Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-04-19
An Old Stauntonian Walked Up.

INTERESTING RECOLLECTIONS--AUG
GEIGER, sc.
Correspondence of the Staunton VINDIcAToR.l
FARMvILLE, VA, April 16-I was
much Interested in reading your article Of
last week in relation to the early years of
your papers predecessor, the democrat. :"
Many of the incidents you relate are ia
miliar to my recollection, and [ personally
knew most OF the persons whose names
you mention. The Democratic party as
you have stated, was at the time the
'Democrat'' was started, in an almost
hopeless minority yet it had some very &C
tive, resolute and energetic men in it's
ranks who gave, whenever opportunity Of
fered, no little annoyance to the Wings of
the county. Conspicuous among its lead
ers were George Baylor, Jr., Jacob Baylor,
Dr.. &. W. McCulloch, DR.. VIM. Blair,
Vincent Eply Geiger, Capt. VIM. A. Alb
ney, Shelton Abney, D. W. Patterson and
others. The venerable Michael CARRIER,
Capt. L. l.. Stevenson. James Points and
his brother, Benz. Crawford and many
others, then prominent citizens of Staun-
ton were Democrats.
The party, feeling greatly the need Of a
newspaper organ, set to work to establish
a paper, and in the fall of 1874, soon after
Polk's election, the democrat" with V.
e. Geiger as editor and publisher, was
started, its first Office being Tebo's black
smith shop, nearly opposite the site of the
| old Wayne stables, Which were destroyed
| by fire IN 1888.
AT the time the Democrat was started
| Vince, as he was familiarly called, was a
| roommate of mine, and L, though strong
| and decided Wing, aided him in cOmpos-
| ing some of his first editorials, as [ had
! previously assisted him in writing speeches
! which he committed to memory and de-
livered at various places in Augusta and
Rockingham, during the Presidential can
; vass OF 1874. That Vince sometimes sus-
| pected when / was assisting him to pre-
pare his speeches that / might interject
some statement that was not exactly O.
K, and thereby give an opponent some ad.
vantage in debate, well knew, yet | new
er attempted anything of the kind, and
| Vince after the canvass Was over and
Polk elected, frequently acknowledged
the assistance [ had rendered him. He
was d man of good native mind, with a
tenacious memory and quite ready and
effective speaker, a strong partisan, and of
untiring vim and energy. BY many of the
older people OF the town he was regarded
as recklessly wild and dissipated, yet ]
| know that despite his seeming recklessness
he was at bottom man of reflection,
and ambitious to gain himself good name
and do good to his fellows. He was a
tgenial companion, brave, generous and
| kind-hearted.
L left Staunton in 1874, shortly after the
establishment Of the ''Democrat," and, OF
course, have but little knowledge of the
paper while under the control Of my old
friend, Bill Stevenson. The last time
saw Geiger was in Scottsville in 1916,
when on his Way to Mexico as a lieutenant
in Capt. Harper's Augusta volunteers.
| The other lieutenants were r. Ii. X inney
and w. FL. Hartman. These men were
all my friends, and [ we'll recollect my
feeling OF sadness when babe them good
bye. But one, Mr.. Kinney, is now living
But, Messrs. Editors, | will not trespass
further on your space. Nothing affords
me more pleasure than to read articles
touching former people and times in my
native town, and hence | have written the
foregoing. To me there is no spot ON
earth more dear than the place of my
birth; no people for whom [ have strong
er affection than those among whom
! was born and raised and, as consequence,
everything that l hear or read of the
friends and companions Of my Younger
days possesses for me deep and wonder
full Interest. @.