. a a By ELMO SCOTT WATSON HE names of Thaddeus Kosciusko and Casimir Pulaski, the two Polish soldiers who fought in the Revolution, are familiar to most citizens of the Unit. ed States, but it is doubt- ful if the name of another Pole, Haym Salomon, means anything to more than one out of a thousand Americans. Yet his contribution to the cause of American liberty may in some respects be considered infinitely greater than those of the other two combined. The Invaluable services of this Po- lish Jew, whose financial genius was so vital to the Revolution's success, have always been known to the schol- ars of that struggle, but the difficulties of obtaining reliable information have kept this Inspiring story from the pub- le and the efforts which have been made to pay appropriate tribute to his memory have, for some unknown reason—unless it can be attributed to the proverbial ingratitude of republics which so easily forget their debts to some who labored mightily in their cause—been defeated for more than & century. Fortunately for the cause of Truth there has appeared recently a blog- raphy of this man which enables us to see him in his true stature as one of the really great figures of the Rev. olution. It is the book “Haym Salo- mon and the Revolution,” written by Charles Edward Russell and published by the Cosmopolitan Book corporation. Salomon was born at Lissa in Po- land in 1740. At the age of thirty he Joined in .the fight to resist Russian domination of Poland, was associated with Kosciusko and Pulaskl in their herole but futile effort and like those two, was forced to flee from the coun- try. He first made his way to Eng- land but soon left there and came to America, arriving in New York in 1772 Balomon had had considerable training in business before leaving Poland and he quickly established himself as a broker and commission merchant in New York city. The opportunity lay at hand for him to make a great for- tune but he hindered his chances for that by one act. For the freedom-lov- Ing Pole almost Immediately allied himself in the strongly Royalist colony of New York with a *“dis- reputable and discredited” organiza- tion, called the Sons of Liberty, who as early as 1734 had banded together to resist oppressive acts by the British crown. He was a worker in their cause at the outbreak of the Revolution, and late In 1776 he was one of a number of the Sons who were imprisoned by the British, accused of having started the fire which swept New York soon after the defeat of Washington's army on Long Island led to the occupation of that city by Lord Howe. Salomon was lodged In the Provost and to be held there meant certain death for many a patriot during the reign of Cunningham, the brutal master of the British prisons In New York. Among the British troops were thou- sands of Hessian mercenaries who could not speak a word of English, When it became known that Salomon could speak German (he was also a master of French, Polish, Russian and Italian), he was put in better quar- ters and used as an interpreter to the Hessians by the British. Eventually he was released on parole. Even while a prisoner he was working in the patriots’ cause for, unknown to the British, in his talks with the Hes sians he was urging them to desert and pointing out to them the bound- less opportunities which lay in the new country for them when the war was over. More than that he was taking adv ge of the fact that was regard- aby “trusty” by the British, pass ing by their sentries freely and going pretty much where he pleased, to ald in the escape of Awerican prisoners. After his parole, he was able again to engage in business, using this as well as bis Interpreter duties for the Brit ish, as a cloak for his activity in be- half of the patriots, For two years Salomon led a seem- ingly peaceful existence, although thers wis never a moment when his iS was not in danger of being ended before a firing squad or at the end of a rope if the British had suspected what he was about. Then suddenly In August, 1778, Sir Henry Clinton re- ceived word that Washington was plot- ting to burn the city, and Salomon was arrested as the chief agent in the plot and returned again to the Provost. Details of this imprisonment are lack- ing, but it Is believed that he was con- demned to death but managed to es- cape from the prison shortly before the day of his execution. How he did it is unknown, but it is believed that he bought his way out of the prison and then familiarity with British posts and British guard meth- ods to escape from the city. At any rate he next appeared In *hiladelphia and there the most im- portant part of his career began. Al- though he was penniless, he still had his native energy and his knowledge of commerce and finance. So he im- mediately opened an office and began to deal in bills of exchange and other securities. By this time France had come into the war on the side of the Americans and French money was coming into the country. Philadelphia was not only the capital of the newly- created United States but it became a prosperous business and shipping cen- ter. In its prosperity Salomon shared. But this prosperity was not shared by the infant government, for the finan- cial policy of the Continental congress had been a blundering one from the start. By 1779 It was having serious financial difficulties, By 1780 the sit. uation was even more critical. By 1781, with a treasury deficit of £1,600, 000, it was desperate. It was desper. ate because the Revolution seemed near to coliapse. On the first day of the new year the entire Pennsylvania line mutinied and started from Morris. town for Philadelphia to force con- gress to relieve their distress. They had not been paid for months, they were in rags and they were half starved. Two weeks later the New Jersey line also