Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-02-26
Gu. Richmond Letter.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
RICHMOND, Feb. 18th, 1873.

- f'
week. Col. Barbour Was so mucl
exhausted Icy his long speech, in IA
vur of lhe hill to save the State, tina.
he has not since been able to return
20 the House. His condition has
been singular, and quite serious, not
hasirg taken any food of consequence
for more than a week. Mr. CogbilI
Of Amhers,. has been very i'll Of 6ron-
ch;tis. Messrs. Niche ofAIbemarIe,
and HiDcr Of Highland, have gone
home sick.
Ia company yesterday with my
c,Ilelgaes Mr. Kelley and Mr.. i. ).
Fuker.on Of Lee, l called at the
gaok Store Of Messrs. Randolph L
English. % Main Street, for the pur-
pose of inspecting that wonder OF
modern times, the
TELEPHONE.
We we're politely conducted some 30
f,et rearward in their store, and at
cree introduced TO the novelty. An
ordinary mouth piece protruded from
the vail, d .Gerent nothing in appear
aDce E.om the mouth Of an ordinary
speaking tube in a hotel. This CONS
r~lunics;cd : Y a telegraph wire, lead
iug 70 the third story, and thence
across Ike street to the third story Of
lie Banking and Insurance building
ap the opposite side ef Main Street .
Three hand instruments, connected
also by viie. we're furnished us, so
that We cou!d stand several feet dis
tant. aud either speak into them or
apply them to our ears so as to listen.
\ signal VAS given, and we were soon
in communication with a party at the
end of the opposite side Of Main
street, composed Of Mr.. Valentine,
the sculptor, Major John Lsten
Cooke. brothcr>in-law to Gen. J. b
b. Stuart. deceased. and Mr.. Bau-
man. Every word spoken was dis
tiuct}y, Jut rather family heard, and
We we're tod We could be switched
onto 2 las 100 miles in circuit, with
results just as satisfactory. | was
asked to sing, bat replied that such
was POI, ny forte. Ia a few minutes
ne ccald hear distinctly. and sweetiy
suag .'s.!ver Threads among the
Gold" Mr. Bauman said, Mr..
Fow!rr, have you eve seen the teie~
phone before? villa. do you think Of
u?" Do you know that the L 5
Senate his just passed tie Silver Bill
BIZ p mej,riry:" IrePlied | lad
poi bat WIS delighted to hear it
70 ills lie replied he was very sorry
to hear il. All this was very distinct.
Then we could hear wbistling aud
laughter. Our amusement lasted an
hour. and uas very interesting. How
We all Wished &c were in such COM
m~n.ica.ion with cur dear friends at
bsme
R.cuMoND, Feb. 23d, 1873.
Another week Of Legislative work
& ended. Save the funeral Of Judge
Guigon. Of the Hastings Court Of this
city, nothing has broken the mOnoto-
ry Of ,his summer afieraooD in al
most, the midst Of winter. The silence
and yiuggi-lness Of su h q premature
ci.i.d OF srring are well known. HUI
man muscle and brain relax naturally
enough ct such 4 time, but after the
roar and battle Of Senatorial Eladlators
aud ~couteudiug armies on tie floor Of
the Hou.e, il seems that everybody in
Richmond is on a big rest.
The readers Of the NEWS have heard
Of the pussayc Of the Barbour Bill
IN tie S,rale. -Four amendments, Of
no great Importance any way, and
scrue Of which are proper enough,
were maGe. cur friends conserving,
and afterwards in the House. The
filth was q mere dilapidatcd li.e-boat,
thrown overheard with the hope that
the drowning funders might, in the
storm and darkness, climb on TO it
and Ue wiuded and waved shoreward
again. | declared hat we did not
mem TO il terp0ee sny obstacle in the
way q what the friends and henef-
ciaIies Of the Funding Bill were pleas
ed TO cali their legal rights under that
famous furcihIe adjustment Of ISL
In other words that we did not NEAR
10 prevent them from taking charge
OF the Stale aud all the people in it
and running the entire concern for
their exclusive pleasure and profit for
the balance of our natural rights
Beside this political %falsehood, 1t
abounded in cheap gush and revamped
a few sentences Of Yankee Doodle,
the Star Spsngled Banner. and mod-
crn fap doodle sufficient to disgust
men OF good sense everywhere. It's
author wss he stately, handsome and
dccorous Brooke, Of Fauquier, whose
title TO the depth of mediocre states
mauship aud parliamentary protundi-
~ are secured by a permanent lein on
the pro; rieties of silence that no one
dares 10 dispute. Mr.. Brooke. who as
f Tcadiuster succeeded in beating that