Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-05-22
someMistakes Corrected About
Winchester's Most Gem
erous Friend.
[From the Winchester NewsI

above the level in the struggle for
success, escape Misrepresentation
to characterize it lDildIy-and Mr.. G.
B. Reuss of New York has been a
conspicuous example of that fact for
some years. Columns of so-caIled
g interviews" protesting to give his
history, methods of business, &c,
have been published in the New York
papers, and many of them have been
so exaggerated as to amount to but
little more than caricatures of one of
the most useful, broRd-minded and
intelligent business men who have
made that city the metropolis of the
country. He is often represented as
crank, who lives for himself and
within himself, tyrant who exacts
the utmost possible labor from his
employees for IS dollar a day." and
who shrewdIy advertises himself by
an occasional charity. So often has
this been repeated that even some
who ought to know better, and have
been benefited by his liberality, have
accepted Ehis estimate of him. Now
that he is more prominently than
ever before our people by reason of
his late most munlhcent and practi-
cal example of his generosity gift
of thirty thousand dollars TO enable
the city of Winchester TO procure an
unlimited supply of pure water, and
without which in all probability we
would never have been able to realize
this great bIessing-the writer thinks
that brief sketch, with view of
correcting some of the almost libel
lous expressions aud opinions alluded
to, is in order. Let the facts show
what manner of man he is.
A MaryIander by birth, his pa
rents moved TO Frederick Co., Va,
during his childhood. After receiv-
ms at the old Winchester Academy
such an education as was usually Civ
en- the youth of his class at that day,
he took his first lessons in business
under Mr.. Jacob Senseney, q leading
merchant, in tue building now owned
and occupied by Z. NJ. BantZ. AT
an early age-in fact before his ma
jority-he began on his own account
with absolutely no capital, except
what he had been able to save out of
his salery of $3.50 a year for although
his father was able and willing to as
sist him moderately, such was his
sturdy independence that he declined
TO accept a dollar, determined if life
and health lasted to fight his way I'M
aided to the front. And no doubt
his present proud eminence is but
the realization of earnest and we'll
considered plans, conceived when lie
was the owner of but n baskctful of
goods" about the time his honored
and true friend, our eminent towns
man. ex-Gov, Holiday, began his
distinguished career with " basket
full of books"
Well, he worked hard and lie pros
pered. His audacity amazed the
% old timers as lie terms them, who
were sure that his unparalleled reck-
les sness, as it appeared TO them,
could lead to nothing but sure and
speedy ruin. For instance, after he
had by hard work ard self-deniaI ac-
cumulated a few hundred dollars he
invested it all in carload of lawn,
or some other variety of dress goods
then in vOgue--a stock larger than
the holding of all the merchants in
the town and county of that particu-
lar article. 1t was probably one OF
the most successful ventures of his
|; life, because of tile advertisement it
gave him and the consequent quick
impetus to his already prosperous
business, which afforded full exercise
to his then undeveloped powers, and
carried him on the high tide of sue
cess up to about the beginning of the
war.
Then his kindness of heart
throughout his life his strongest char
racteristic-asserted itself Here
was wonderful opportunity to make
mOney-you had but to buy to-day
and you were sure of profit tomor-
row. Every article of merchandise
was stedilY advancing in value, and
when intercourse with the Northern
States was cut off, those who had had
the foresight to lay in supplies of any
kind had fortune in their grasp
Rouss had the foresight and lie he'd
the goods. too, and here was his
chance if lie had been the avaricious
money grahber he is often reported
10 he. But what did lie do! The
sugar and coffee and salt and other
necessaries which he had accumu.
lated in large quantities in view of
the emergency then upon our people,
and which soon became worth about
their weight in silver, lie sold at ac-
tual cost in limited quantities to fami-
lies WHO could not otherwise procure
them, taking care that no Spectator
got any of them; and to the poor and
helpless they were furnished without
charge. In every way he did more
than his full share towards relieving
the distress which became so common,
and to aid those whose protectors
were in the tented field in defence of
their homes. Soon after hostilities
began he transferred his business to
Richmond, as Winchester became de-
hatable ground, and was often I'M
tenable for a man whose sympathies
were with his own people. He did
business there on the same liberal
principle, sacrificing his legitimate
profits 10 his desire to aid the needy (;
and many n Valley soldier who
marched through the capital of the
ConfedeTacy during those dark DAYS
remembers the plug of tobacco or
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