Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-18

"A Novel Mode of ROIsterins Up
a ShOW-A Relic with a Story
"Old Rough and Ready's'' Resting
Place.
LOUISVILLE, KY. October IS. - After the
weary waiting and wasting Of the flesh. all that
was mortal of the Rev. Stuart Robinson. dis.
tinguished minister, eloquent orator and truest
type Of the intellectual, large-minded. cul-
tured Christian gentleman has Just been con
signed to the dust. During the past summer
DR.. Robinsons health became more and more
feeble, but it was thought that trip to some
seaboard resort might revive him and perhaps
infuse new strength, but, after remaining
some time in Atlantic City, his symptoms be-
came very grave, and when he was brought to
his home a week or two since it was ap-
parent the end was not far off. He never
arose from his bed after his return, but
shortly afterward calmly and peacefully
passed away. His funeral was the largest
ever witnessed in Louisville. The vast and
splendid church where he has for so many
years off1ciated was packed with a crowd so
dense as not to leave spare inch of room, the
aisles being filed with those unable to obtain
seats, and crowds being turned from the
doors. Over this multitude the most perfect
silence reigned The altar was most beauti.
fully decorated with masses of flowers in rare
and exquisite designs, and the interior Of the
church was draped in mourning. One of the
designs borne in ahead of the coffin was fac
simile of one used at the Presidents funeral
the "GateS Ajar." An unusual sight in the
long procession that wound out to Cave Hill
was large transfer wagon filed with children
of the colored Orphans Home, of which Dr.
Robinson was the founder, and to which he
was one OF the principal donors. A strictly
Southern man to the end, he-was one of the
warmest and most practical friends to the ne
groeS, and claimed always from them entire
confidence and affection. DR.. B. M Palmer, of
New Orleans, came up for the purpose Of
preaching the funeral, being classmate and
life long friend He preached it as only DIR.
Palmer could, grandly and wisely and tender
ly, full Of comfort for the living and trium-
phant joy for the dead. Until within recent
period there were four ministers who were fix
lures in Louisville, having occupied the same
pulpits for several decades; others come and
go, and however popular or apparently be-
loved, they are still itinerary and sub
ject to the great law of change. OF this
quartette the first to step out Of the ranks was
DR.. E. P. Humphrey, who, about three years
ago, resigned his charge after keeping it
for forty years, retiring from active service
altogether. The next to go was the Rev Mr..
Haywood, who had been pastor of the only
Unitarian congregation here, also forty years.
DR.. Robinson has now been taken, leaving of
the four only the venerable DIR. James Craik,
seven years. That must have been a noble
class Of young souls that went out from old
Amherst College so long ago made up of ma
Uerial that was to stand shoulder to shoulder,
leal and true in the worlds great work The
other day one lay pale and still, while another
of the number stood above him and recounted
his toll and triumph, and still another offered
up the funeral prayer. Henry Ward Beecher
was also a classmate.
Contrary to expectation, detachment Of the
Louisville Legion, accompanied by a brave
phalanx of society ladies, left for the York
town celebration. but the observed of all OBJ
servers in the Louisville group will doubtless
be our centenarian, DR.. g. c. Graham, who
though lacking but three years Of completing
his century, exhibits physical energy and
activity and vigor and keenness of intellect
that are simply wonderful He is still ready
and forcible writer and a fine conversatlonalist,
evincing none Of the garrulity of age but
talking clearly and always to the point. He is
a part of the history Of Kentucky and his
memory and "reminiscences are rich in varied
adventures. 1t is his proud boast that he is
eight years older than the State of Kentucky,
having been eight years old when the State
was admitted to the Union, and that he slept
with Daniel Boone when Louisville was mud
village The old gentleman Is the father-in-
law of the Hon. j. G. g. Blackburn and attends
the centennial by special invitation of the
Governor and with his party. He will be in
troduced to the assembled celebrants with
speech and will be no doubt one Of the young
est old boys participating.
