Richmond dispatch. [volume], October 03, 1897, Image 1

About Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
_ THE RICHMOND DISPATCH.
WHOUMKUMBEK. 11.107. RICHMOND, VA., SUNDAY, OCTOB1B * 1897.1 ~ THREE CENTS PER CO^Y.
HAJOR 6IKTEB DEAD.
Career of Great Business AchHerats
and Pflbllc Usefulness Ends.
?oble ornai AGAINST DISEASE.
Trouble Which Brought m Illness
Attacked His Lungs and Heart
I PIONEER IK CIGARETTE-MAKING.!
Successful Conduct of Tills Business
YifldsHis Vast Fortune.
WAS DEVOTED TO RICHMOND.
' i> Energies and Mr-ans Spent to Boild
?p the I.
IICBTI > OI ?I IV J.??\... i ?| | l |. I.lii:
outline of III? (?rffr n? Mrrchnnl,,
*>ol?ll?T. Ilunkrr, >ln nuf.-iet arer, nn.i
Tiilillo -|>li-|t? U ? Itl/eii ?llreil? of
I linrlty?Fnmtly i oniM-ctluun?Tr I
butrt fruin Friend?.
Major Lewis Glnter, perhaps the r|
Virginia, and one whose pub?
lic ?pint and broad charity aovo ma'iu
ils city, i .oved so
MOCO. 10 bui:d up and beautify, u
He breathed his last at 11:20 o'clock
:.ight at Westbiook, his pa
. ?try home <i
to the BJ of Rich
where the greater part of the
iaat I : - of his busy,
useful, and successful life had been spent.
In Um ..huh
- Imnie to the citizens of Rich
. a sense of persona
la the hearts of his '
friem! . found so:
noble struggle against hu x
e hos ended an : und com
b I ?.. It n asleep. Though hi? 111
Mfl and hi
jf.ith anu? pain and
;?ui !">!o of h; | .unong*
us be waa steadily and continuously lui- j
. by a pur.? and tine ambition forj
the growth and upbuilding of this hisj
adopt?! city. His devotion to Richmond.
robl?n, and in I
iagr?o bo aroa doroted to a high ideal or
personal conduct.
HIS LOVH TOR mcilMfwD.
t rtlohmond owes to Major Glnter
i her fits- :
' asenta, can
V. bol we owe him ',
for these I 1 not be told. Bat
the good will which i them i
should Bi ; 1.
* i u;th tender
I '
as the home of his early bualntao and the
scene of his youthful exertions. He has
taught us that brilliant qoalltMl of Intel?
lect or characii r aro rot Indlsponaoblo '
rtjr, without bailiff corrupt,<1
loll of his
th t I'.n \,ry
t . . .
In it. . ; >
! staking acquisition; to
ittSQMfl wlillc o'dmb
ir ?11 rarly po\.ny to the
I of whftt li COVOtOUI !
iro, mill ,lini tO p?t hi*
upon hi? nain? an<l their tempta
llke n gladiator on a wli-1 beast
Is th* ip ., which
nado the wortd'a amphitheatre
hi the shout for the
.n tho common
; Il mon !,. ,n
1,)c noun nd othor n look on,
llera
and i to ?m their nght There
. f>r auch
Of our ' n? ?mrt.ike of
n bam i
.:: titan tlCTlOM.
Thor? i* am?]] nerd of fancy In deat
thO f*tory of tho
citiaen, >.. Qtntor, i any?
nora Mudko than
The child of
' ooc i .10 hopea, i?
in the
i' tho a 'i Id, ai <i t .
with bta
Institutions. Bul it
to deal with tho won
m. "Xo m;y '
t ii
P
i icy than b
m grast tl
in i
Mumtio bato prosperity, and get
POW4 r by what to m
. profita which follow it
ad than waited to a man,
thistle-down, for no bottei i
thai ha happons to be out in
wtad With tin rn. Th?? I :
.
devotion to ?nine singularly Ca?
aa hurra >l" to his clothin ;.
pimply, a* it would appear, bocauoo ho
beta. Bol what SOema
| - : illy represent what is
IO hard to convince.
: ,.. nod ntcroooQ] a one-.
md a:? comprehensible, though ha
: it understand thorn
.:'. \\ i? -t, therefore, mar- |
to lxi exceptions to the general truth
, not spring
muolily fotli'il
ctly within it. i i be ? pun
. ! fetitne tho logic of
and effect !? ai't to vmk! f In
. stirring, footling, inn i
i.ni lei ; f ours, where scam o
|] any or ' ! -or even
an bumh one 11 m
?sly to work to dlilodgO him
: hi ra In hi
rind .*. lorn or ad*
long : led to any man tin
there bo that in him which com
: ! a world may dally with
: eh urlatano? tta
B, sham borOOB, and
I -Tor a little
-, but they anally go down, for I
part. Into the re. i ptade?the
of it ?? spurned ami
plaything?, The winds of
timo and COntOBt blow away tbo chat?
a great grata tioor of
fact, by the by,
v.: h !.. on ties ua to Danny toi q
CABVSD m.s own DMTJJCT.
ge h ta Um son of highly respectable,
though renta, who could trac-'
B< ,me, on both sides. |SJ \ ; i.
back, to the "!' rn of 'he Dutch
Colony Of NOW Amsterdam. His brother
still pooaeaaea an old-fashioned clavier.
which. : ended aa un heirloom
through several BjenernUone, and serve*
to show thai hi ra were wofl
i,, do, ?^ auch Instruments were by ;c
I'mtuoii ?: n tiMT'
his own rcsoui eft ?hen little more th.ir
of study
been
afforded him, > ' t he came through th
of hi? early es well
d to flt,rr la of life and
. iuer,
bmond in ISO, and wn?
eer In the notion buaineao, thougli
t, dealt ahn In toy? Hla next veaturi
1 DO, .:.:'
a '
. then, at last, f irtt na bei a
upon him. Thon ht
HAJOB LJ?WIS GiNTEU, WHO DIED LAST NIGHT; AGED 73 YEARS.
tir.? of "Black Friday," and ruin stared
trim la the .
MADE HIS FOUT! NI HIRE.
Undaunted. however, he returned to
Richmond, and formed partner?hip
with the lata John v. Allen, 01
In th*> manufacture of'cigarettea, i
?raa the foundation of his great an
and Influence.
Major <i:. ter was munificent and
princely la hli charltlea H? had nade
his money in Richmond, he said, and he
would spend It here. Over 4.000 names
were opoa his aalary llot; ha allowed
] - of W I mooth to thirty olil I
; he edueate<l many poor children;
he gave liberally to charitable inst'.tu
-, and was never known to turn a
etitloner In
the wide and comprrhenslve ranpre of
hli philanthropy, taking In so many of
the muHif" m Intel
he missed no opportunity to do
good In pi 1 1
Young men, e irought within
th? pphera of h's Mfluenre, found In him
an ever ready and most Judicious OBOa
never obtruilra or offieious.
but always aoteeaibla and interested.
HIS FATAL UXKBfOC
, Th? < ? <?< -' V- "' ' : .:. r H*
\ Irufenl f rm. Hoo
Ion h" had anffarajd from the disease
1- 1 o1 known, but ho had certainly '
victim to it for over two rears. When
bo wenf to England1 m Auguat of
he was met there by Mrs. Young, who
~-r> shucked at tha chang? in his
a that aha determined not to
l< ava him again. Free yeara ago Major
r araa Ineured for a rery largo ?um
of money, it was a Btranga coincid?
that he had Insured his Ufa twenty-eight
a botl
1 ?r. .t. B. Mc< am
ohyslcian. Dr. lioCaaf told Major Gin
th" Uta of COUablng grew more frequent
an i axha ..uing.
HIS DECLINE BECAME STBAOT.
