Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-04-06

For the SPECTATOR.
The Responsibility.

| > OF
The writer, on the morning of the
t Ath inst, was returning from ride OF
9 nfteen miles from one of the stations OF
tne railroad that spans the old State, as
sne aods, about 10 o'clock, whilst pausing
moment to converse with an acquaint-
ance, ne met vehicle, driven BY the
! ger, going over the road we had lust
travelled. Meeting him at the station
, early the next morning, he informed us
: tne stranger he carried was subordi-
, hate IN Secretary Schurz's apartment,
ana tnat he returned to the station in
tlme TO take the Express to Washing
ton that night. In few minutes, COM
ing from the postoffice, we met gentle.
man who was one of quite large party
from the National capital, who spent
some weeks of last summer at q promi.
nent hotel at this station, that for some
years has attained respectable reputa-
ton, certainly with its hobitues of that
j city. as a summer resort. Heris a bach
elor-well, we will not say of how many
summers, but is certainly old enough to
have been subject for cupid to have
been shooting at, it may be, some years
by-gone. He is gentleman of exceed
ingly reserved and quiet manners, not
easy to become acquainted with and
most assuredly not to be familiar with.
We observed him frequently last sum-
mer, surrounded by a bevy of hand
some, sprightly young ladies from Rich
mond, Washington, and elsewhere, but
never saw him speak to one of them.
1t struck us at the time, but not being
acquainted with him, did not. excite re-
mark. Perhaps month or two after
the season closed, and when we had
supposed he had returned to Washing
ton, what was our surprise to meet him
with native of the vine-clad hills of
a part of Germany, in which the grape
is the main feature in agriculture. We
were introduced, and having travelled
some dozen of miles in bis company
that evening. and interested in his quiet,
easy manner and intelligent conversa-
ton, we learned this bit of his history
since. He is perhaps a native of the
District, and has been. and perhaps is
yet, member of the United States ar
my, and from anything we know q
graduate of West Point. About the
year 1869, he was acting as an Indian
agent in what is now Dakota; 1t may
be about where Yancton, the capital Of
the Territory, is now. Inasmuch as he
travelled over the Central & Union Pa
clfic Railroad In that spring, from San
Francisco to New YORK, via Omaha,
st. Joseph. ST. Louis, Louisville, Gin
cinnati, &C., as the first Virginian
who travelled from the. Pacific east,
having on the Sth of May, been one
of the atoms of the so or more thou
sands who attended the celebration of
its opening at SACRAMENTO, we took an
interest in the Captain, and when we
learned that he had been so insensible
to the ladies during the summer as to
create the impression that he was wo-
man. -hater, perhaps we were deeply in
| terested in what we are about to relate.
The gentleman in whose company we
found him, and under whose roof, as it
now appears, the Captain had been a
captive all winter and to this moment,
had, as an inmate of his romantic
home, perched, as it is,.upon a steep
slope of the Blue Ridge, (the basement
of which is capacious wine-cellar, in
which two years ago the writer, with
some friends, inspected, with deep inter
est, the capacious wine-tierces, contain
ing two thousand gallons of that years
vintage a lovely niece of eighteen sum-
mers. Twelve months ago, we awaited
the arrival of the Richmond train one
evening, In company with the father of
this damsal. who was anxiously expect
ing her, returning. as she was, from a
three years. soiourn in Germany, her
fathers, as also her native place.. She
had gone there to finish her education.
The father was disappointed, as she had
remained longer in New York than was
expected: After greeting the Captain
as mentioned, We presently met his
tsdaee in the person of this. to us, ex-
tremely youthful maiden, who did not
seem to be over sweet sixteen. She is
considered quite pretty and accomplish
ed, especially in music. The general
impression was that the Captain would
carry her to Washington, to brighten
his bachelor home, some time in April.
1t now turns out that the messenger
from the Department of the Interior
was dispatched to the residence of this
young lady to summon the Captain, as
an important witness in behalf of the
Government, UNWILLING to trust the
uncertainty of the mails,) for his ap-
pearance at Yancton, the capital of Da-
kata, in case of great importance, in
which some Indian agent had been
wronging the Indians. Theyoung lady
took the train that day for Charlottes-
vile. The Captain was detained few
hours, and expected to go on the EX-
press, either that or the following night.
The opinion was expressed, as they were
to be married in April, it would give
romantic turn to the affair were he to
marry her now and take her on bridal
tour of two thousand miles to Yancton.
On the night in question, the Captain
anXiously awaited the Express from
the West, which was not due until one
or two in the morning. Although the
station Is one at which the conductor
is required to stop, and although he had
ps ssenger on the train who had to get
off there, the conductor was so obliviOus
OF his duty. as the Captain told me, on
the morning of the 9th, as to scarcely
slow up. on descending grade, for the
passenger to jump off, and although
servant must have been seen by the en-
gineer. (the conductor, whose place was
on the platform, aUnS not seen outside at
aU,) running some distance, in bright
moonlight, soith the trunk, and aOaving
the tight as he. did, no attention was
peid to it, and the Captain sprang on
the moving train, complained to the
conductor that his trunk was left; &c.
He (the conductor) took it very coolly
said he saw no light waving, and the
person he saw on the track, he supposed
was some one there out of curiosity,
sc. The Captain had to go to Char
lottesville and get on the up-train Ex-
press to get back, paying a fare each
way, besides the annoyance. He said
to me, when Secretary Schurz enquired
a0hy the General Government would be
subjected to loss of seven or eight hum
dred dollars for the continuance of this
important case at Yancton, and, on in
vestigalion, finds that certain railroad
is at fault and it will be held for this
sum, he thought certain conductor,
whose name even he did not know,
would presently find out on whose
shoulders would rest the
RESPONSIBILITY.
; THE CAMEL AND THE MILLER.-Dld
you ever hear the fable of the camel and
, tIo ,s,;lIoro Ono pirbt rnilIor VINO