Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-08-07
For the Spectator.

MIR. EDITOR.-lnc g. other evening whilst
strolling down the railroad feeling in rather a
dreamy mood, fancied saw ragged, strange
looking man coming down from Bessie Bell
He had on his head an old, dilapidated, narrow
rimmed tall, bell-crowned hat !; long, swal-
low tailed, short wasted, and very rusty look
ing blue coat, with a collar so high, it might
require an order of court to reduce the grade
to level with the present fashions with a
waistcoat and pantaloons to match His hat
was, no doubt, one of old 'Shelmerdines" very
best; and the coat, &C., looked as if they might
have been made by ssold Hanse Herring, in
his palmiest days. When he came within a
few yards of where had stopped he also halt
ed, and commenced talking to me. One of the
what might your name be ?'. told him my
name He then came up close to me, and
shook hands with me, and said 81 am really
glad to see you. You don't look any older than
when | saw you a few years ago, except your
gray beard" After little more conversation
with him, discovered that he thought it was
my father he was talking to, and he was great
ly surprised when he found out his mistake,
and [ told him my father had been dead more
than thirty years. He raised both hands and
struck his forehead, and looked wild at me-
large building on the other side of the road =
l then asked him if he lived over at the Luna
tic Asylum? He replied in wild, violent
manner, 'No-sir-ree I then said, where did
you come from? He answered, "Up Stuart S
meadow, beyond Peoples Pump" Finding I
could get little information from him as to who
he was, or where he came from, stopped ma
king any further enquiries of him on that sub
ject. l asked him to take a seat-so we both
sat down on the railroad and had long socia-
bic conversation. He told me he had been
looking about town for several days past, but
couldn find anybody he knew. The first place.
said he, 81 stopped at, was where / thought
old Jacob Peck S lanyard used to be, but in
stead of the lanyard, | saw high fence, enelo-
sing a little brick house, belching forth the
blackest sort Of smoke, with rather a strong
odor. There were also other queer looking
things in the yard. asked man there if this
was not where Peck S lanyard used to be but
he knew nothing about it-had never heard of
Peck's lanyard before. then enquired of an
old man on the street about the old gentleman
himself" "Ah'' said he, stranger, old Mr.
P, old August and old Tommy Thompson, ;
are all gone, long, long time ago. ," / then
walked up street, passed what | supposed was
but found he also had left these parts many a
year ago Then | thought would go to the
Washington Hotel, and ascertain whether it
still had the haunted room in it. When [ got
to the corner on which supposed it had stood,
[ saw fine large brick building called the Va.
Hotel. then enquired about number of
other acquaintances, but found every one of
them gone, among the rest old Mr.. Trempcr.
l looked into the post-office, and wondered
what ''old Larry" would say if he were to come
back and take a peep into that office. | fan.
cied | could see him looking in and hear him
call out, Ren,ns close the shutters and let as 90
home, and don't forget to put the doctor to bed,
for you know he Is IN the suo1s. :
In my rambles about town, [ concluded
would call on my friend, Isaac Collett, and see
how he was getting along with the Republican
Farmer. After considerable enquiry and run
ming about, | found where the large frame
building had stood, in one end of which Isaac
Collett lived and published the Republican
Farmer; and in the other end old father JOSH
ah Cole and his wife taught school, but all were
gone, teachers, printers, and house. AS an
old gentleman hard by told me, they had all
been gone many a long day On the ground
where the old house Stood [ found handsome
church, Jr'/ r>b aHTto aaa.aa All =
He said he could tell me great deal more,
but he had mt time. He then closed the con-
versatiOn by giving me an account of what he
saw, and what he thought whilst at the Pres
byterian Church on Sunday not long ago.
'As this is Sunday, must go to the Presbyte-
rian Church, and hear Mr.. Calhoun preach ."
When got there, / met an old gentlemen at
the door, and asked him if that was the Pres
byterian Church, " he said lit was;'' said |,
'does Mr.. Calhoun preach here to-day?' He
looked at me with astonishment, and said 'Mr
Calhoun! What Calhoun?'' ''The Rev. VIII
liam Calhoun, is not he the pastor of this
church p He replied "Oh? bless you, sir,
Mr.. G. has been dead a good many years, and
has not been pastor of this church for at least
forty years. - The old gentlemen then invited
me in and showed me to a seat, and heard a
little man preach very good short sermon
yet notwithstanding / believe am as attentive
a listener as the average of church goers could
not help looking little around me, to see the
strange sights, and hear the strange sounds in
the church at least they were strange to me.
The music sounded odd to me, how very differ
ent from the good old fashioned tunes, that
used to be sung, when Captain - doled out
the lines in Watts Psalms and Hymns. And
Al. IL II