Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-01-09
waynesboro Affairs.
THE HoLIDAYs-FAIR-RE CLUB
ANA ATE R THEATRICALs-MANU
TACTUREs-REvIvAL
of the staunton vindicator.]

Correspondent of the Staunton vindicator.]
WAYNEsBoRo, VA,
Jan. 18th, 1874.
Our holidays passed off with unusual
quletness, so quietly, in fact, that it was
difficult to realize that the "Christmas"
to which we were wont to look forward
with such great pleasure had come again,
heralded only by the explosions of a few
Sspopcrackers" and the ''yells" of few in
dividuals who had evidently taken some
thing stronger than water in theirs. Ex-
cept that, our streets were thronged by an
! unusually large number of our snew vo-
| tiers" dressed in their Sunday clothes,
! our village presented the same appearance
| it does any other day. The ''cullud gem
men, possessed themselves Of nearly every
| corner where there was the least bit of
sunshine, and there beguiled the hours
with those "break-downs, accompanied
| by the banjo, peculiar to themselves, and
| which the professors of ''burnt cork'' have
evidently were slightly troubled by the f.
| nanclal crisis or "panicky" times. "a
! dull Christmas, - everybody said and no one
felt more keenly the truthfulness Of the
remark than your correspondent, as it
nearly failed to give him single item.
The festival held by the ladies of the
Methodist church was a complete success,
| and reflects the greatest credit upon the
ladies who managed it. The amount rea-
The s'protracted meeting' discontinued
during the holidays is again in progress.
The Rev. w. G. Coe, P. E., preached on
Saturday and Sunday to very large crowds,
the interest awakened previous to the holi-
days, seeming to have abated but little.
A reading club has been organized by
some of the young people which will doubt
less assist very much in Willing away some
Of the long winters evenings, at the same
time proving instructive. I am not very
well versed in reading clubs, never having
attended any but think they don't feed"
much.
Some private theatricals were given dur
ing Christmas week, which by those who
were so fortunate as to be present were
pronounced to be of the highest order. A
portion of Hamlet was rendered parti-
cularly well, having been put upon the
boards in style worthy of a larger town
than ours. The gentleman who assumed
the part of 'Hamlet,'' proved himself
every inch an actor, and a more graceful or
finished portraiture, was scarcely ever
drawn upon any stage outside of the large
cities. The fencing scene was unfortunate
ly brought to rather an abrupt termina-
ton, as Hamlet entered into the spirit
of the play to so great degree as to give
"Laertes" a lusty "whack" over his era
mum, which was such "a palpable hit''
that it drew the 'sclaret.' and the curtain
was rung down with first blood for the
| mournful young prince. 1t is earnestly
hoped that our amateurs may be induced
at an early day to give us an exhibition Of
their abilities in public.
Our streets and pavements have been
rendered almost impossible by the recent
ralns-mud everywhere, and very deep,
but it possesses an advantage over the
mud recently furnished your city, mas
much as it ism It so slippery and locomotion
is not quite so uncertain with us.
The river is very much swollen, being
higher than it has been since the flood Of
1870. The trestles for the new bridge had
just been put in position, but they stood the
fencing was washed away, and some little
damage done to crops near the river.
Messrs. Hopes Bros & Co., who have
been engaged in shipping large quantities
OF timber to Pennsylvania, have discontin-
ued operations until February.
The Mt. Tory Iron Co. have their fur
mace in full blast again, having completed
the necessary repairs to their establish
ment.
The s'New River Car Co." have shipped
no ore as yet from their banks near here,
6OooSAA
which they will ship to their furnace at
Quinnimont when completed.
Our new post Office with it's new boxes
presents quite a handsome appearance be-
ing great improvement on the old one.
Shipments from the depot are unusually
small, owing principally to the fact that
majority of the farmers are holding their
-four.
The school under the management of
Messrs. Fishburn & Quarles is thriving
numbering over seventy scholars.
A family consisting OF widow and five
small children, living near the mountain,
was discovered to be in an almost entirely
destitute condition during the cold wealth.
er of last week. They had neither food or
fuel, and but for the timely assistance rem
dered them by a good samaritan" they
might have persisted. Were there any
overseers for the poor elected last Fall, if
SO, how many ?
ERASMUS.