revolted. Congress managed to head off the revolt and soon afterwards took steps to salvage what seemed to be a lost cause. Robert Morris, whose financial genius Washington bad discovered early and upon whom that leader had leaned heavily in more than one crisis, was called to lead congress out of the financial morass. It was a formidable task which faced Morris in his newly- created post of superintendent of finance and a part of our admiration for the men who faced the bullets and bayonets of the British on the battle. fleld in the struggle for liberty should be reserved for this man who fought his fight far from the firing line and fought it with what must have seemed overwhelming odds against him. He was “beset with a thousand dif. ficulties and perils,” writes Russell, “He used up all his own credit; always he was at the end of his resources, often he was at the end of his wits, Help from abroad came in fragnfents and slowly. When it arrived it was in the form of blils on Paris, chiefly on the great French banking house of La Coulteulx and company. These reached Morris (sometimes) from various sources, and he must needs turn them into current money before they could be of use to him. In other words he must sell these bills for vwhat he could get for them, gather up depreciated state currency and try to keep go- ing. . . . His position was virtoally at the mercy of brokers and yet set against them. The government and the government's officers could never go huckstering the government's bills up and down the Coffee House. Brok- ers wera indispensable, but they were reputed, probably not without reason, to be cormorants; all except one.” That one was Haym Salomon. Mor ris’ unpublished Diary, upon which Salomon's blographer draws heavily for his information, is filled with ref. erences to his dealings with Salomon, and all of them reflect the highest cred. it upon him as a patriot and a man, “One thing Is made by the Diary as plain as daylight,” writes Russell “Haym Salomon is the pivot of the whole business, He stands In the breach; he keeps back the massed at- tacks that make for bankruptcy; ev. erything depends upon him. It is Haym Salomon thls and Haym Baio. mon that. On some days he makes six used his or seven visits to consult with the su. Prcposed Statue of Salomon in New York. perintendent. Forty times, according to the testimony of the cashier (of the Jank of North America, which Morris established), between August 1, 1782, and the time Morris goes out of office, Haym Salomon comes to bat with his timely check. No matter where he gets the money; he gets It and It is this money that saves the day. “He sells bills when po one else can them. More than that; he sells without gouging, without profit, even. Other brokers continue to harass the superintendent by underselling the market and hampering the sale of his bills, He has no trouble from Ralomon. . « One other great service he per- forms, though to this day no one has noticed It, nor given the slightest cred- it for it. With a magnificent disre- gard of his own Interests, he endorses the paper of the broken-backed govern. ment. No one else will do this. The government's has ebbed and ebbed until it has surk from sight. Everybody knows it is gone; sagrecious men believe it will never return. Salo mon endorses its paper and its officers’ paper, and its Allies’ paper, and makes himself personally liable for all. We have the evidence; no need for spocu- lation or surmise.” All of this was, of course, after Cornwallis’ surrender. Contrary to popular belief the affair at Yorktown did not end the Ilevolution. Great as was that victory, the patriot cause was still In danger and none realized that more than Washington who immediate ly after receiving the surrender began making plans for the next campaign. He could not realize that his victory had dealt the British min- istry a blow from which it could not recover and that it paving the way to peace. That was still two years away, and before it could be realized there was still much yet to be And, of course, the doing of that had to be financed. So the bur den of making good the victory of Yorktown fell upon Robert Morris and his friend and helper, Haym Salomon. It Is impossible to estimate the full text of Salomon’s contribution to the cause of liberty in terms of such in- tangibles as moral support and foster- ing the will-to-win. But there is a defi. nite record of his tangible contribu- tion, great In itself but smaller in im- portance than the intangible. For the records show that Salomon advanced in specie to Morris at various times and in various sums a total of £211 878, and although it can not be proved ded nitely that all of this was his own money, it is probable that most of it was, But the main fact is that he placed that money In Morris’ hands when It was most needed and when few others had sufficient faith in the cause to risk even a fraction of that sum. And his reward? He died January 6, 1785, when he was only forty-five years old. There Is no doubt that the hardships he suffered in the British prisons and in his labors for the Con- tinental government shortened his life, He was supposed to be rich, but after his death it was found that he was virtually a bankrupt. He left a widow and four children facing poverty. He had given his all to the cause of lib- erty. “He died without formulating any claims for reimbursement for the sums he had advanced,” writes Russell, “In the opinion of later investigators he had entire confidence that when the government should be established, it would pay its obligations to him. As for his "entire confidence” that the government would pay its obliga. tions to him, they were never realized, For more than 80 years his heirs tried to get some recompense from congress but they never succeeded. “A repub- lic moon