Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-05-13


remember some years since to have
seen John Randolph in Baltimore. had
frequently read and heard descriptions Of
| him, and one day, as | sas standing 10
Market, now Baltimore street, remarked
a tall, thin, unique-looking being hurrying
towards me with quick impatient step
evidently much annoyed by crowd Of
| BOYS who we're following close at his heels,
not in the obstrepsrous Dirth with which
they would have followed crazy or a
drunken man, or an organ grinder and his
monkey, but in the silent curions wonder
with which they would have haunted a
Chinese bedecked in full costume. | in
stantly knew the individual to be RAN
dolph fiom the descriptions. | therefore
advanced towards him, that might make
a full observation of his person without
violating the rules Of courtesy in stopping
to gaze at him. As he approached, he oc.
caslonally turned towards the boys with
an angry glance, but without saying any
thing, and then hurried on as if to outstrip
them, but il would not do. They follow
4
serving him so lntenily that he said no.
thing TO his companions. Just before |
met him he stopped Mr.. c., cash.
! Ter Of one Of the banks, said to be as odd
a fish as John himself. | loitered into a
store close by, and, unnotced, remarked
the Roanoke orator for considerable
time, and really he was the strangest
looking being | ever beheld.
Ills long thin legs, about as thick as
long walking cane, and OF much such
shape, were encased in pair Of tight
small clothes, so tight that they seemed
part and parcel of the limbs ofthe wearer.
Handsome white stockings were fastened
with great tidiness at the knees by a small
gold buckle, and over them, coming about
half way up the cali, were pair of what,
/ believe, are called hose, coarse and
country knit. He wore shoes. They
were old fashioned, and fastened also with
buckles-huge ones. He trod like an
Indian, without turning his toes out, but
planking them down straight. 1t was
the fashion in those days to wear fan.
tailed coat, with small collar, and but.
tons far apart behind, and few on the
breast. Mr.. Randoph's were the reverse
Of all this, and, instead of his coat being
fan tailed, il was what, we believe, the
knights of the kneedle call swallow tail
ed the collar was immensely large, the
buttons behind were in kissing proximi-
ty, and they sat together as close on the
breast as the leasters at a crowded public
festival. His waist was remarkably slen.
4 der so slender that, as he stood with his
arms akimbo, he could easily, as | thought,
with his long, bony fingers, have spanned
\ it. Around hun his coat, which was very
tight, was held together by one button,
and, in consequence, an inch or more of
tape, to which il was attached was per-
ceplible where it was pulled through the
cloth. About his neck he wore q large
white cravat, in which his chin was ocs
casonally buried as he moved his head ia
conversation no shirt collar was percept-
ible; every other person seemed TO pride
himself upon the size of his, rs they were
then worn large. Mr.. Raudolph's com.
} plexion, was precisely that Of a mummy,
withered, saffron, dry and bloodless +; you
could not have placed pins point on his
face where you would NOS have touched
} wrinkle. HIS lips were thin, compress
ed, and colorless; the chin, beardless as
boys, was broad for the size of his face,
which was small his muse was straight,
, with nothing remarkable in it, except per-
}, haps it was too short. He wore fur
, cap, which he took of, standing few
moments uncovered. observed that
t his head was quite small, characteristic
: which is said to have marked many men
of talent, Byron and Chief Justice Mar
shall for instance. Judge Burnett Of Gin
cinnati, who has been alike distinguished
at the bar, on the bench, and in the United
5 States Senate, and whom have heard nc
; less Judge and possessor OF talent than
3 Mr.. Hammond, Of the Gazette, say, was
! the cIearest and most impressive speaker
? he ever heard, has also small head. Mr..
$ Randolph's hair was remarkably fine
fine as an infants, and very thin. 1t was
very long and was parted with great care
: on the top of his head, and was tied be.
4 hind with a bit of black riband about three
inches from his neck the whole OF il
= formed queue not thicker than the liz,
= tie finger of delicate girl. His forehead
: was low, with no bumpology about II
f but his eye, though sunken, was most bril-
$ liant and startling in its glance. twas
not an eye Of profound, but Of impulsve
and passionate thought, with an expires
/ sion at times such as physicians describe
: to be that Of insanity, but an insanity
y which seemed to quicken, not destroy, in
e tellectual acuteness. never beheld an
S eye that struck me more. 1t possessed
e a species of fascination, such as would
r make you wonder over the character o
b. its possessor, without finding any clue If
your wonderment to discover it, except
s that he was passionate, wayward, anC
/. fearless. He lifted his lorg bony finger
e impressvely as he conversed, and gesticu.
s lated with it in peculiar manner. Hi.
0 whole appearance struck me, and coulC
!. easily imagine now, with his great com
!. mand oflanguage, so appropriate and full
e so brilliant and classical, joined TO the
vast information that his discuTsiye orato
!. ry enabled him TO exhibit its fullest ex
r tent. from the storehouse Of which the
| vividoaes or he ina atinn was alWay,