The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
NORFOLK LETTER.
ABOUT AN GOLD SHOE"

SOMETHING ABOUT AN GOLD SHOE"
1t may seem strange to your readers that
among the great mass of beings inhabiting
this populous city, l should occupy almost an
entire letter with brief mention of one
whose life is full Of strife and strange-widly
strange, social, moral. religious and political
fanaticisms, without explanation, without
cause, useless to himself or otherwise. and
although in continual warfare in the name of
humanity, Yet he never gained a humane
victory, but he has m ade record on the pub
lie heart, and will not oon be forgotten.
For several years past the eccentricities of
Old Shoe, the kleptomaniac, have been the
RAJ in lodge and society meetings, in cOnven-
tions, wards and caucus gatherings, wherever
treasurer was wanted, man to keep the
money Of the organization, and where discord
and division was the rule. there Old Shoe
could be found, urging the chief. like Mephis.
topholes, ready to lead the boistering ele-
ments-perhaps ought to say, to more cor
rectly define his position, to conduct the case,
because he Is never seen in the forefront of
the fray.
Notwithstanding he is we'll and favorately
known, almost every child in the street is
familiar with his cOuntenance-certainly eve
ry one who has attended Sunday~school in
the last five or six years remembers hlm-if
for no other reason, because he once, and
without the consent of the scholars, walked
off with their organ. In his c0untenance
every Mason, church member, Sister of Cha
rity, and Excelsior Club man, and Grand Ar
my Comrades, may read an inexpresslble
misery, arising from a vampire conscience.
guilty of violating every obligation assumed
in the practice of his eccentricities. He is
said to have had an unusual portion of beau
ty in his youth-and though made haggard by
the war, up to the untimely death of Miss
Hall, the young ladies, regardless OF age or
color. saw in his beardless face traces of his
youthful beauty, and they admired them, but
with her sad death ended those traces and
that admiration, and now began Old Shoes
downward tendency and ruin. Notwithstand-
ing twenty madens, under oath, declared to
their belief be has had no conscience, the
effect of this sad affair proves they mlsrepre-
sented him. This. however, does not account
for his peculiar thirst for lucre-in the OBJ
tanning of which are some of his peculiar
freaks. For instance, as manager Of an ex-
cursion for the benefit of the church, which
was a success in point of numbers, proved
financially failure. Yet he presented the
church $l4; and finding his generosity so
highly appreciated, added to the gift $34
more, and declared his willingness to repeat
the trip if allowed to manage it, which he
did. His liberalIty to the church has always
been mark of singular unselishness. The
members of Masonic Lodge have shared in
this belief, on discovering bis foresight to be
equal TO the four.eyed Genio, whose sight was
inward. He saw the failure of the Freed
mans Bank coming, and sdued S400, 900 by
Withdrawing it from this rotten institution.
and oddly placing it out of the reach of its
owners. This feat was perhaps excelIed by
his writing deed for parcel of land, which
a society of ladies purchased. He was clerk
for the society-a position in which he has at
tanned considerable noterIety-and by the
way l nearly forgot to mention this. his hob-
By to be clerk. Nothing stands betwlx him
and a clerkship. This fact may be illustrated
by his recent tact in getting up sparring ex-
hibition at the church, and inducing the clerk
to take part in it, which the foolish clerk did
And now OEd Shoe calls upon the authorities
to remove him for immoral conducl, though
the parties have apologised for their behavior
and reinst ate him IN his stead. But to the
hold the land in their names, and he inserted
his own as trustee. No, / am mistaken-he
doubtless intended doin z so, but on examin-