Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-07-27
Charles Broadway Rouss Humbug.

Whilst Mr.. ]. ]. Cornwell was sit
ting on fog bank near Halifax wiring
ing the sea water from his only and
onliest shirt, and doubtless giving
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 Reulep:
Business was getting little dull in
the Broadway Rouss business the last
few weeks, so far as the south was con-
cerned. and it was evident little more
advertising was necessary. This week
the papers all tell us the philanthropy
ist (D has written his check for new UNI
iforms for the Winchester fire company.
Rouss is a 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 Broad
way Rouss had been engaged in bust
ness in New York City adverse winds
blew upon him and he compromised
his indebtedness-paying, perhaps,
twenty-five cents on the dollar. He
got on his feet again-establlshed him
self in paying business, accumulated
some money and humbugged his cred
itors by paying them, though not le-
gally obliged to do so, the other seven
ty-fve cents on the dollar
A little later, when Charleston, South
Carolina, was turned upside down,
with the lightning's flash he contrib
uted thousands of dollars for the relief
of those who had not been crushed by
falling walls or lost in the assures, but
were, nevertheless, homeless and des-
titute. Thus he humbugged them
Then again, when the rains fell and
the lake-dam gave way and Johnstown,
Pa, was deluged and thousands drown
ed, he came to the relief of the sur
viving, but destitute-thus continu-
ing in the humbugging business When
calamity befell the University Of
Virginia, he humbugged the faculty
by wiring them to draw on him for
$25, 1000! At Winchester, Mt. Hebron
Cemetery was in need of an enclosure
and he humbugged the corporators by
sending his check to pay for mile Of
ornamental fence, and now, 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 Shenan-
doah Valley Agricultural Society, con-
tributing $500 or thousand dollars
each year, humbugging the Society by
keeping it on its feet and only taking,
in return, day to banquet the thou
sands of his friends He has hum
plugged the people and offended South
ern sentiment by erecting 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 Ma
nassas, bearing its new name of"Stone-
wall" he humbugged the boys as they
marched in columns of companies be-
fore his store door in Winchester by
surfeiting them with cigars and plugs
Of tobacco To Winchester his hum
buggery in the way of gifts aggregates
hundred thousand dollars He
has furnished fireworks for their
Fourth OF July and other Publications
and given them water works for their
comfort and protection. He has uni
formed the fire laddies, gwen them
steam fire apparatus and other equip
ments, built homes for them, and given
them money for occasional banquets-
all prompted by his love of humbug-
gerry And his love for the fire lad
dies in Winchester having run over,
has fallen into the laps of the Charles
Town and other Valley towns. He
has enabled men to open country stores
all over the land to sell according to
his rs per cent net spot cash system, y
and humbugged the people by giving
them an opportunity to get goods to
suit them at prices to please them
These things have gotten his name
into print, though he is denied the
privilege Of seeing it, as even the sun
light OF heaven is denied him, but the
same ear that is ever open to the wall
of distress may convey to him some
knowledge of what the papers say of
him. For many years he worked six
teen hours day that he might achieve
success; now he only works twelve
hours out of the twenty-four to keep
from rusting out, and to make more
money to give away !-Charlestown
Free Press.