forgets” sell credit season's wis done, Paved Driveway Adds Much to Home Comfort Driveway paving is one type of im- provement which undertaken at low with resultant gains both In convenience und property value. A well-placed und designed driveway adds materially to the enhancement of may be cost residentinl property. Consider, for in stance, the fact that a number of home owners today are following the tinting the to harmonize with the borne in the the dwelling! Not a bad Idea, and one that might be well worth while Investigating, practice of driveway slab color stucco of Decoration, however, is only a see- ondiury function of the paved drive way. concrete slab Ig primary assurance that the family car will not be Stranded in mud or sifted full of dust, assurance that the lawn will not be ruted, assurance that visiting coul trucks and delivery amply supported breakdown, But there are other things of in- terest which may be developed In connection with a concrete driveway. In this modern there is nothing quite so intriguing as turning a pure ly utilitarian gadget Into a means for amusement, Enough! The hunch is sufficient. Provided with a paint can and a measuring tape we mark off a few lines and numbers the slab and—presto—we have a shuffleboard court. A troweled finish, plus polish. 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The community has established a house all relief organizations snd budgets are studied by and thelr estimates carefully consid ered, clearing known, “Show It With Flowers" are much thrown with strangers In curately judge their fellow men used to “cover” vast expanses of coun- try by the old-fashioned means of a horse and surrey remarked to a group of friends: “I got so that in looking for a place to spend the night 1 would ohserve which houses had flow. ers growing about them. 1 found that a home with attractive flowers In the yard or on th» porches could be de- pended on to have a neat and efficient housekeeper—a woman who made the place a pleasant one to stay in." Of course flowers In the front yard do not always prove a good house. keeper, but it is a good sign, Just as a frank and pleasant face with a steady eye are signs of good char- acter—and we all believe In signs, — Pathfinder Magazine, Fire-Prevention Efforts Through radio talks, addresses to organizations, distribution of home ingpection forms to school children and self-Inspection forms to business houser, placarding of fire hydrants and alarm boxes and showing of glides in motion picture houses, the various fire-prevention councils of the country have sought to spread propaganda against careless handling of inflammable materials. Seventy-five per cent of all fires are caused by carelessness and it is esti mated 10,000 persons lost their lives through fire in the United States last year, 30 per cent of the victims being children under ten years of age. All Knew How to Run Town Westchester, N. Y., advertised for a city manager asking only those with experience to apply. Still more than 2,000 letters came from men all over the country who, although they admit. ted they hadn't actually had any ex- perience in that sort of work, were liv. ing in hopes the day might come when they could Iand a job as municipal manager Just to show what they know about running a town .—Cap- per's Weekly. ————————— Homes Reflect Personality People reflect their environment. Those who live In shabby, down-at- thgheels houses are likely to feel de pressed and discouraged. We borrow much of our confidences and spirit from our surroundings. If they have nothing to give—~no hope or conf) dence, no pride in home or joy in lv. Ing—then they become a lability of such proportions that only the most herculean strength can resist them. BEWARE OF IMITATIONS Uess you see the name Bayer and the word genuine on the package as pictured here you can never be sure that you are taking genuine Bayer Aspirin tablets which thousands of physicians have always prescribed. 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Write Creo & Chaftey | Pai Spring CALIFORNIA his manuscripts carefully pre- served in a row of red morocco boxes | shaped like book he | bas presented to the British museum are rn ” ¥ covers. Those {are to be seen in the Greville room.™ | ~William Lyon Phelps in Scrihper's Magazine, From the Gree word “oor k g a deriva. means The tive of a i tere" Greek word which sleeping place. It is the admirer of himse not the admirer of virtue, thinks himsel | Plutarch, if, and that superior to others.— No more A cry in the might may be the first warning that Baby has colic. No cause for alarm if Castoria is handy! This pure vegetable prepa- ration brings quick comfort, and can never do the slightest harm. Always keep a bottle in the house. It is the safe and sensible thing when children are ailing. Whether it's the stomach, or the little bowels; colic or constipation; or diarrhea. When tiny tongues are coated, or the breath is bad. When there's need of gentle regulation. Every child loves the taste of Castoria, and its mildness makes it suitable for the tiniest infant, and for frequent use. Castoria is usually all that's needed to right the irregularities of older, row ae children. Genuine Castoria Shas. H. Flehet's signature on wrapper. It's prescribed by doctors! British Aircraft in Demand Aircraft manufacturers of Britain are receiving valuable orders for large transport type airplanes and flying boats for use in all parts of the world. Several big flying boats, each developing more than 2.000 horsepower, soon will be sent to Japan. Orders also have been placed for large commercial monoplanes for use in long-distance air transporia. tion in Australia. They are to carry 16 passengers at 1060 miles an hour. A parson ends many pleasant ene
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers