Offer from the Lottery.
His frankness and his honesty were probably his most striking characteristics.
The latter is splendidly illustrated by an incident of
General Maury's life after the war, one which he often told.
He was in very destitute circumstances, and had no idea whither to go to find the dollar.
One afternoon he received a letter in an official-looking envelope.
He broke the seal and found it was from the Louisiana State Lottery Company, offering him a salary of $25,000 per year if he would accept the position of president of the company.
“The temptation was a terrible one,” said
General Maury. ‘To say that it was otherwise would be to say I was more than human.
I was almost penniless, and there was no prospect of my being otherwise.
Twenty-five thousand a year was wealth which to me seemed fabulous.
I did not say anything to any one concerning the proposition.
When I went to bed I could not sleep.
I tossed and
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turned for hours, trying to make up my mind.
Finally just before dawn, I resolved to decline the offer.
I had never done anything which was not honest, and I determined that it was too late to begin.
in my old age. Sleep was easy to me then, and it was late when I awoke.
Almost as soon as I did so I arose, and writing a letter of refusal of the company's offer, posted it. I have never regretted it.’
