The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-03-07
CHAS. B. ROUSS DEAD
A NATIVE OF FREDERICK
COUNTY.
Removed to Virginia, Where
he Began His Successful Ca
reer-His Devotion to His
Adopted State - A Warm
Southern Sympathizer.

A special dispatch to the Balti.
more San, dated New York,
March 3rd, says: Mr.. Charles
Broadway Rouss, for many years
a notable and picturesque figure
in the mercantile world, died this
morning at his home, 632 Fifth
avenue.
His death is attributed to pneu.
monia, though he has been suffer
ing from heart disease and
dropsy.. He has been critically
ill since last Sunday.
Sunday afternoon, Mr.. ROuSs
was taken suddenly with chills,
which resulted in congestion of
the lungs and this soon developed
into pneumonia. Everything
possible was done to check the
disease but all to no avail, and
early this morning it was seen
that Mr.. Rouss was failing rap
idly. His family was hastily
summoned and was present when,
at q O'Clock, he breathed his last.
Maryland was the native State
of Charles Broadway Rouss.
Born February l1th, 1886, at
Woodsboro, Frederick County,
his father was Peter H. RouSS
and his mother was Miss Bait
zell, member of the well known
family Of that name in Fred
erlck County.
AT the age of fourteen he EN-.
tered the employ of a leading
merchant in Winchester, Va, at
Sl.00 per week and in several
years he had accumulated $500.
This was his start in a life which
had many ups and downs before
ultimate success came.
He began business for himself
in Winchester in 1854, and by
energy, and strong business
methods was highly successful.
But the war broke out and he
entered the Confederate army,
disposing of his stock in Rich
mond, Virginia. AT the end of
the war he was without funds,
and it was shortly after this that
he went to New York City and
began his eventful life in the me-
tropolis on a scanty principal of
S2S. Once he failed for big
amount. during the panic of 1877,
but subsequently paid every cent.
He persevered and finally be-
came a merchant prince and ex.
tremely rich.
His methods were unique and
characteristic and many are the
stories told of his peculiaritieS.
One of his pleasures was to ride
on the street cars and toss nick
els and pennies to the children
who would flock about the car.
Later in life he became almost
totally blind and offered 1,OOO,-
600 to any one who could re-
store his sight
MIR. Rouss' devotion to Vir-
ginia, his adopted State, and the
historic City of Winchester,
where his brilliant mercantile
career began, was notable. In
honor of the State he named his
only daughter Virginia, and to
one Of his SONS he gave the name
Peter Winchester. At Win
chester he erected splendid
mausoleum as the last resting
place of his parents and his own
family at cost of $4,000 His
public benefactions at Winches
ter were as follows:
Forty thousand dollars for
City Hall.
Thirty five thousand dollars for
waterworks.
Fifteen thousand dollars for an
iron fence around Mount Hebron
Cemetery.
About twenty thousand for fire
apparatus and engine houses.
At least fifteen thousand to the
Shenandoah Valley Agricultural
Society.
His private gifts to persons in
and around Winchester aggre-
gate many thousands of dollars.
To the Charlestown, West Vir-
ginia, Fire Department be gave
between five and ten thousand
dollars.
Mr.. ROusS gave a substantial
evidence of his interest in the ed
NC. tional affairs of his adopted
State. The disastrous fire at the
University of Virginia in Octo-
Der, 1895, destroyed the rotunda
and library, and also swept away
the ample equipment of the phys
ical laboratory and lecture room
of the Department of Natural
Philosophy, which just before