscellaneous col
lection cannot be found in any
store in the world. The saying that
you roD And in fha voIona ar,or,,tI,s-.-