The Portland daily press., 1880-04-22
"Old Virginny."
Curious Customs Still in Vogue Away
From the Railroads and Towns.

Washington Letter to Chicago Tribune.
A young soci ETY. swell who was invited not
long ago to go down and visit family in the
interior of Virginia, gives very interesting
picture Of the pleasant customs that are still in
vogue in that State.
When one gets away from railroads and
towns, he finds things in about the same condi-
ton that they were about 100 years ago. There
are men in some of the back counties of Vir-
ginia who never yet heard of Jackson.s death,
and who would be very much startled if the
news was sprung upon them suddenly. This
young society man was great horseman. He
took his horse with him, high spirited, dark
chestnut gelding. He found upon his arrival
that his ability to ride at once made him popu-
lar with everybody. He was surprised to find
that almost everybody rode horseback. Wag-
ons and carriages were almost unknown.
Young gentlemen going out to give their
sweethearts treat simply swung blanket on
their horses, behind their saddle, where the
young lady rides pillion fashion. He says it
was not an uncommon thing to see four per-
sons on one horse. He proves this to be the
case by describing an actual scene that came
under his notice, where an old gentleman and
his wife were riding along comfortably with
two children. The old man and the boy in
front and the old lady with girl in her lap
behind. This system of riding is very popular
among young ladies and gentlemen in Virgin
ia. The young Virginian mounts his horse,
dashes up to the saddle-block, catches his
sweetheart by the hand and she bounds like
an agile gazelle to the blanket behind him,
a dc iv,fa 70 L.
winding her arms around him, and his good
horse starts off at a jolly pace.
NOW this young swell got along very well in
his visit, until one day he was at church at one
OF the country churches and young lady who
owned very comfortable place near there in
vited him to go home and take dinner with
her. There were three or four very interesting
young ladies stopping at her house and Of
course he accepted her invitation with great
pleasure; but his hair fairly stood on end when
take one of our girls upon your horse, in divid-
ing up our party one at least comes to you"
The young man in question is not a heavy
weight physically. He does not weigh over
so pounds The young woman who fell to his
lot was bouncing Virginia lass, plump and
pretty, who would weigh at least 40 pounds.
He was in no haste to get into the saddle. He
watched very carefully how the rest of the fell
lows got their fair companions upon the upper
deck. He was the last man to swing his horse
u.iilo. no udu uUIl0 QOuDC ZOO ABOUT MS horse,
The horse was very high-spirited and had never
been ridden double. He darted up to the horse
block and the young woman was ready. The
blanket was arranged behind after the most
approved fashion. He edged his chestnut up
to the side of the horseback. She gave him
one hand and in second she bounded firmly
to her place behind him and wound her arms
around him in as firm hold as the proprieties
OF the occasion demanded. She was not the
only one that had bounded. The horse bolted
about 10 feet in the air and came down on his
fore feet and as the young man said, suddenly
became very light behind. The young man,
although good rider, said he would have
gone over the horses ears several times if it
had not been for the young lady. She held on
and he felt perfectly convinced that if he went
off she wouldn't, and sol she stuck His horse
fought, SHE'D, jumped and baked, greatly to
the amusement of the young lady, who very
near cracked several of his ribs in holding on
to him when his horse bolted to the right or
left. 1t was five miles to his destination.
&be4 he G 2n hi borsa agd ga streams Of
perspiration slowly trickled down the sides of
his face. He was weak and trembling.
The lady of the house asked him how he
liked the trip.
He said that under less exciting circum-
stances he might have relished the hugging
part of it, but beyond that he was very willing
to confess that it was one of the greatest ties is
that he had ever undergone in his life.