Ho was taken to liar Harbor early In
Um summer, having proviousli spent
une- at Old Point in tii*-' nope that
the change of alf t'.::,'ht afford him some
relief, but the hupe was dlaapporated,
and lie grew weaker day by ?.i>, until
he was not able to walk at all, and Utter
could not stand aione. ills a
too, began to fail him, and although he
told of his Condition, ?irai at
nod to reellen that his end was
drawing near, ho would ometimes
allude to his plans and the part that he
proponed to take in their development
in the future. Upon one occasion, when
he received a message fr,,m a lady friend
who pOSOOSSea a fine grape vine?
yard, that this year's crop was a failure,
and eho regretted exceedingly that she
unable to .send him some of the
fruit, lie sent word to her that nS grate?
fully appreciated her thought of him, and
he hoped in tWO yi.ns' time to compet?
with her i.i the matter of grape raising, as
he was having a hot-houso built for
vines. He was unab.e to converse much
gering his stay at Bar Harbor, and Ot
turn to "Westbrook" some weeks
ago, his friends were rlfldly excluded.
?ram ft' I cv. rj possible jre
cautlon wa.s taken against noise, ills
dogs it to his Franklin-street
home, and one of his servants cont'n
bed at his front door to answer the
^ of callers, a;id so avoid the con
lent t.* their arrival. DnTinf
lasl Uve montha of his i'ini^ ?
lost ovi r fifty pounds In weight, yet he
ted, in spite of his growing weak?
ness, th. ! be should be dress.
cropped up with pillows In
even when he v
to lift hand. When the woatl
1 irighl and bis strength would
mit, he WSJ wheeled out on ail fro:,.
Ing as iis achiOTOmeitm are re
markable. He area bom on the 24th day
of April, MM, la New York city. He wan
ibla parentage, his pro
.. being among tho earliest Dutch
6ettlers of New Amsterdam. He was
connected arlth the Knickerbocker ato? k.
ti.? family ni ma iraa originally G?nther,
but vis changed by Major Ginter's
tiier to Ita present form.
Ha Inherited from hJ a con?
stitution slngulaily OOBBd and vigorous
In all it.-* parts- physical. Intellectual, and
moral. His entire organization- body, in?
tense?, affections, conscience, and will?
araj healthful, active, and symmetrical,
a remarkable example of the "mens
sano In corpore sano." Il M not sur?
prising, then, to Bad that his progenitors,
IB all the lines of dOOOOnt which
can be traced, were of atTOflg mentai
and moral characteristics. His fathot
died while his eon Lewis was still In
hM Infancy, and his mother a few years
later, and his early years were npent
under the guidance and dlrootloa of his
p'ster, twelve years older than he, who
was known in Richmond as Mrs. Arents.
and who fled ai Major (jlnter's beautiful
home. "Westbrook," soon after it trae
Completed. .v;he lavished upon him the
.utmost love ui?-l u. vtiUftn. which ha re?
turned In kind, and it was th? fact that
she had died at "Westbrook" which
made him so anxious to return from Bat
BaabOf and spend his last hours be?
neath the same roof.
The circumstances of the GIntars ware
by no means e;usy, and the subject of
;h.?. aketch had few advantages In the
way of education. He went, to work as
?oon as he was able to earn money, and
* natural Instinct and Inborn taste for the
irtlatlo led him to sock employment in
a where fancy articles and art
I were for sale.
OURTSD PORTUNX IN' RICHMOND.
Borty ta Uf? he started out to seek
beginning to a Arm and lasting friend
ship.
HE DEALT IN T0Y8.
Major Olntcr first opened a toy ?ton
on lower Main street. An illatt1. ?ilv
tOOCh has bevn given to his ear!y ?t/ug
I h?re by one of hi? ?adlest get
timers. She writes:
In UM early fall of IS-16 thr-e va
on Main street. In the square tel >w tb<
tanks, a little shop with on? She*
counter, urd the rear half curtained of
for a "living room." Above the do?*
whs the sign, "Lev.Is Giti'er." end lasidi
the shop, on counter and shelves, ?en
toys?toy?, pure and eint| ie. but
every kir.d and variety that a chlldisf
mind could dream ol or a childish hear
desire. Hut the chlidten of Ttichmon
were I ' to buying lh-!r toyi
where r y bought their cakes and eand)
and the grown-up lolka were ac
eOOtOBMd to buying theirs where thvj
bought their dry geoda or their wooden
hoaaehold*woroa. Ho that few ventured
into this lonely, daoerted?Iooktng ?hop
at thii door of whkh was often seer
standing a pale, ilim, lonei>-looklnj
voting man, who had come from nobodj
Knew where. There was many a Chlidtsl
heart, however, that longed to have s
nearer view of thosa wonderful toys,
Bi 1 at last, one day In a group of chll
dses. one who was bolder than the rest,
and whose heart pitied that disconsolate
Bgure In the doorway, prevailed upon her
sarna to go In with her and let her ifjajaJI
lirr money there.
