Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-12
LefteTS from R1chmONu'
of the Alexandria Gazette.l
RICHMOND, February 9, 1878.


The session Of the Legislature this year is
undoubtedly uuprvcedeIty dull. The corps OF
newspaper reporters and correspondents have
little charcs to display their energy and enter
nrise for news. It is hoped that before the
session is ever news will brighten up. Rlch'
mond has its full quota of newspaper correspon'
dents, and | doubt not that there is about as
much activity among them on Saturday night
90 can he found within the precincts of news.
naner row." Washington. 1t is fact That can
not be denied that the Northern and Western
nress attach more importance to news coming
from the Old Dominion than any other portion
of the South, and hence they all have represen-,
tatives in Richmond. During the session OF
the Legislature local news is generally cut down
in order to make way for the sayings and the
few doings of the Legislature. The members
of the local press are also ever on the Watch
tower for news. Each one has his own way
of getting it and presenting it to the pubic.
Let it be supposed that on dull day one oitl,
zen-perhaps an intimate friend of Gen. j oseph
r Jobpson--had mentioned to another oiti.
zen the fact that Oh the night before he had
taken supper with General johnson, and that
| Gen, johnson had eaten beans for supper. This
! intelligence would reach the newspaper reporter
I or correspondent. Other people would pay no
attention to it. Not so the newspaper man.
He would revolve 10 his mind the comments OF
the Northero press Oh this piece Of infcrna'
ton. He would see the New York Times out
| in four double loaded columns calling attention
| to the significant fact that the great rebel
leader bad eaten beans for supper last 0ight.
What did it portend =? Why was it that the
| cx Confederate leader ate beans at night In
stead of in the day time? Was no significance
to be attached to this When tho honest men
of the North arc asleep this great rebel SOL
Sier--for we admit that be was man OF great
military genius-is eating beans by gas light.
The old Union soldiers will understand why it
is significant. It was we'll known that the
principal diet OF the rebel soldiers was pork
and beans. 1t was we'll known that the army
| of Northern Virginia. under the mnlstratlons
Of Chaplain J. William Jones. would. on the
march, sing that beautiful hymn.
| "Wheu I can read my title clear
| To mansions 10 the skies,
and would, at sight of the Northern army and
its coveted array of suffers wagons, with clear,
healing voices and wet eyes, conclude the verse,
I'll lid farewell to pork and beans,
And live on chicken pi'.'
Then the Times would 60 on to show tho
hidden plot. Gen. johnson dieting himself
to get ready for the old war time fare; the
fact of his being brought forward for Con.
gress but preteXt to rouse the trHlmed
Southern mind. Tiid1n was to be in the Presi'
Dental chair, Joseph g. johnson his Sec
rotary of War, and then-the Union mcnaced.
Such 10 brief would be what the reporter $
keen insight would reveal 10 him. Nor would
he have TO stretch bis Imagination to SEQ
kilograms pouring 10 to him, as from the Trl-
bune, Inform US, regardless OF expense, Wheth.
er Gen. johnson does not cat exclusively beans
raised on the Texas Pacific route. Whitelaw
Ried;" or from the Herald, Spare nothing
to get name and history of man who sells John
son bear. j. u. Bennett" or, from the World,
Estate fact that trade dollar will rot buy the
johnson BEANS The World" and SO on. Now
the way each newspaper man would go about
getting this information is the study W. D.
Chestermau, Of the Dispatch, would call 90
the General at bis house, if he could not catch
him Cd the street. lie would not let the Gen
eral know what be was after, but would en-
engage him 10 q quiet talk, and gradually
lead the General to the point where he would
say beans No doubt he would begin by asking
the General about the debt; from the debt be
would 20 to the members Of the Legislature;
| then he would discuss one particular member,
taking care that that member was farmer;
then from the farmer he would 90 to the furm
products; from farm products he would dis
course on the mistake Firglnlans make in con.
fning themselves to one staple then ne would
allude to the money that is in small things such
as cabbage, onions and beans; then be would,
with smackiug lips and Confederate soldier 8
smile, dwell on tho virtues of good dish OF
beans; then the General would get warmed up
and tell how be ate beans for supper, and how
long be had been eating beans, and after half
| an hours conversation the reporter would 20
away With all tho Information that he wanted,
and the General would never know how he
cot it. But the next man that came along
| would evoke The General. Just as the Genera!
| moves out Mr.. VIM. G.. Tayor,Eof the State,
would accost him by s!apping him on the shout.
der and taking his arm and saying, Hello
Joe |" and 20 o. "What is this hear about
your eating beans for supper every night. The
General would want to know what business it
was of his, and for time the interchangeable
Taylor would be able to stitch his report to-
| gether but slowly But upon explaining the
| importance of the occasion he would finally get
brief statement from the General and would
haul out from his pocket note book aud say,
"Joe, Just write that down for me, will you.
| Before he leaves the General will have made &
| memorandum.
All, ha what portly gentleman is ths. whose
| eyes twinkle behind pair OF spec.aoes, and
whose teeth hold meerschaum pipe, one hand
walking cane, and the other lot of loose
scraps of paper; who is he :hat comes sauuter-
| ing along, ADD whose face briehtens as he sees
General johnson? That is George Canning
Wilde of the Sunday Transcript. one of the
| brightest and most original writer's on the
Virginia press, whose pen can write the most
beautiful patbos, delicate and cutting sar.
casm, and the most side splitting Wit. He
Immediately says. "Ha, how arc you Gen
eral, l am glad to see YOU" aud at the same
| time stuffs his lighted pipe and papers 10 his
open pocket. and put bis walking stick from
bis right hand into bis left, and with the uu
employed hand shakes the Generals warmly.
He then says. General, regard me Sir 2"
the General wik asks. "Rejuvioate me !" the
smiling Wilde will say. The General still does
not know the question at ISSUE because be does
nos understann that Mr. Wilde coins varinns