Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-10-23
ONE MANS CAREER.
How Charles Broadway Rouss
Won Wealth and a Name.
[Thomas Dorsey BeaIl in N. Y. sunday News.

OF brick, iron and granite, is years ago walked
the streets penniless and 1910 in debt
Only to prove that the capitalists of to-day
were poor men twenty years ago, and that
many fellow facing poverty to-day may be
capitalist quarter of a century hence If he
will, pluck, adorned with ambition, backed
by honor bright, will always ommaud sue
cess.eyen without the almighty dollar.
The proprietor, though no smoker. nor
chews, enjoys the flavor of n good cigar, but
the nasty old pipe or the poisonous cigarette
will not be tolerated in the house prefer
dead rat or polc-cat.
Visitors making their headquarters h ere are
requested to leave their dollars and valuables
with tile cashier or at tho hotel. The alert
and sure-footed buncos are everywhere. " The
woods are full of 'en."
| One hour now may save you years of agony
in the credit hell of mercantile life. You are
welcome to an hour of this concern, free to
see for yourself, which is the surer. shorter,
quick er road to success, the old credit gaunt-
let. or ten aud twenty per cent. off for cash
before delivery.
! One moment, please, look at few stubborn
facts in our window. Half an hour through
our warerooms containing one million auc-
ton values will be very apt to shake your
faith in the credit system and build your
future fortune on the solid rock of cash be-
fore delivery.
CHARLES BROADWAY RoUss.
This is the code of principles on which
foundation was laid for one of the most sue
cessful commercial enterprises ever built up in
this country. Hundreds upon hundreds of the
readers of the Nctes have paused in front of
the huge building ut $40 to 553 Broadway, and
read the five paragraphs which head this COL
umn. They are printed in big black type on
cardboard, so that literally he who runs may
read. When Mr.. Charles Broadway Rouss
started some Is years ago on q very small
soale in Church st. he cnun ciated these prin-
ciples, and he has stuck to them from that
day to this. The result is the monument OF
brick, iron aud granite, business where the
sales amount to nearly $4,000 a day, and q
reputation for the man who evolved this for.
tune from nothing, Us one of the shrewdest
brainicst aud squarest business men amoug the
thousands of men who have carved out fame
and fortune in this great metropolis.
No man has been moro misunderstood than
Mr.. ROuss. Columns on columns have ap-
pearcd in New York newspapers describing
what they termed his peculiarites and cccen-
tricitics. There has, too, been much misrep-
reseutatIon, aud no doubt not a little of it was
inspired by people who were envious of his
success, and sought TO detract therefrom by
innuendo, having realized that they were nc
match for him in the fair and open competi.
ton of the business world. Those Who do moi
know Mr.. Rouss have been led to believe that
he does all sorts of queer things simply to
! advertise his business. a second thought will
serve TO show how foolish such supposition
is. What man would buy dollars worth OF
goods from his counters because he sees fit to
give small coin to hungry, half-nalicd news
boys?
When one knows Mr.. Rouss it is easy to uu-
derstand low the mistaken ideas regarding
him have been spread broadcast. If he were
commonplace individual, his every act
would not be noted and commented on What
are referred to as his eccentricities would be
overlooked on the part of a man who oc.
cupied less conspicuous place in the world.
Having made his mark he is paying the pen
atty of acquired fame. But no man who
has ever grasped the hand of Charles Broad
way Rouss and had him say 81 am your
friend, ever after saw anything peculiar in
the man, except that Notwithstanding all his
riches, false pride has no part in his makeup.
The writer has known Mr.. Rouss more or
less intimately for number of years, and it
is for the purpose of correcting some false
ideas that this story of a remarkable man.
who has had wonderful career, was writer
Some of thc faiIacious ideas regarding Mr..
Rouss and his methods of doing business may
be set down at the very beginning of this ar
ticle, and then if the reader has time to peruse
it still futher, he will see how easy it is for a
good mar TO be maligned.
If you have ever heard of Mr.. Rouss and
do not know him, you must have heard those
two preposterous yarns to the effect that he
never hires man unless he drinks. and will
not pay man over dollar u day, and that
he gives him that dollar every night, SO that
he won't have enough money at the end of q
week to go on rousing spree. Those are the
two stock lies in the repertoire of nine out OF
| every ten men who have essaycd to write any
thing about the life of Mr.. Rouss. little
further on it will be shown how utterly foun-
dationless they are. Then another old story
is that his only pleasure in life is the distrib-
uting of pennies from the back platform of a
horse car to ncwsboys. When you have pc
rused this page you will see that his money
brings him more pleasure than the money OF
most milltonaircs, because he Is an uuostenta-
ii Gus III an. his tastes are simple, and when he
does seek relaxation from business cares, he
enjoys himself to the fullest extent.
But to begin ct the beginning, as they say
in the novel, l must tell yoa where Mr. Rouss
came from, and what lie had accomplished
before he began his cYentful career in New
York. He is u Marylander by birth and is
now about IS years old. In person he is a
man Of medium height, with intelligep ce
written all over his face. His hair is gray.
and below closely cropped gray mustacLe
there IS mouth that shows much GrInness.
There is quickncss in every movement of the
man indeed. this is so noticeable that it is
easily d!sccruibie by tho way in Which he ex-
presses himself in short, forcible sentences
that shows him to be n man of surprising
nervous energy, considering his years.
MS EARLY DAYS
When he was 4 child his father took him
from Maryland to Virginia, near the city of
Winchester. His first experience in busi-
ness way was when lie accompanied that pa
rent, whose memory he now reveres. to the
market place in the old city which was first
made famous by sheridan's ride and since By
the fine public works of different descriptions
which have beea bestowed on the corporation
through the generosity of her cxiied son
Having graduated fr ola the market he went