The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-20
Al interesting T,etter from PittsyIsa-
80 90 vafa County. Va.

T6UkSDAA 49,. :. :. 49,. NJ 5a
Al interesting Tsetter from PittsyiSa-
MIA Countys Va.
r.rr cREEK-IEy. PETER foNTAIEs, THE
uraUgSoT, AND BIS DEscENDANTs--Dlsl-
nINa LINE OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAho ::
LIMA, IT2S-vESTRILoQ UIsM-sA s.,.,,
IYNcHsURa AND LYNCH LAW-oI.p a s,.,'
c4ASrs-REv. SAMUEL HARRIS, the pa s,i
TIsr. APOSTLE.
nd;,ors Dispatch: II IS more than pfooa.
Mo gou have never bad correspondents
sno,; th;s 'o,,aster--Fall Greek, Pltsyiva'i'
nnnn,w . station on the Midland railroaa.
Inasm,ich as 1t is a part OF your ul'ssioh "
rrescrye such incidents i'll the carry history
~ oi,r State as are brought 10 your atleh-
tion. it gives me pleasure to commend your
taste aud office and TO aha you IN TUG p,ous
work. find myself tonight the Suest OF
tsro grandchildren OF that remarkable man
the Rev. Peter Fontaine (son Of Rev. James
Fontaine>. one OF The famous FTcnch
Hnpuencts. who, to escape religious pei Sc
cnt;on in France, first sought refuge 10
Great Rritain. and then an asylum III An'e-
r;ca sa,rling In Charles City county, va,
ahn,,t rho year I715. He appears 10 nave
hoo,, for some time an intimate OF the so-das'
t,nrn;sbed Colonel William Byrd, OF west
nror fsecoud of the namcI and 20 nave &C
no,ranied az chaplain the commission
which ran the dividing line between fir.
o;nia and North Carolina in IT'S.
THE descendants reierrcos to. my present
bost and hostess, are Colonel William Fon.
tame. aged eighty-two. and his widowed
sister, Mrs. Tabitha NJ. Thompson, ageu
lightweight. children OF Moses ana Ei'za-
beth iBalardl Fonta:ne, both OF whom,
am grateful 10 say, are stall IN the ENJOY
ment OF health. and with 1acuties uf'nl-
haired, save that Colonel Fontaines voice
Is somewhat weakened. lie some wears
since entirely lost its use for season. Diit II
wac nearly restored BY The use OF the uoi
Snr;nrs baths. in Virginia. Colonel Fon-
fame and his sister were born in Charles
f,ify county, but their father removed In
their infancy to Difficult Creek, Halifax
county. and from thence early in THIS cen
t1,ry 10 the placc OF their present residence.
The framed house which they occupy is the
second which was built in this county, the
first having been built By the late Rev. sam
mel Harris, 4 quite famous Baptist preach
'er. whose miuiStrations were remarhaOiy
successful. Both houses were upon faii
creek. and distant two miles from eacn
other. and the families constituted com
1nunity in themselves, the nearest settle
ment to them being Bachelors Hall, twelve
miles distant. 1t took its name from the
circumstance OF being the residence OF Two
brothers. merchants, who lived and Gled IN
sinr,e blcssedness 1t is now post-o11lce
IN the route from Danville to Henry Court
house. Colonel Foniaipe, some fifty years
ago, was clerk with large grocer OF
Lvncbburg, whose leniency WITH his Gus
toners was source OF much soilcitude 10
Colonel Fontaine, who narrated an instance
of Yankee-iike fraud attempted 70 be prac-
ticcd upon his employer by coun-
tryman, who palmed upon HIM kcs
of lard in which was concealed stenc
twentv pounds or more in weight. The
cheat was discovered before the vendor
LETT. but nothing was said. He wanted 4
sack OF coffee. So, aS he had sold the stone
at six or eight cents a pound, he was al
lowed to buy il back as coffee at thirty
cents. Vcntriloguism was heard OF at that
CAV for the first time, and when country.
man had toilcd up one OF the steep hills OF
the "HiIl City" his sympathies were so
wrought upon by hearing child cry in his
load OF hav that be hastily unloaded it in
the street, to hear the voice Of the child in
tobacco hogshcad hardly, to the grea;
amusement Of the crowd collected. Olo
man Lynch, the originator OF the coae
known as .'Lynch law. was near neigh
Dor to Colonel Fontaine's father, anc
many were the cuprlts who were tuck
ed up on the then famous Wainuttret
that stood within few hundred
Yards OF my present shelter. A brother Of
Colonel Fontaine, who learned The cabl
net-making trade over century ago witt
Webster, Poor & Prosser, then noted tirlE
OF Richmond, dug up this renowned tree
and converted it into furniture. The writer
ipsrected an ancient ocIagOD-shaped caddy
made OF West India mahogany, and in which
Mrs. Thompson keeps her stores OF tea,
spices, &c, which would puzzle the work
men OF the present day 10 initiate. Colonel
Fontaine went FROM Lynchburg to Rich.
mond, to the employ Of Otis. Dunlop d Co.,
the death Of the senior member OF which.
Mr.. Asa Otis, ut the age of ninety-three, was
announced few days since as having oc'
Cured at New London, Connecticut.
The Rev. Samuel Harris, before referred
to, was born in Hanover county, l2th Janu'
.ary, 1924, and settled 10 this county III early
life. He was in manifold ways useru
member OF society, having in adoition te
his apostolic duties served seFerally IL
church-warden, sheriff, justice OF the peace
as q Burgess, and in the military capacities
OF colonel Of militia, captain Of Mayo
foot - and commissioner for the "Toot au(
army'' to all of which stations he wa
doubtless well qualified by the earnestnes
and energy OF his character, by his uniform
Kindness of heart and engaging manners
and his vigorous and Well-cultivated mind
He was in his thirty fourth year when hi
made profession of religion. Ills said thai
when In the army he providentialy founc
the opportunity of hearing the gospel from
the lips Of Joseph and William Murphy, al
a meeting held at q house near Aliens
creek, on the road leading from Booker's
ferry, on the Staunton river, to Pittsylya
mia Courthouse As the people were col
lecting, Colonel Harris rode up and in
CURED, What is to be done here? - Preach
In, Colonel" was the reply. "Who is t
preach ?" was the further query. "fh'
Murphy boys" he was informed. He de
termined to stop and hear them. The hous
in which the services were held was smal
one, and in one corner Of it stood loom
upon which the Colonel seated himself
The spirit Of the Lord fell upon him, ant
such was his agony Of mind, produced b!
his convictions, tbat when the meetins
closed bis sword and other portions OF hi
military habit, which he had cast from him
were found scattered about him.
. March IA, 1879. TRAVELLER.
E<onn yyegJa Of a ri ZOnn.