Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1898-02-22
Rouss Birthday Celebration.
Beautiful Tribute to Winchester's Generous
Friend.

Responding to the toast "charles
Broadway Rouss," at the recent Rouss
birth day banquet in Winchester, Mr. H.
R. Kern, one of that city's brilliant young
lawyers, said
Mr.. Toastmaster and Gentlemen:
It is as difficult, perhaps, to make an
old idea new as it is to originate a new
one, so in responding to the toast of
''Charles Broadway Rouss it is impos-
sible, as it is undesirable, to present any
thing new; impossible, for the reason
that the people of Winchester would not
be satisfied to know less than may be
known of such parsonage and unde-
sirable, because novelty here would be
like giving to the familiar rainbow diff
ferent hues.
The fulfllment of my toast then con-
sists rather in not defacing the impression
already made by gifted bards and bril-
liant orators concerning the life and char.
acter of our friend and benefactor. 1t
sometimes may be said of person that
he not only has character, but he is a
character; that he possesses such strongly
marked features of character as to place
him above the common level of humanity
in its general aspect, and give him a
prominence and pre-eminence even
among his equals in some important and
observable stamping him with All
originality and some kind of bitterness by
which he stands out to the attracted gaze
of everybody.
This is true of the man whose natal day
we honor tonight. Charles Broadway
Rouss not only has character, but he is
a character and the all-pervading beauti-
full, mellowing part of that character is
friendship and benevolence. Friendship
enameled with love and engrained with
affection, friendship that expects naught
but friendship in return and benevolence
whose only reward can be grateful tears.
Charles Broadway Rouss is only a syno-
nym for friendship, only another name
for benevolence.
And so think Goldsmith was mistaken
when he asked:
" And what is friendship but a name,
A charm that lulls to sleep,
A shade that follows wealth and fame,
And leaves the wretch to weep.
Certainly, if this be the empty sordid
meaning of friendship as applied to man
kind in general, it is false and mistaken
description of that warm, genial affection
that has ever been cherished for the people
of old Winchester by the great-hearted
philanthropist
For when the ''bare footed boyy of An
ple-Pie Ridge had become the Merchant
Prince of New York, when the "plow-
boy of the Runny Mead had become
the great f1nancier of the second city in
the world, hewas not seduced away from
thehumble friendships of his earlier years
by the dazzle and glitter of wealth or the
false pride that great achievements some
times produce. No, he never forgot the
early struggles, the first made friends, he
never forgot that he himself was once a
poor penniless lad. But even as the
Greek colonist leaving his native land in
search of a new home. ever jealously
guarded and kept alive the sacred fire he
bore away from the altar of his hearth
goddess Hestua, so this Winchester boy
has ever kept brightly burning upon the
altar of memory the sacred flame of
friendship and affection for the old town
and her people. And it has ever been
his greatest delight and dearest pleasure
to steal away for few hours from the
never ceasing activity of the business
world, from the hustle and turmoil of the
great metropolis; and journey back to
childhood's scenes and boyhoods strug-
giles; there to feel the warm grasp of the
old friends once more, and catch again
the glad smiles and merry ring of vel
come home to Winchester Thus has he
come and conquered-in the sacred name
of friendship. Thus has he come, teach
ing US the lesson of poverty struggling
up to wealth, of obscurity reaching out to
fame, of pluck and ambition making their
way slowly upward and onward through
the almost impenetrable labyrinth of op-
position and uncertainty, with all the
while a great heart unchanged by the
worlds successes and reverses, and un-
harmed by the burning touch of wealth.
And what lesson What teacher!
Fifty years ago as child of poverty,
but of pluck and brain, he walked our
streets peddling his wares. Scarcely a
decade later by that same pluck and brain
he held fortune and success within his
grasp. But when the god of war sent
forth his awful mandate, this Winchester
boy dashed aside everything, gave up all,
and followed the stars and bars of Lee
and Jackson until the Southern sun that
had risen so brightly at Manassas went
down in blaze OF glory at Appomattox.
And then while the first feeble ravs OF
the new South were appearing above the
horizon, he left the devastated Valley OF
Virginia, made barren by rapine and war,
and still wearing the ragged uniform OF
the lost cause" F" began a second strife with
his old foes. but with brains. not buI
lets" (" this time as weapons. And wher
the shock of the second strife had sub
sided his own million dollar structure OF
iron and brick stood on New York's great
thoroughfare. General Credit had sur.
rendered to General Cash, and the South
ern boy had conquered.
Such IS the man we honor tonight
and in l1onoring him we honor ourselves
such is the man whom Winchester pos
sesses as her friend, who showers his
treasures upon our city with lavish
.