Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-08-29


ture. My curiosity was the more excited as | re-
| membercd seeing a bust of Washington by the same
artist in the gallery OF Foniainbleau, which seemed
TO me well worthy the chisel that fashioned the fa.
NOUS bust of Noliairc, OF the Theatre Francois N
Paris. The Richmond statute did not equal my
expectation. Waving the giaring anachTonisn'
displayed BY a figure clad in modern uniform rest
ing upon the fasces OF a Roman consul and the
plough of Cineinaatus, the likeness | thought fan
from exact, and the attitude and air artificial and
theatrical. Foreigners who knew Washington, La
fayetie and Chastalieux, as well as his American
contemporaries, have not failed TO dwell upon the
serenity Of look, and ease and dignity Of carriage,
which in him were blended into an almost spperiu.
man majesty, which well became the chief OF an
epoch the granJest since the reformation, and whose
actors appear to us, their descendants, after the
brief interval Of half a century, as little less than
demi-gods. | have never seen a portrait, from the
masterpiece OF Stewart TO the yefiest daub Of a vii
lsgc Inner upon tho s~ignboard OF a country inn,
nor a bust, from the marble OF Fontainbleau to the
plaster image hawked through our streets by Ital.
ian pedlars, but which hos appeared TO me, in a
greater or less degree, TO represent the native and
remarkable majesty Of the man more correctly than
the production Of lIoudon at Richmond. The boz
dy is stiff, straight, and inclining backwards; the
head still more receding and surcrcillious, the right
arm slightly advanced and resting on q cane, with
an air which reminds you of the drum-malor OF a
French regiment; and the whole figure recalling
rather the hero Of a melodrama, than the victor OF
Yorktown and the first Chief Magistrate Of the
country. Nor did the face please me. The eyes
would condemn as too deop-seaiad, and the features
as too small for the features Of Washington were,
( | will not say heavily moulded, bat rather massive.
After reviewing the statute, and lavishingiy upon
| il more than sufficient encomius to do away with all
my objections, we found our way to the Legislative
chamber-a small room, containing nothing worth
noticing save the Speakers chair-a relic, | have
no doubt, of the colonial epoch, and in which per
haps sat the officer who presided over the debates
which, the eloquence of Patrick Henry has immcr-
talized. The seat has a homely likeness to the stall
Of a bishop in the choir Of tho cathedral. / am an
tiauarian enough to applaud the feeling which has
led to It's preservation, and continuance in its an
| cient and honorable oiiice.
You must be out of all patience by this time, with
state houses, statues, and speakers chairs. | will
leave them all, and hasten towards the river, and
| as the way leads down a decliyity, l will Try to DO
more expeditions.
Richmond is probably the principal tobacco mart
in the world. | therefore accepted an offer to be
introduced into the largest tobacco manufactory in
that city, belonging to the Messrs. Myers, one OF
whom politely accompanied US through his vast es-
tablishmont, and explained to us each step OF the
process 10 which the weed is subjected from the UNI
packing of the leaves to the branding oil the box OF
manufactured, or as we would term It, Cavendish
tobacco. The two agents used are pressure TO Hat
ton and condense the rolls of leaves picked and pro-
pcrly arranged, and heat to sweat them. ms 1t Is
termed, and prevent them from fermeating and be-
coming mouldy. | was particularly struck by the
EXPERIENCES Of the workmen in making rolls OF the
same size and weight with no better guides than the
eve and hand. About a hundred negroes we judged
TO be at work-a number which is tripled, We were
told, when the low price of tobacco in the wood al
lows Of profit on the manufactured article. The
price of the staple is now so high that the manu-
facturers send to market no greater supply than is
requisite to sustain the reputation OF their resPec-
tive brands.
As we we're leaving the warehouses ofthe Messrs.
Myers, these gentlemen directed US 10 an establish
ment called, | believe, a break, consisting OF sever
| al ranges of sheds within u square enclosure, under
which the tobacco in hogsheads is examined and
sold. The " break" was beginning MS we entered,
that is they had slipped off the wood OF some TWEEN
| " hogsheads, and two blacks were engaged IN brca-
king opon the piles of tobacco thus left, so as TO al
low the dealers to determine tho uniformity or DIFF
ferance of quality of each pile, and extract sam
pies as guides for the ensuing sale. This last ope-
ration took place as soon as tho line of hogsheads
were duly examined, and was conducted very much
! as tea sales arc in New York. There were u num-
Der of manufacturers present, and the bids varied
| from S. to $40 the cwt. or from $50 to $3.50 the
! hogshead. Seventeen thousand hessheads, nearly
half the c,op Of the state. and importingtwo millions
and half of dollars. are thus sold annually in Rich
mond. The business is considered hazardous, as
the market is liable to sudden and extreme luctua-
atoms. 1t has rarely been better, however, | was
,nld IRAN For some months past. Several gentle
men were poin,ed out TO me who, in that period,
are s,mnosed 10 have each realized profits of one
| hundred thousand dollars.
Richmond furnishes a notable instance Q ! .ne ei-
iecis OF That sa9inenessm.nas wan, ,p pa Nor,PP !,