?he ans wetoOOMd with enthu?la.sm,
and all the wonder* of that wonderful
I'.itle place were piled upon the eeunter
for hi r mepoctioa ?nd satortaimwai,
eitftottgh she carefully explained that
nd only one silver half dollar to
expend. There were boxes of tmste
bn.ii1 with glass In iront, and behind
l?e glas? a falry-llke dancer, s bear,
fionkey, a wouder'ul little old man or
woman, that Jumped about and nodded
ha head and winked Its eyes, etc., etc.,
all of which were set lu motion by
having the boxes turned over sideways
a few times and then set down, and lo!
sue by one they were Itnmediitely per?
forming the moat wonderful antics, until
the little counter was lined with them,
and as they etouped they were each
started again, and soon that i
wan crowded with nurses and children.
There were. In the menn time, piled on
the counter seesaws, that wh<*n started
seemed never to stop: miniature hand
organs that would make music as long
as a little wire handle was turned;
whole troops of tin soldiers; big dolls,
little dolls, and middle-sized dolls;
wooden jointed dolls that could sit down,
or Ho down, or stand up; dolls snugly
tucked away in cradles, that as long as
they wer,? rocked would cry, and when
wonder after wonder had been
there was laid In the arms of tho littl?
girl who had first Ventured in a '
waxen doll, with the lovollesl blue
and golden curls of real hair, both al?
most matching her own, Which Hk<
was called lo her attention by the affu?
ble salesman; but, above,all, that doll
could shut and open her eyest?th(
of its kir.d ever ?MU In Richmond. It
Is needless to say that that wonderful
doll went out of the shop in thai little
girl's arms, for when It wa j found
her half dollar would not suffice for the
purchase, her generous little bt
Jack, added his, and, I shrewJIy suspect
thai the salesman donated all of his
profits, or. perhaps, even more. I
it Is safe to say that not a cent
carried out of that shop by either nurses
or children, for all went out with either
hands or arms full.
TB1 IlKiHNN'IN'G OF HIS tUCCJBaO
At that day in Richmond the churches
each held a fa/icy fair during the winter
in the court-roorn of the old City Hall.
and all of the working members of all
of the churches helped each other to
hold their fairs. At these faits Mrs.
Judge Clopton always kepi the post?
?me?, and the fair for the Monumental
church generally opened t3u eeason.
This was in active prepararon at the
time of that memorable visit to the toy
si. op, and Mrs. Clopton, having her sym?
pathies drawn upon by her littie daugh?
ter's account of the poor, friei I
young shopkeeper, determined to
a toy table at the fair in addition to her
post-ofllce. Her arrangements therefor
I were soon made, for with her to re?
solve was to act. and during the fair
every day young Mr. GtBter would bring
his toys and arrange them noel artwti
c.i'.ly upon the beautifully-decorated
. all ready for the fair attendait?,
one ticketed at a price that would
i
little toyshop on Main street, wl
"Lewis Glnter" over the door.
This was th? beginning of Mr. Glitt
aucceaa In Richmond.
After awhile, "notions" were added
hi? toys-a larger ?hop waa need
Later on, the toya were displaced
household-waits and trimmings, and t
shop became a atore.
This is far enough for my m?mory
follow him.
How long Mr. Glnter had been In Ric
mood before that first day I want la
his shop I really do not know, for
was a very, small chlhl at the time,
may have been only a week or two,
a month or two, perhaps, longer, but t
point at which my memory of hl? t
gins la that fall, th? first time 0
posse of nurses and children went doi
town after returning from the summ
sojourn at the plantation, when th
to figure standing at the door
that ilttia topshcr? ?aught my eve <?J
appealed to my pitying beert, and It mi
have been only a few days befo
I persuaded my nuree to allow me to i
In, or It may have been a few weel
A child's mind does not measure Us
wry accurately, ?nd the way I fl? t?
