Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-07-26
Chas. Broadway Rouss a Hurnbugl

mist MI y. y. Cornwell was SIT
ting on a fog bank near Halifax,
wringlng the sea water from his only
and onliest shirt, and doubtless Civ
ing thanks that he had not been
made food for fishes, his substitute
at home was penning the following
paragraph for perusal by the
patrons of the Hampshire Re-
view:
Business was getting little dull
in the Broadway Rouss business the
last few weeks, so far as the South
was concerned, and it was evident a
little more advertising was necessary.
This week the papers all tell us the
philanthropist CD has written his
check to pay for new uniforms
for the Winchester fire company.
Rouss is believer in the Barnum
school of business and operates on
the theory that the people love to be
humbugged."
a few years after Mr.. Charles
Broadway Rouss had been engaged
in business in New York City ad-
verse winds blew upon him and he
compromised his Indebtedness
ing, perhaps, twenty five cents on the
dollar. He got on his feet again -
established himself in paying bus
mess, accumulated some money and
humbugged his creditors by paying
them, though not legally obliged to
do so, the other seventy-ive cents on
the dollar,
\ little later. when Charleston. s.
c., was turned upside down, with the
lightning's flash be contributed thou
sands of dollars for the relief of those
who had not been crushed by falling
walls or lost in the assures, but were
nevertheless, homeless aud destitute
Thus he humbugged them.
Then again. when the rains fell,
and the lake. dam gave way and
JOhnstOwn, Pa, was deluged -and
thousands drowned, he came to the
relief of the surviving, but destitute.
thus continuing in the humbugging
business, When a calamity befel the
University of Virginia, he humbug-
ged the faculty by wiring them to
draw on him for $50, 900. At Win
chester, Mt. Hebron Cemetery was in
need of an enclosure and he humbug-
ged the corpOrators by sending his
check to pay for a mile of ornanen-
tai fence, and now, a few years later,
he is humbugging them again by
paying for the repainting that the
rust might not corrupt. For years
he has been the maInstay of the
Shenandoah Valley Agricultural So
ciety, contributing $500 or thou
sand dollars each year, humbugging
the Society by keeping it on its feet
and only taking, in return, a day to
banquet the thousands of his friends,
He has humbugged the people and
offended Southern sentiment by erect
ing at his own expense, or IN part,
monuments to the heroic dead-more
than thirty years ago his comrades,
When the First Brigade in the fall
of 81, came back TO the Valley from
the plains of Manassas, bearing it's
new name of "Stonewall," he hum
plugged the boys as they marched in
companies before his store door in
Winchester by surfeiting them with
segars and tobacco, To Winchester
his humbuggery in the way of gifts
aggregates hundred thousand dol
lars. He has furnished fireworks
for their Fourth of July and other
Publications, and given them water
works for their comfort and protec-
ton! He has uniformed the fire lad
dies, given them steam fire apparatus
and other equipments, built homes
for them, and given them money for
occasional banquets-al prompted
by his love of humbuggery. And
his love for the fire laddies in Win
chester having run over, has fallen
into the laps of the boys at Charles
Town and other Valley towns. He
has enabled men to open country
stores all over the land to sell accord
ing to his ''5 per cent. net spot cash
system" and humbugged the people
by giving them an opportunity to
get goods to suit them at prices to
please them. These things have got
ten his name into print though he is
denied the privilege of seeing it, as
even the sunlight of heaven is de-
MED him, but the same ear that is
ever open 10 the wall of distress NAV
convey to him some knowledge of
what the papers say of him. For
many years he worked sixteen hours
a day that he might achieve success;
now he only works twelve hours out
of the twenty four to keep from rust
ing out, and to make more money to
give awayl-Charlestown Free Press.