The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-07-15
Staunten. Past and Future.

Staunten, Past and Future.
Looking over some dingy records Of the pas
some old numbers of the ''People's Friend'' oil
date Staunton, 1872, one is forced, in reading
the quaint advertisements and scrutinizing the
general make up of the sheet, to reflect on the
probable manners, customs and conversations
of those who have gone before, many o.
them leaving ssno footprints, either to guide
or to warm" but having passed over the rlvel
their name and fame alike fading into the
gloom of eternal highland their places sup
piled by those who in turn shall s'join the in
Vulnerable caravan that moves to the pale
realms of shade, where each shall take his
chamber in the silent halls OF DEATH"
What changes have taken place in the last
three-score years? Then instead Of the streets
| being numbered each house was referenced by
s'Wayne's Tavern, near Mrs. Chambiss' Where
the scream of the locomotive awakes the
echoes, the hare and the fox were wont to
wander in unmolested freedom and naught
save the arrival of the numbering stage-coach
broke the quiet Of the village of the hills; the
exhilirating influence Of Bumgardner and
Clemmer was yet dormant in the soil OF the
Valley and Mr.. Bryant's chain-gang had nc
terrors for the cheerful inhabitants Of the fll-
ture city.
In the number of the paper before us q long
account is given Of the reception Of a Pc
tersburg regiment by the hospitahie staunto-
mans and a description of the enthusiasm OF
the boys and the kind offices of the women.
Some writer, Mr.. Locke, we believe, has said
that boys never change, but i'm spite OF such
profound authority, we are Of opinion that had
an urchin of the present generation waltzed
into the group Of enthusiasts on his left ear
and announced himself as the architect Of bay
windows designed to beautify the optics, there
would have been CONSERVATION ana awe among
those ancient youths, and in defiance of the
martial feeling which must have prevailed their
patriotic bosoms at that time, there would have
been wonderment and fear depicted on many
cogntenances, and had the intruder declared
his intention of s'putting head on the youth
who would ''set up the pins'' there would have
been panic and mortal fear instead of the re-
ply, ''come on with your rat-killin'." And
the women, ali the women How those staid
matrons would have gathered their ample folds
close around them for fear of contagious touch
had one of the latter day females sailed into
their midst with skirts painfully contracted,
form inclined la kangaroo, hair mounting to
a dizzy altitude, striped stockings and eye
glasses. Wouldn't there have been whisper
ing and Q giggling among the younger class at
such all appartion? ''Verissims, Temporal
ns,ttartur, ct nsutam,hr IN iWis::"
Passing over the present, ''for reasons deem
ed inexpedient to MENTION" let us try to mag
inc what changes will have taken place in the
next half century. 'Tis rather hazardous bu-
remembering the sad fate of Cassandra, we
have many misgivings as to the influence
of our prophecy; nevertheless we have been
told not to hide cur light under a pint cup and
SO here's the horoscope The old finder boxes
will have faded from the corners, and in their
stead immense iron fronts, built after the 81
Multitude of the tower of Babel, will lift their
twenty stories heavcnward the granger build
ing will perhaps be under roof, and let us hope
that, should the weather prove proptious, the
! Water-works will be in fair way OF compile
| tan. Blast furnaces ''and other manufacture
| motion plan, flying machines wing their way
| along the thorougllfares, automatons wifi have
demorai sed the trade unions; the fourth OF
Jny will be celebrated by Keely-motor-tWenty-
thousand-pounds-to-th batteries
babies be hoIsted above the noise and confu-
sion Of business by the agency Of balloons and
pavement laid over the arch bridge on Au-
gusta street. A semi-minute paper will be
dropped at every door by the utilization of the
now idle winds; enterprising sunday schools
will be getting up excursions to the planet We
nus temperance societies with musical mem
bers, will be meandering through the elements
trying to reform Bacchus anu TAILOR Harlan will
be trotting around, hammer i'll hand, repairing
the old wooden fence around the court yard.
And the faces! shall we recognize the faces
Aye, verify John Kurtz will stand at the
corner OF Irish Alley, as ]ynx-eyed and vigilant
as he has been for the past century OF
still set as a dreaded Cerebus to guard the NOR
etAo VI cH0 VI COtlll-
Gil will be crying for an adjournment a more
sedate member will be asking to be relieved
from the water committee; the stentorian voice
| Of the Herculean member will continue its in
| quiring for reasons, and the presidents gavel
will emphatically call for order and the trans
action of business, while the venerable clerk
will hustle the autoMata around searching
for ordinances long since forgotten and UNI
redeemed script. Hai,les' corner will be adern
ed with the pictures of those who in times pas
so calamity shielded it from the rays OF the
setting sun the grateful school girls will have
] erected monument TO che loved and lest, VIII,
were accustomed to relieve the monotony O
Sunday evenings by q parade of their APP
| ollo-like forms and ape-like manners, and thu
/ Valley Railroad will be making Il final propo
stitch for the adjustment of it's indebtedness
All things shall have undergone some change
except the disposition of people to sign pc
titions TO the Common Council, and an enter
pffsing yankee shall have taken out paten
on the millennium. As for the fashions W.
| leave them to more Imaginative mind, an,
unless they revolut;onize and return to tn
primitive fig leaf,we are unable to draw tn
plate. There is relief in the future, even TO
the Fire Company, and let us look hopefull
| towards it.