The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-08-13
What Old vIrginny Used To Be-Extinct
Characters.

va ~" otLllD VI IudThtu anu QuCtI
characters. They abounded throughout
the State. Every city, every town. every
county, and every n~eighborhood had
them. They were worthy to adOrn and
illustrate comic almanacs. Not Only were
they queer in their dispositions, manners
notions and talk, but they were queer in
appearance. Eccentricity was expressed
on every part of them. Many of them
had such faces as are seen on Old-fashioned
dOOr-knOckers Or umbrella-handles. If
the whole number could have been taken
in a group they would have formed a
collection that wOnld have been the Won
der of the world. Some had hooked noses,
hollow cheeks, sharp eyes and pointed
chins. Some had noses like BardOlph and
mouths that could take in a whole dish at
a mouthful if it was to their taste, just like
thcold Virginny country fire-places, that
could take in a half-cord of wood at a time.
Some were so fat that they might have
sat for pictures of Falstaff. They ''lard-
ed the lean earth as they walked" How
ever variant in appearance, nearly all of
them had two things in cOmmOn-the love
of liquor and the love of country. We
put liquor first because the inspirations of
patriotism were generally the results of
liquor. The writer has before him as he
writes the picture of seven such characters
that he once saw at a fish-fry-all living
within a range OF five miles. They were
indeed a strange lot. Some of them had
considerable property, others had none,
but lived upon their friends. When they
tired of n house they would 90 to an
other, and they went to nc houses that did
not furnish good grub and a plenty of
liquor.
But there were queer characters OF a
different sort, who cared nothing for high
living-men who had some pet theory that
they were everlastingly preaching up.
Then there were the n~ews-mOngers, who
would go to the country store, gather up
all the news of the neighbOrhoOd and start
off TO give it circulation. There were men
who did nothing but fish all day long;
others who spent their time in hunting
squirrels or other varmints. There were
people who went through a range Of COUP
ties mending clocks, who abOunded in
gossip. The peddlers were universally dis
trusted, but as universally welcomed. for
they had the very articles that We're need
ed in every household and that could not
be procured at the n%eighbOring store.
Every neighb0rhood had its pet beggar,
as well established as was Edie Ochiltree,
tine kings bedesman."
Nearly all these odd characters have dis
appeared. In those good old times of
which we SPEAK almost every body was
well off, and society could afford TO MAIN
tain a small army of these queer people,
who afforded general amusement. They
were like strolling players, going from
place 70 place, and welcomed wherever
they went.
Where are they now? 1t is the rarest
thing to see n nowadays. They have
disappeared and no II lean tell where they
have gone. They certainly were not
killed during the war. for hey We're non
cOmbataEts. Perhaps their accustomed
grub failed them and they died of starva-
ton and broken hearts, fracted and cor
robOrate." as Pistol said of Falstatf.
Such characters are the products of a
plethora of prosperity, of 1.-The canker of
a long peace" In times of difficulty and
poverty there is no place Tor them. War
and trouble eradicate eccentricities,
smoOthe down sin GoSitics. AZ lreducc peO-
pie 10 acOmmOr level. Those who cannot
undergo the process OF assimilation pass
ont of sight and lie off. THERE'S no room
for them.
The time may come-we hope il will
when some OF those characters may re-
appear. They break the mOnOtony of life,
and some OF. them are not only embcllish-
ments 10 society, but supports TO it.
One character higher than all the rest,
stands out from the canvass character
quite common a half century ago, rare
Just anterior 10 the war, and now extinct;
that of the real old Virginian, the cock of
the walk in his neighbOrhOOd, whose viz
tues were integrity, Observation-Disclosures and
love of state, and whose characteristic en-
b~ellisnments were a ruffled shirt, a gold
headed cane, a blue coat with brass but
TINS and a buff waistcOat. Those rcspec-
table and influential old dodgers were
autocrats. They were generally magis-
trates, frequently members of 1.-The as
sembly." and were authority in all neigh
bOrhood and county matters. They had
true grit, and would have died before they
would have surrendered their rights in
the territories" They believed in the
resolutions of "'9S'99," drank the best
brandies and wines, and chawed' excel
lent tobacco. Their prejudices and opin-
tla:c ell rnlinnnA