The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-29
4 CHRISTMAS RIDE.
'rhe ssespie.Chsse uhseh John San :
90 aospn Le<s W. III. Crawford.


ne sssspse.Chsse uhsch John san 2
aolpn LED W. II. crssMfsrsa.
4 prstIs1scEHcE or vIKGTsLA HosaeIT Al-
Trx IN isio-THE eEdaafA sasaAIo ,lsE'
{. ,nntsTxAs-DrNSERA AND How re EARN y
y 70 fT-,Ax INTERESTING sKRTcaa. /.
s~------------@E4s -
lw.tca f0r me w.ss'ssssss, eor rss " James 8
In the arst qusrter Of the present century
there Ryed 10 Charlotte county, Ya.,.Synu.s
RandoIph OF Reaneke the ssost sei1 Ta ..sas
man OF bis day and gensTauoa he We We
.oanSncnce unsurpassed, fer wnhering sal
sssfr anrfya,}ed, and for eccentricity ln-
sa,,a,,ed. he was aud wiz ever be sta<sys
far he was the peer OF any man in all teiogs
srh,cb men call greatness. 'asN ibutaDae 70
genius ADD intellect. .
M. Randolph permitted bun Few men 40
.r5nv his intimate friends Zip, and OF sEEat
s,asv aeyg we may mention the 1ames OF noe
se,,osrinp peatJe1Den; De. tJsbn Broaaen-
hroYob. of Richmond: Francis 3. skeg, OIL
Msrviaa d ftbe arthor Of starsSpan gied Han-
,nsrl. Judge Hoane and Litaeton Gt'er
.Tazewe3L H Virginia; Hati,sni MaeoD'
81 Nortb Carotua: and W:Ashm =; Law
ford, OF HeoTeia--aH men Eef 'ark aoi VI az ao'
Jenr ning, geaiuA, snd inteate,sL 1910 T.,
Mr. Randoiph was born q ose2' l.t1. ~,
Prince George countyy Ra--ataee !unss" "
OF the Appemattox river Tit,A h ~ n,a.orn,I
ut (,awsons The family seat OF kis ,nals'S .sa
,ronafsfher. Colonel Theslrick Bland, SSr,
.snhsri,fny large faI.ded estates and many
naasnaa IN Charlotte and Prince Ed"hfd
<.ot,n,ses. he moved, the winter, OF LIZA. 10
she Dizarie estate, In Prince EdHard 'ces1,-
sv, and soon thereafter comtnenctd tue cu4'
+iy,tion Of the Roanoke estxse, IN tnarlolee'
ahont thirty miles distant fn'm tse 6'zarse
Tn the spring O; 1856 he visited Charles
,an 6 e. and Georgia. AtGbarleston ne
vet b;s old friend Rutedgt,, and alto FORM
nd the acquaintance OF Sir 1shn NtsDlt, y
scotch baronet. The object OF Hs WISH
heino the Charleston Iaces, AID the scenes
and incidents connected theEeWth Delng
over: and in the mean time close lnnnucy
having grown up between Slr 3ohn ;NsspiS
and the distinguished fIrg1nlaa. oa ie,
was given and accepted 1oT Ia'3' M ~ VIC, .aoa
each was to ride his OWE morse. iiN i"o0
came of, aud Mr.. Randoipn won ,.,o,d
lie then continued bis ssit to bis 1riend
prvan near Savannah, and spent the WIZ
Ter returning to Virginia in tue sprfig.
From that time until the spring OF l799 ne
sn.,,t his time cbiefyin looking after b1s
large estates: but in the spring OF 1873
1einc only twenty-six years OF age-De was
elected 70 represent the Charlotte district
in tho Congress OF the United States. he
remained in Congress until 1913, when ne
xyas defeated BY John W. Epps, bis COM
netitor. In the spring OF 1SL Dir. Epps
p,no q nondi6ate for reelection, but he was
defeated by Dir. Randolph by handsome
majority. In the spring OF 1910 Mr.. Kan
doiDh moved to the Roanoke estate.
Overlooking the Roanoke estute was an
elevation covered with dense forest OF ma
five oaks, untrimmed, uDeared Tor; 10 iace,
lust as nature made them. 10 The midst OF
This wild forest of bis own naive OAKS, sur
rounded alone by an ordinary rail renee,
was the uDpretending home OF the greuC
Virgininn-simple double.los eapinss VIII
stick-and. dirt chimneys. The CABINS were
chjnked from the inside aud daubed on tne
outside With common clay mud: ceaar
well stored with the most choice wines ana
hrapdics ran the full length OF the CABIN.
Juba and johnny, his trusty servants, were
alone permitted to enter that cellar. ,,s.,.ss
Immediately opposite the first stood
second cabin, distant about fifty yards,
built of the same material rs the first, the
same in size, but unchinked. In this I'M
chinked cabin Mr. Randolph spent The sum-
mer, and in The chinked cabin tue coioer
months, About half way between the cabins,
and on the highest elevation within this
rail Enclosure or yard, stood IN oak Of great
size: facing the east, and twelve feet TO-
ward the west was un enormous pine OF
immense height and majestic mien. In TINS
SPACE, between the stalwart oak on Inc east
and lofty pine on the west, Mr.. Ranucipn
ut an early day selected his final resting
place. ds az, - !, :; :, :, - ~ ; On
immense mark filed with deer, aud hard by
was his kennel and stud. He owned many
hounds, black-tans, and beagles, US well us
pointers; all OF the most choice breeds, the
nedjeree OF each being Us familiar to Mr..
Randolph as that OF his thoroughbred
horses. ~
While Mr.. Randolph rarely, II ever, bet
on racing, yet he was great ndm,rei va lug y.
snorts OF the turf, as 10 was us CUSTOM W
'atfnnd nil rnras between horses Of establish
md. mr. r,Ipposed celebrity. AS pistol-shot,
or on tho wing with double-barrelled gun,
no was unequalled. AS horseman and fox
hunter, he was no less celebrated. Etc
always rode with very short stirrups, ut
a rapid trot or sweeping gallop. In person
Mr.. Randolph was femme and diminutiye
in stature. He was five feet eight inches
high, perfectly formed, and very erect;
his step quick and elastic; weight never
exceeded ninety pounds, complexion dark,
With very large black eyes-and such eyes
mortal man never had before nor since.
His hair was lustrous black, and parted
IN The middle over low forehead which
resembled white band around black hat.
Tbe rest Of the features were In perfect ac-
cord with the whole face, and while young
heiwas regarded not only as handsome. but
almost beautiful. z
He had not sprig OF beard. and asIage
and disease wore on his fragile frame! his
whole appearance was much changed. He
suffered from manhood to his death with
govt in its most eScruciatiug form. In fact,
his physical infrmities, the constant gnaw.
ing OF disease. made him confirmed mis-
anthrope, and doubtless had much to do
with that eccentricity which wees so notabie
. feature OF bis character. ben . can1fdate
ioeehe Virginia State Convention Of 1S22-23e
.sie never went among tho crowd ahakinQ
hands, as Is the usual custom OF cleo
pioneering, but 1t was his habit 8 10
take "a stand aud only converse will
those who approached him. With such
he was very cordial and communi
catiVe, never looking to the right or left du
ring the conversation. but steadily at th,
man be was addressing, His first speech
Waa asainst Patrick Hearys hts last IN tht
limited States Senate IL we mistake not
aSaiHSt Henry Cay, To which he charged
that the election OF John Quincy Adams 10
the presidency through the freachery OF
AIr. Clay was @cam bination between the
IIrffan md ha blaat- lanr This ~ nn,xrs,