Of the year so exanly la that
happem-i the fall before the death I
my dearly-loved brother Jack, who wi
drowned In J.; I y, l: 16, and for whos? sal
I treasured that doll for many a yea
and also a little Jointed doll, the remate
of which I have to-day.
HIS SnuSKQlF.NT VKNTTRE8.
Mr. Glnter, when he had accumul?t?
sufficient cap'tal. branched out Into th
housefurnlshlng business. He had
neat and pretty atore almost opposite tb
St. Charles Hotel, and here he display?*
In an eminent degree that exquisit? test
and love of th? beautiful In th? num
bei- variety, and arrangement of the peel
ty things he collected and exhibited fe
sale. He was very successful In thi
line of business, and moved to a larga
store on Ragle square, at th? ait? noi
occupied by the Western Union Teiegrapl
Cempony'a office. Here he did a eer
large retail busies* until \K6, wbee h
sold out to Mr. Thomas A. Bulkley.
Ty intense labor, though .lot exactl;
In the line of other men, by glgantl
labor, often running on till evening ma
the morning; by that herculean iabo
r.hleh brings the golden apples from th
Harden of Hesperides, he brought him
self steadily up to the front line, of cmi
nene? as a merchant This was the oa
secret of his astonishing success.
His next venture was In the wholesal
notion buslnesa with Mr. John F. Alve;
as a partner. Th;lr store was on Four
teenth. then known as Pearl street. Th
business was a success from the start
and finding themselves cramped for room
the firm reatad the house *n Thirteentl
and Main atr?ete, then occupied by Dante
H London, the whoksai? dry gaoda m*r
chant. At this location the firm naru;
was (hatred to Ginter, Kent at Alvejr
end white goodu and Saxony woolUn
were added to th? stock.
At the and of one year Mr Kent re
tin I. and Mr Glnter associated hli
a Mr 000*1 > Arents. now trea
suier of the Amencan Tobacco Com'
pany, arlth him, tne firm-name bolnj
changed to (?Inter. Alvey & Arents,
It was the largest dry-goods and no?
tlone-houee south of Philadelphia, and th?
business, which continued until the wui
bioUo out. was one of the largest In th?
city. Some idea o? Its scope, as well ai
of th? generosltr of Major OlBtOT, can bi
gathered from the fact that when wai
araa declared, Mr. (Jinter was wortb
iauO.000, which he sacrificed to the cause
of the South, and even after the clos?
of the war h? never asked one of hH
creditors to pay the amount they owed
to him.
A GOOD WAR RECORD.
Mr. Glnter, as was noted above, cam?
of an old DuU h family, and wat bora
with a very decided antipathy to the
"Yankee."
a far as public fame la more Imme?
diately confined, Major Olnter's war
reoord stands out In bold relief from his
other services. He was among the Mrs!
to prepare for the Impending conflict,
with a prescience that now seems like ?i
inspiration, and with a vigor which could,
scarcely l . Increaaed. From a
strenuous advocate of peace, he suddenly
threw himself Into the exigencies of ttia,
' war. The eternal principle of right waa
trampled under foot; and then It was to
the very soul of clemoncy to appeal to
solid shot.
Major Ginter entered the Confederate
MATERIAL EVIDENCES
OF MAJOR GINTER'S USEFUL
AM) SUCCESSFUL OABEEE IX RICHMOND
HIS HOMES AND FACTOR IKS
to make men oaofld Of BO! red, at.
re not
e tho
. knda itUh
may lift I
aaaomj II
?try, Integrity, and In
. , the i hi. ?' >' ' ' J2*
rtng to the treasure oi
; taught how tho sin.p.u
ditcnlty o? "T?!
bot ?H ?
. f pgajrof Mes in Its use?. He
,n by his touch, M
and estai
of its primogeniture that
humanity Is Its nmborn.
Major Olntar m?<l- hlnmelf a rich roan
as, and * t0
, n?rade and his bwlneaa to
o auch a? extent, tbi ? h* U>
?h? outbreah of tu.
