Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-08
ROUSS is DEAD.
OTere1 a Million for RestOra-
ton of Sight.
A Merchant Prince With Uniquf
Career.
Story of a Strange Character well
Known in New York.

Fifth Avenue, TUESDAY IhoIHihS' iioii4
heart failure.
Mr.. Rouss was born Sc years ago at
Woodsboro, Frederick county, Mo
At Is he was working in general
store at a salary of 81 week; the
fortune he leaves today is estimated
at close to s3,O00,900.
Young Rouss's first capital of $500
was invested in a little country store
which he ran, but when the civil war
broke out! he joined a company OF Vlr-
ginia volunteers and fought in Stone
wall Jackson's brigade. After peace
was declared young Rouss found him
self rich in Confederate bonds ana
bills, but in reality a penniless man.
He came to New York, arriving here
with a few coins in his pocket. They
formed his whole wealth. but he had
d sound constitution and brain that
was built for buying and selling.
By 1856 he had already saved enough
to open a drygoods notion store at 149
Duane street quick sales and small
profits was his motto, and Cash
without credit" the cornerstone on
which he built up his mercantile enter
prise. With an energy unflagglng. ana
an Industry that effected wonders, he
prominent among it's fellows. In fact,
II was a little miniature of his future
emporium on broadway. But the crash
of 1875 carried the young Southerner
down with the rest, and he found him
self not only penniless again, but
bankrupt with debts amounting to
more than $4,000. All his efforts and
privations seemed to have been in
vain, but nothing could daunt him.
lie soon obtained another start on the
road to fortune, and from this time
he never turned back. Fortune smiled
steadily on his commercial life though
she proved harsh and tickle in other
ways.
Step by step he raised up the bust
ness of the little Broadway store,
which he now occupied, until it as
sumed vast dimensions. He himself
placed his average yearly business at
nearly $10.000,0OO-
In 1892 the energetic merchants
sight began to fail. All remedies were
unavailing, and in less than three
years he had become hopeleSsly blind.
His affection has been assigned to va
rous causes but there is little doubt
that the immense strain Of his con-
IL
tronomy combined to permanently in
iure his eyesight. For twelve hours
he would sit in his store every day,
debating and reading the vast CORE
spondence entailed by his huge bust
ness, and then he would go home to
gaze half the night through tele-
scope. watching the heavens.
In despair over his afiliction, which
eye specialists could not alleviate, Mr..
Rouss offered $1,000 900 to any one who
could restore his lost eyesight OF
course there was a rush of healers.
But to this transaction Mr.. RouSs
brought the same ingenuity that had
distinguished him in business affairs.
He engaged a young man, MIR. j. j.
Martin, formerly an emplOye OF the
Broadway store, who suffered from the
same nervous paralysis of the retinouS
tissue that had destroyed Mr.. RousS $
sight, and Martin had to undergo the
treatment Of all who wished to try for
the 81 ,OO0, 900 reward. A. j. Smith, the
merchants confidential man, Inter-
viewed the applicants first and read
over the thousands of personal letters.
Medical men and women, both bona
fide and quacks, spiritualists, Christian
Scientists, clairvoyants and hypnotists,
all begged that their systems be tested.
But worse than all We're the cranks.
These latter seemed to revel in maxi
ing the most ridiculous and insane
propositions But when they had been
sifted down by the secretary only
few of them We're needed in any way.
Anything. however, that seemed to
offer a reasonable hope of relief to the
blind man was promptly tried on Mar
tin. From strong currents of electricity
to hypnotism and water cures. every
thing was attempted and all proved
failures Letters by the hundred ar
rived daily. but all to no purpose.
Finally. in 1897. Mr.. Rouss gave up all
hope of ever seeing again, and though
he still kept the reward open, yet it
was without any serious belief that
anything would come of ii. Two or
three years ago he withdrew the offer
altogether and resigned himself to
blindness.
In his daily life Charles Broadway
Rouss was decidedly eccentric. Many
lawsuits resulted from his queer ways,
and once. in 1892. young Irish woman
Bridget Trodden, who had been en-
ployed as a domestic in his Fifth Ave-
nue. home sued him for $4,000 DANA
ges. The case never came to trial. as
ii was settled out of court.
His methods of doing business were
in many ways peculiar. My time is
worth 500 a minute. How much of it
do you want?" was his usual saluta-
ton. He demanded cash for every
thing. He sent out poorly spelled and
worse printed circulars of his wares.
and contended that this drew attention
in many cases from people who would
not stop to read the ordinary adver
tisement. He sold what are called
auction dry goods or job lots, and his
store was filled with oceans of no.
tions' Bargain counters and five and
ten cent stores purchased his goods ex-
tensively.
He was a thinker and a great
admirer of the late Col. Robert Inger
soil. When he was building the store
at $40 Broadway he hung out placard
that read as follows:
He who builds, owns and will Oc-
cupy this marvel of brick, iron and
granite, thirteen years ago walked the
streets penniless and hungry-only to
show that many a man facing fate NAV