Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-09-08
: Old Times.

There is an elderly colored gentleman, a gen
tleman in every sense Of the word, who holds
forth as Il tonsorial professor in the Exchange
Hotel, Richmond I.omax Smith is i relic Of
the pmlmy times Of Virginia: he regularly
shaved Mr.. Madison, John Randolph. and
Watkins Leigh he was the cuphearer. head
musician, punch concocter. and. in fact the
presiding genius Of the "Old Richmond Blues:
in the DAYS when George Muntnrl led that
rare command and had under his leadership
the ''bluest blood of the Ancient Dominion .
Submitting our face the other morning TO
the still skiful manipulation OF the venerable
Smith, the writer enjoyed heartily the mono.
lopue with which the Professor intcrarded his
'lather and shave. .,
"A nice collection OF gentlemen, slr, SAID
Loma1, this convention al Assembly Hall :;
| many very gentecl and able persons there, SIR
1t does me good to see again IN Virginia the
best people coming forward to take part in poll
tics. And. yes sir there are some, great men
here too--scattered about among the hundreds
| don't know; but, -nXcuSe NE. SIR, turn your
face IL little to the lett,-you can t remember
the convention Of '29, can yon' loo y3llngg.
| Yes. yes Well. there was Mr. Jeeuis Nadl-
son, and that other gentleman, very smart but
mighty fighty, Mr.. Randolph Of Roanoke,
and more than can call now. You have got
big men here to-day, but God bless my soul,
sir they we're all giants then: there wash an
humble individual here. Giants. ar, giants
every one.
And Lomax rcstrappel his razor. turned
our head gently, and began again
And how did they come here, sir? Omnl-
buses, hacks? Not they! Private carriages,
private servants: and every one had Z square
mahogany box, with silver mollntlngS: Ill this
we're four square bottles trimmed with vines
and leaves in gold: one held old pineapple rum,
one brandy and honey, peach and hCncy SIR;
one sherry and one Madeira No whskcy~ and
no drinking at bars The case was i'll every
delegate room, with the key Pit away,bn1 =
and here I4omax thoughtfully and sugsestlveIy
drew his razor through the palm of an honest
hand-''their constituents knew where the key
was, sir.-les sir! And shaving then was
fifty cents. No change! Those were days;
| Why nothing now is rs good Is 1t was, and
can tell the reason. Ever since $50. SIR, when
they got up this universal suffrage: things have
been going down, down. down. never used
to shave anybody then. that was nobody; and
now | hardly ever shave anybody that Is any
body Yes sir, the 1870 suffrage question dId the
whole thing, and now nothing is like it used td
be- Why sausage sir, sausage. The ODD IT.
be made out of the choicest parts "f the hog:
and now your lucky if it hog at all, and whrH
it is, there nothing but grlStle and lean
Then Lomax drew Il long sigh and reached
our fore hair: Coffee? | haven mt seen any
coffee for ten years. 1t looks like coffee and il
smells like coffee, hut it ism coffee. sir. depend
upon it
Here We gently rosc. took 4 nicely brushed
hat and coat from our philoSophc friend. an'
declining the change. left the premises with
4 decided conviction that I.nmElX was about
half right.
'Oll times! they cling, they cling.
-hcrsLwy Pi"qrn&$.
Horace Greeley forthcoming article IN the
October Galaxy will be entitled 1.-The One
Principle" and will advocate the policy If re-
stricting the Presidential office 10 one elm.
Mr.. Greeley is growing impatient. tic do'Sn
want Grant 10 take root in the Presidential
chair. Tie wants to sit there himself Tor 4
while Four years will suit him why sh"uldn
it suit Grant. too Cause why, The "thcl
IS M and the other Is oui-alld that i tho rea
son why
Mr. Henry \ Wise, it l.; said, Is engage
during his leisure hours in writing tn" iIic anc
services Of ex-Prrsilcnt John Tyler IL will
probably, be an interesting WORK th"u@h d
course, Tie author ,rcl"'@%'$5i"I9 vii j." ~
hibited
| 4 l,n.. In N,