San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
SOUTHERN MEN.
v..,, Psesllasitiss % Noted q white sulphur
Springs.


Springs.
Chicago Timss Letter. y
have never gotten such good idea
NJ southern. men AZ have here this
week, studying the types TINT come
hero from all parts Of the south. The
southern meh are, rs class, very good
looking. Every now and then you
meet one that Ia strikingly handsome, a
splendid specimen of physical beauty.
Southern men are generally tall, broad
shouldered, deep-chested, ana are very
EASY and simple in their ways and man.
ners. They have meme Of the push and
drive of northern men in tho station of
life, but they are much more agreeable
in a social way. They are never in a
hurry, aud are always, ready with q
pleasant word or an incident to help
pass the time. They are to each other
ike brothers. Out on the grass or the
lawn. in front Of the house, there is
now q group Of southern men surround
ING General Cooke, Of Georgia, us he
relates one. of his good Stories. The
affectionate way these men have in their
companionship with each other speaks
volumes in explanation Of the unity Of
the south. TO be southern born man
IL enough to cntitle one. to the very best
and kindest there is in all southern
men. Talking with southern gentls-
man yesterday upon the subject Of the
solid south, he said: That is something
that the north does not exactly under
stand. We are o band of brothers.
We have suffered too much in common
to be easily divided. The republican
party represents to us nothing but ops
preston. It is not natural to expect
this generation of southern men to get
over it or to be in any way united with
it. You will see the south solid during
the generation at least
Such talk as this is very common.
Both the women and men are apt to
regard northern people as having no
interest in common with them. l do
not find any expression of dislike or
distrust directly against the northern
people,. The southern, people simply
regard the northern people as they
would men belonging to another nation
atty. g. ~
Among the finest looking men here
are General Preston, OF Kentucky
Major Suber, of South Carolina; Gen
eral M. G. Butler, OF South Carolina;
General Cooke of Georgia. General
Preston was United States minister to
Madrid. He is great linguist. He is
over six feet in height with q very
broad chest and erect military figure.
His broad forehead, keen bright eyes
and hook rose' white mustache, and
huge figure point him out in the livest
groups in the White Sulphur parlor.
He iSsalways talking. He never listens.
As one of his friends says, Preston
never talks to you. He always address
ses you an Grafton" A gentleman who
dined with General Preston said that
the general began talking at o'clock,
the time Of the giving of the dinner,
and that there was no break IN his flow
ing periods when the former came to
leave at l o'clock in the. morning. His
talk embraced art, law, poetry, and
every conceivable subject. He is
regarded by some Of The visitors at
the White Sulphur as one of the most
gifted men upon the face of the earth.
Upon every subject he is an authori-
ty. Pictures, wine, women, horses, no
matter what is the topic, the general at
once lays down the law and discourses
for hours He quotes poetry, impro.
vises original stanzas, declaims in Latin,
Greek, French or Spanish, translating |
as he gees along, entranciog some OF
his hearers, while he drives others to
the verge of desperation. To men
fond of talking General Preston is the
most dreadful of bores; to men fond
Of listening he is one of the most en-
tertaining of men. have noticed in
the society that packs the immense par
lor of the White Sulphur that listening
is gradually becoming lost art. Every
one talks at once; no one listens.
Major Suber and General M. G. But
Ter are men so distinguished in their
personal appearance that they would be
noticeable in any crowd. They are tall,
heavy and digniied, with all the grayi-
ty of an Indian, without, however, the
slightest trace or shade of affectation.
The graceful gallantry of the southern
men to their lady associates is mere
extension of the politeness of such
men as Butler and Suber to the rank
and file of all southern men. Southern
beaux make it point of honor to run
their legs off for southern bellies. The
latter take every anticipation of any
physical effort upon their part in very
sggravating matter-of-course way.
Down at the bowling alley, the other
morning, the southern ladies who were
bowling never thought of lifting off
the balls from the trench themselves.
Southern gallan,s placed the balls for
them in their hands in the very center
of the decline, SO that all the bellies
had to do was to give the balls q slight