The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-11-12

Roost" to detile the lower pant Of the
town and no rowdles to modest inno-
cent young girls who wish to enjoy an
afternoon stroll.
You may well believe that | left
Knoxville with regret, for this wander
ing lecturing life has no charm whatev-
er tor me. OF Athens and its pleasant
vale, OF Cleveland and my misadven-
ture there, and of Chattanooga, with
its crowds of freight trains which kept
me all day waiting for my trunk. l
must leave my friend Mozis to speak,
l cannot do justice to the subject.
l had intended to go to Nashville and
an announcement to that effect had
been made by my good friends of the
Banner, but hearing from my fellow
showmen of the 'rempleton Operetta
Troupe, with whom it was my mis-
fortune to contend both in Knoxville
and in Athens) that the coming week
was Fair Week at n ashville, prudent
ly and. as the event proved, very wise :
ly switched, or, as the English would
say, "shunted" Off to Huntsville. 1t
CHANGED that Maj. Gen. Crawford (who
was Surgeon at Fort Sumter when t
tell and into whose hands had deliver
ed myself after the surrender of Gen
Leg and his Quartermaster, Colonel
Gallagher, We're returning that very
night from pedestrian tour among the
mountains, to Gen. C's headquarters at
Huntsville. We fell into conversation
on matters pertaining to physical sci
ence, in which both gentlemen are well
versed. and the talk became so animat-
ed that it did not cease till we reached
Huntsville at half past one in the morn
ing. The night was very cold indeed,
and i.was glad enough to get irto a snug
bed at the Huntsville Hotel, kept by an
old Lynchburger named Venable. The
first thing that encountered my vision
as looked out OF the window in the
morning, bright and frosty, was the ia
nous Huntsville Spring, OF which had
heard ever since my boyhood but never
expected to see. 1t is in reality sub
terranean river, large enough to drive
many thousand spindles, and they talk
OF putting it to that use very soon.
lost no time in making myself and
business known to the newspaper men,
from all of whom, but more particular
ly from Mr.. Clay OF the Democrat, |
received cordial welcome as if an old
acquaintance. 1t seems they had heard
of Mo2is. | found, too, that | had IT,
the town some very good friends, and
also some classmates of quite ancient
date. Gen. A ddison White had been
my school fellow at Edgehill thirty
years ago, and DR.. Wall was my room
mate and most intimate friend when
was a student of medicine in Philadel-
phia in 47--S. Prof. Henry r. Smith,
his. home, which is now the Huntsville
Female Seminary, and my companion
during my stay was the Rev, Horace p.
Smith, who has charge of hourishing
male school in the town. 1: was the
first time in my life that ever roomcd
with preacher, aud | must say it is
anything but unpleasant. The truth is,
preachers are excellent companions. if
you do not trench or doctrinal points.
When Prof. Smith came to Hunts
Vile, some two years ago, the Semina-
~ was window-less door-less barn,
and worse than that horribly bescrib-
bled and befouled by the Yankees, who
had occupied it as hospital. With in
domitable energy, he set to work sin
gle-handed. repaired the whole build
ing, opened his school, prospercd from
the very start, has now 20 or more pu-
pills, has established a deservedly high
reputation, and is, should say, Oh the
sure road to fortune. Some of his
Leesburg scholars were so attached to
him and his method of teaching is so
much approved, that they followed him
here. He is ably seconded by corps
Of teachers, one of whom, Miss Holll-
day, is from Winchester Va, and by
his wife, in whole veins runs the blood
OF the best and purest people L ever
knew--the Paynes of Lynchburg.
There is literally no end OF Virgin
ians and descendants of Yirginians in
and around Huntsville, and the refine
ment Of it's society is proverbial. SO
many tall, tinelooking, Juno like wo-
men | never saw in town OF its size.
Traces of great wealth are still visible
on every side, and indeed there is at
this day an abundance OF money in the
hands of few citizens, who are afraid
to invest it in those improvements OF
which the place stands so much i'll need.
The absence of paint in the business and
even the private houses and the gaps
caused by fire are very notable. Cot
ton came IN at the rate of 20, 40, GO and
as high as 20 bales a day, while | was
there the price ranging from p to 20
cents. But the crop, as | saw on my
way to Decater, has been greatly injur-
ed by drought.
had an hours exceedingly interest
ing talk with my fathers friend Dr..
Ross, whose fire is not abated and who
still makes you laugh in spite of Your
self at the quaint and original thoughts
which he throws out in his sermoas.---
His health is better than for some time
past. Once enormously rich, he has
now, as he told his congregation mot
dollar beyond what you give mel
500 year.