Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-05-23
Some Mistakes Corrected About Htn-
chester's Most Generous Friend.

representatiOn-tO characterize II mlloly-
and Mr.. G. B. Rouss, Of New York, has been
conspicuous example Of that fact for some
years. Columns of sO-called 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 "a to amount to but 1T
tie more than caricatures of one Of the most
useful. broad. minded and intelligent busi-
ness men who have made that city the me-
tropolis of the country. He is often repre-
sented as a crank, whose god is dollar, who
lives for himself and within himself, a ty-
rant who exacts the utmost possible labor
from his employees for "a dollar day" and
who shrewdly advertises himself by an &C.
casional charity. So often has this been
repeated that even some who ought to know
better. and have been benefited by his lib
erality, have accepted this estimate of him.
Now that he is more prominently than ever
before our people by reason Of his late most
munifcent and practical example of his
cenerosity-a gift of thirty thousand dollars
to enable the city of Winchester to procure
an unlimited supply 0fpure water and with
out which, in all probability, we would new
er have been able to realize this great bless
ing-the writer thinks that brief sketch,
with view of correcting some of the al
most libellous expressions and opinions al
luded to. is in order. Let the facts show
what manner of man be Is.
A Marylander BY birth, his parents moved
to Frederick county, Va, during his child
hood. After receiving at the old Winehes-
ter Academy such an education as was usu-
ally given the youth of his class at that day,
he took his first lessons in business under
Mr.. Jacob Ssnseney, leading merchant,
in the building now owned aud occupied by
Mr.. T. NJ. Bsntz At an early age-in fact
before bis majority-he began on his own
account with absolutely no capital except
what he had been able to save out of his
salary of $3.50 q year; for although his IA
Their was able and willing to assist him mod
erately. such was his sturdy independence
that he declined to accept dollar, deter
mined if life and health lasted to fight his
wav uuajded to the front And no doubt
his present proud emiuence is but the real
ization of earnest and well considered plans,
conceived when he was the owner Of but
"basketful Of goods" about the time his
honored and true friend, our eminent towns
man, ex-Goy. Holiday, began his distin-
guished career with "bssketful Of books"
Well. he worked hard and be prospered.
His audacity amazed the "old-timers," as
he terms them, who were sure that his I'M
psralleed recklessness, as it appeared to
them. could lead to nothing but sure and
speedy ruin. For instance, after he had
by hard work aud selfdenial accumulated
few hundred dollars he invested it all in
q 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 aud county in that particular article.
Ii was. probably one of the most successful
ventures of his life because of the advertise
meut il gave him and the consequent quick
impetus to his already prosperous business,
which afforded full exercise to his then I'M
developed powers, and carried him on the
high tide Of success up to about the begin
ming of the war.
Then his kindness Of heart-throughout
his life his strongest eharscteristic-asserted
itself Here was a wonderful opportunity
10 make money-you had but to buy to-day
and YOU were sure Of prsft tomorrow
Every article Of merchandise was steadily
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 o fortune in their grasp
Rouss had the foresight and he had the
goods. TOO. and here was his chance, if he
had been the ayaricious mOney-grabber he
is often reported to be. But what did he
do The sugar and coffee and salt and 9th
er necessariel which he had accumulated in
large quantities in view of the emergency
then upon our people, and which soon be-
came worth about their weight in silver, he
sold at actual cost in limited quantities to
families who could not otherwise procure
them, taking care that no speculatOr 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 COM
mon. and TO aid those whose protectors were
in the tented field in defense of their homes.
Soon after hostilities began he transferred
his business to Richmond, as Winchester
became debstable ground, and WAS often
untenable for a man whose sympathies were
with bis own people He did business there
on the same liberal principles, sacrificing
his legitimate profits to his desire to aid the
needy; and many a Valley soldier who
marched through the capital Of the Confed-
eracy dnriag those dark days remembers the
plug of tobacco or other gift which was
handed him as he passed 4 store whose sign
bore the name of c. B. Rouss. But his pa
trio.ism would not permit him to remain in
inglorious safety while his old friends and
s., IL ,,r,trr- h