The great drawing attraction in the amuse-
ment line just now now in Louisville is the brilliant
extravaganza. "Cinderella,' engineered by
Mrs Benton, a lady from Boston, who has
managed the performance of this children's
opera in all the Eastern cities. She came to
this city and advertised for several hundred
children, and all the dancing schools and pri-
vate academies for misses were turned out to
her hands She has been but little over a
month in drilling this mass of little performers,
but she has succeeded in bringing them to a
state of perfection. 1t is the nursery tale of
Cinderella interspersed with the popular songs
of the day, countless marches and evoIutions
dancing and exquisite tableaux. The child
rens costumes are Of the richest description
and it is quite a surprise 10 discover the
amount of talent these little ones display.
feature of the performance is a minuet by q
number of children from three to eight years
of age, the Young misses in trained court
dresses of stiff brocade with jewelled stomach
ers and powdered hair dressed q pdntiQue
and the young gentlemen in queues, knee
breeches and lace ruffies. They STEPPED
through the stately dance with the ease and
grace of King Charles court ladies and gallants
and make as dainty picture as one can imag-
inc. 1t runs through the week to crowded
houses. AS it is the intention OF Mrs. Benton to
visit the principal Southern cities during the
coming winter and produce the Chidren's OPP
era, Savannah will doubtless have an opportu-
nifty of witnessing the unique and beautiful
spectacle.
The Atlanta Exposition attracts the interest
ed attention of all Louisville people, and we
talk cotton with spirit of inquiry new and
wont erful. There will be perceptible influx
of Kentuckians into Dixie during the exhi-
bition, and there is no danger that the least Of
these will pass unobserved. He will exchange
horse talk for cotton with compound interest
and do all he can to convince the multi
tude that Kentucky was created frat, and the
rest of the world was an after thought. AS
the Cincinnati Exposition closed with deficit
of fifteen thousand dollars, so perhaps viii
our own find itself in debt when accounts come
to be squared. 1t would seem that industrial
expositions are growing questionable. Ours
has depended largely for patronage this season
upon strangers from distance.
Early in the spring the managers went on to
Washington and secured President Garfield's
promise that he would come and formally open
It for us, and we looked forward to a booming
time-instead we had funeral weeds and lamen-
wits ends for something to make crowd, an
nounced that there would be wedding on the
closing night. A bridal temple with a lovely
marriage bell in white flowers was
erected on the lower floor, and. true
to promise, couple made their way
through the dense throng, mounted
the dais, and were married under the bell. OF
course, it was made-up match-the groom
was half=witted fellow whom the managers
had picked up, and the bride a poor servant
girl dazzled by the promise of a set OF furni-
ture and bridal outfit from the committee.
The outcome Of the novel marriage was a di-
vorce shortly afterward, and the enterprise
drew down upon us the invidious comments
of the press at large.
In passing through the antiquarian's depart
ment it strikes one that the antique relic busi-
ness is slightly overdone. True there are many
curious articles that bear the stamp Of hon
esty, and there are many, very many, that
might be appropriately marked "doubtful;"
but when it comes to finding wee mite of a
box put together of birch bark, and find it la
beled probably piece of NOah's ark" one
feels it necessary to draw the line somewhere.
Prof. Fontaine, principal of Holyoke Acade-
my, and a comparatively new resident of this
city, exhibited at the Exposition two relics of
great interest One was table, large and
massive, with surface Of mottled marble de-
faced with wine stains that IS over two hun
dred years old. 1t came over from England
with an old colonial family; Washington and
his Generals have gathered about it and spread
their war maps upon it; toasts were drunk
around it to the success Of the young revolu-
ton, and it has taken place in the family his
tory of the most celebrated Virginia names
General Lee sat aroundit with his companions
when boy, and it finally made its way, at the
dismemberment OF the family possessing it, to
Texas whence it came into Prof. Fontaine's
possession. The other relic is an old time por-
trait Of famous Virginia beauty; during the
late wsr the house Of its owner was pillaged
by the Federal troops, and the picture bears
the marks of the sword thrusts that slashed it.
Prof. Fontaine is Virginian of the old school,
and son-in-law Of Rev. DR.. Burrows, of the
Broadway Baptist Church. Last winter he
read a paper before the Southern Historical
Society, clearly tracing from documents in his
possession the lineal descent of General Lee