Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-12-14
HARRIsONBURG.
AND SOME PHILOSOPHICAL AND RELI-
GIOUs REFLECTIONS THEREON.

AND SOME PHILOSOPHICAL AND RELI-
GIOUs REFLECTIONS THEREON.
CORRESPONDENCE Of the Staunton VINDICAToRl
December LIST.
81 want to ride on de -rideonde-
keers -dekeers-keers - screamed a young
gentleman, aged eleven, clad in suit OF
dark linsey-woolsey, and holding the
brim of his hat close down over his ears
with both hands. He was in charge OF his
father. IA mlld-looking gentleman with an
expression of great Meariness III his face,
who continually assured the passengers, as
he observed their inc grafton rising, that
the boy was not wholly responsible for his
conduct, as there was thunderstorm
b fore be was borl.. l have heard a
good many excuses fer bad children, but
this one is So new that [ hope you'll print
it, and If you think it sound, then you
may add the conclus ON that there has been
one continuous thunderstorm rolling
around the world ever since the clay, out
of which the first human set was made,
hardened sufficiently to allow them to
''holler" without falling to pieces.
Harrisonburg is city of great tempta-
tions to strangers the first being to get
right back on the cars and go home, and
this lasts for two or three blocks on your
way IN town, for the lower portion of the
place would make any man wish he Was
back home if he lived anywhere except
Lyncllburg. If you could take the town
off the ground where it lies, and stand it
up. it would look like man with a hobby
silk hat on his head and pair Of boots,
Following the figure, the seat OF its pants
1.-THE neigheorhood of the courthouse,
would appear IL little rusty, but on the Silk
hat-the avenue at the upper end of the
tOwn--there is no discount, and when a man
gets there, the great temptation is to stay
longer than they want him. From the
beginning of the broad avenue, called the
plank walk, to the end, nearly "a mile, it is
lined on either side with lovely residences.
I say lovely because they are lovely, and as
llOA1 Jul OUduAlOA lCoiINACOo az
kid glove differs from a country knit
mitten. Here we have the trne inwal d.
ness Of architectural beauty-uniformity
while with us ut home each man grabs fol-
himself Or lets the builder grab for him,
which is just as bad, the ornamentation
being put on after the style of Christ
mas cake. Here they have uniformity OF
color too-hoW it is in Staunton you well
know. 1t is my firm conviction that the
variety of colors in which Staunton is
Augusta it's large proportion of inmates in
the luratic asylum. The countrymar
sees the mixture of hues in town, and re-
turning to his fireside to mediate upon
why such things should be, straight
way loses his mind. 1t would require a
massive brain to stand the strain of re-
flecting long upon the taste for painting
and building in our city. Every lot Oh
the avenue of which [ write is large and
the same size, and there is wide and
houses looked to me new, though it may
be fresh paint, and all, with two exceptions
are of frame. J. know of but one street
like this, and that is in Newark, in Jersey.
The central portion of the town is filled
with small business houses, so small thai
a couple of men inside gives the idea OF
the Spring season having commenced, and
two women create the crowded impression
that there is a general revival of trade. So
orthodox is the belief in small stores here
off a wagon some man would set up store
In it before the driver could stop the team.
Like Stanton the town has had the Large
Building Fever and gotten over it. 1t at
tackled the city on its spinal column near
the Spots wood Hotel, and the half dozen
four story edifices are allowed to remain
by the people as vaccination mark, q
sign that it took and won t have to be
done over again in life time.
The people here are divided up among
informant tells me that it is called 'Pres-
byterian country" The church Of this
denomination is of unpretentious exterior
but beautifully fitted interior. They have
several god habits in this tabernacle and
one bad one. One of the good ones is one
of the best organists have heard and the
bad one is the habit of taking up colIec-
lions twice day. A stranger is denu-
ded of his currency in the morning and at
night can only gaze with helpless impe-
0,Ininsit u ~ tho no hac af
take it that the sects around here must be
somewhat intolerant, as riding out with
Vanderford the other evening he showed
me a mill pond at the pretty village OF
Dayton in which a Mormon Apostle from
Utah who was here on missionary tour
presenting the beauties of his faith, was
tossed in and ducked. l am afraid that if
our venerable ancestor, Abraham, during
his wanderings in tents had dlopped into
"PTesbyterian country with his numer-
Gus family he and Sara and Hagar and the
whole business would have been handed
into the nearest mill pond.
This town. as you may see, by referring
to the History of Virginia, was discovered
in eighteen fifty odd by Capt. J. 7. Harris
while surveying for point to locate con-
gressional district. He then and there cree
ted a square brick house which he has held
against all enemies, The last assault was
by Capt. Harry Riddleherger, of Shenan-
doah, who at the head of the leading men
of the Valley with DR.. ''Harve" Moffett
as surgeon Of the forces made a furious
attack. The Captain lost his artillery and
baggage and retreated to Shenandoah.
Shortly afterwards Col. Robt. Richardson
was slain here in single combat by Gen.
Jim: Walker, since which the country