. uo a year. He was
'%";;.'.;n?? ?i? ?
l'f . v ,?,.11 th? middleman"
noon hi? business Interests, wsra
,y considerable, and en
d soul, into the cause of
1 "i- ^?ne5 H? Sr
is nuite a eonopkuoua one. He sur
fon un. .. He was ?n
?iris "'*" banking and broker
Vit u?oni" Wall Street, but /JOCaUM
heav y bWOlVgu In the financia! dlaas
t I tbM bM latter diagnosis was de
lly more favorable than the former.
The first apprehensions of Major Qta*
tei s ?riands were cxc.tid In March of
i for about that time bo !
to lose strength an* vitality. His bitak?
ln; down, which bad bten gradual up to
i the time of Mr. John Pope's death, then
i became very rapid He sought relief In
Bhtrope, but found none, and his friends
greatly shocked at the change in
him which was sa apparent on his re?
turn from this, his last Continental tour.
His disease then attacked his lungs and
his heart, and his left lung succumbed
to Its Inroads. He suffered from severe
coughing spells and frequently said to
his friend?. "Why don't you give me
something that will cur? this cough of
mino." ThU was another fatal phase
of the disease, for as he grew weaker ;
porch late in the afternoon to get the
benefit of tin fresh air and the beautiful
surroundings of h??? lovely home, in wule-h
he took so much pride.
LBAVK8 PKW NKAR RELATIV!:-',.
Major Ginter never married. His near
e*t relative is a brother, who Is a pros
perous farmer la Missouri. The most
Intimate of his connections have bien
the son! and daughteie of ills mueh
sd slater, who died at Wenbrook
w years ago; Mr. George Arents, of
York, who has three children, and
Misses Josephine and Grace Arents, and
Mrs. Albert Young, who also has three*
eklidawa. _
THE STORY OF HIS EARLY LIPB.
Born In Hew York, But Ravaaed 1?
final?**? Here When Unite Yonag.
The ?tory of Major Olnter's Hi? is aa
hla fortuno, his sister having married,
and he found his way to Richmond
early in U12. ?U. ;. . ? a email sum ?f
money whon he arrived hero and aa
Interesting story is told of his first aight
In the city. He sought t?mpora.?'y :
lngs, and ?.cured them In I house
where he was compelled to shar? his
bedroom with Mr. Shafer, the father of
his present private secretary. The two
young men were, of course, strangers to
euch other, and both were retiring In
disposition and exceedingly reticent.
b was possessed of ? small sum of
money, representing all their wordly
possessions, and each was Inspired wi'h
an instinctive dread and mUtrust of th?
other, and both kept wtda awake all
through the night, fearing that the- other
would rob htm under cover of the dark?
ness. It was a at rango and humorous
the fair, as well as himself, a fair
profit, and each ntght tho closing hour
would lad that table empty. Then tVre
w. re mech mlcal toys thai were
hiblted in little booths kept by little
girls, the exhibition money going to the
fair and the toy being raffled off at the
close for the benefit of the owner. One
was really a wonderful affair?a HtHe.
old cobbler, with spectacles astride his
nose, sat on his bench In his shop and
really made-or seemed to make?a shoe,
pausing occasionally to glance up at th?
spectators, nod hi? head, and wink his
eyes in a most knowing and comical
way.
At all the fancy fairs that winter Mrs.
Clopton's toy table held as prominent a
place almost as her post-office, a .id be?
fore the winter ended busineae waa
brisk and prosperity esUbllstW in the
service as commissioned quartermaster
In General Joseph It Anderson's Hr,.
| gad*; after Anderson's transfer he wae
n-d to General Thomas's Brigade?
Major-General A. I'. Hill's Division,
where he served until the close of the
war, sometimes as <juart?.rim??ter and
aoiit* times as assistant adjutant-general.
He went Into every tight as an aida Mo
was a brave and fearlesa soldier, and
. surrendered at Appomattox
lie was one of the most popular men
' in the army, and waa beloved and re?
spected. n':> only by bis brigade, but by
General Hill ;'nd the whole division.
COMMENDED BY JACKSON.
When General Jackson mud? Me cele?
l.rat etl flan* movem- i?t around Pope.
August ?, im. atte- the army left
Happahannock rlvor ana on the first
day'a march to Saltj. (?auuulor