Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-23

The family remained in it all the
while. Mr.. Smith was engaged IN
twentyoseven fights and heavy battles,
and came off without a scratch. Every
conductor on this line has proved bis
metal in hard fought battles; make
polite and conciliatory officers and
become popular with all parties. Take
them ali in all, they are the best and
most competent conductors | have
ever met on any road; but while they
are modest and polite, let no one de-
ceiye himself with the belief that they
will submit to the slightest.amount Of
bulldozing; if he does he will find
himself wofully mistaken. A conduc-
tor should be a man of personal
courage, as we'll as Of amiable and
pleasant disposition. From the hand
some Captain Beach down to the jolly
Cayson, l found every mar an
intelligent and agreeable gentlemen,
as we'll as an efficient officer. /,
We entered the city Of Richmond
early in the a~fternooR, passing through
the extensive yards OF the Chesapeake
and Ohio, more than a mile in extent.
In these extensive yards are seen
thousands Of cars, locomotives and all
the fixtures and cOntrivances neces-
sary in such a place. Their machines
and car works are very large and all
their appointments first-class. An i'm
mensa elevator is now under cOnstruc-
ton, and apparently equal to any in
Chicago or st. Louis. 1t is an instruc-
tive sight TO behold these acres upon
acres covered with rolling stock, vast
round houses and shops Of every de-
scription, and all to be used in TIE
conduct of the traffic between the
large cities on the line Of the road,
and that our own Louisville would
ONE in for a large share Of it, unless
debarred by the hostile action Of a
few people. The future Of this great
road cannot be estimated at this early
day, whether we judge of it from a
mineral standpoint or from that uni:
versal one that includes all trade and
traffic between the West and the At
lantic seaboard.
l walked leisurely about the Cap.
itol square that evening, and looked
again upon the equestrian statue OF
Washington, with his face turned to-
ward the State House, in which were
assembled the Readjuster Legislature,
as if be was admonishing them to do
their duty and be honest. His right
hand was elevated and extended in a
warning manner, while his index fin
ger pointed straight to the peniten-
tiary. 1t is feared here that the Re-
adjusters will not heed the warning,
nor fear the result. Malone still
keeps up his Readjuster sophistries,
aud now has the cheek to proclaim
himself the actual debt payer, and
says that readjustment means the
payment Of the public debt" Of
course the Punders all laugh at him,
but he sticks to it all the same. If
Malone had the s~yllogistic aeumen Of
Thomas Aquinas he could not make
the people mot niggers) believe that
there is any difference between read
ljustment and reputation any more
easily than he could settle the nice
ties between homoousios and homoi-
ousios.
The next morning l proceeded on
my trip to Newport News, a sort of
Asgard to me in my desire to get to
the end of the road. En- route we
crossed the battle ground Of the Chick
ahominy fights, went near the Seven
Pines field and many other places of
historical interest; crossed the Chick
ahominy, saw many of the old breast
works, now plowed over and yielding
a rich harvest Of grain every season;
passed Fort Lee, Providence Forge,
and reached old Williamsburg about
noon. Here all was old and dreamy,
sad and mystical. The antique sanctity
of the place was interrupted by the
whistle Of the locomotive and by the
eager curiosity to see the outside
world that had the temerityI to invade
the hallowed precicts Of the capitol Of
the Old Dominion. 1t is enough to
make
The head rim round and round about,
And the heart to flow like the sea-
to look upon these old houses and
ancient palaces. and to reflect upon
their history and their former inmates
Of over 200 years ago. For here was
the seat of the a%risiocracy of the
cavaliers, the representatives. ofroyalty
in the New World; the seat Of all the
old traditions Of Virginia, the center
Of Bacon rebellion, the birthplace of
the Revolution, the forum Of revolu-
tionary eloquenee and the seat of the
first and last struggle in the war for
Southern independence.
Hooked upon the site Of old Raleigh
Tavern, where Patrick Henry thun
dered his anathemas against unjust
taxation and tribute; upon Lord Dun
more's palace, with its quaint old
painted portico, all built Of glazed
brick brought from England; upon
the homes Of Lord Dinwiddie and
Earl Of S%pottswood; upon the homes
Of Judge Tucker and DR.. Peaehy. and
upon the dark, old frame building &C.
cupied by General Winfield Scott
when be was a student at William and
Mary College.
At the intersection Of old Palace
street with Capitol street, of the an.
cient days of royal and ~aristocratic
splenaor, | could see the old Brutor
parish church, ivy clad and its walls
Of glazed brick as solid as they were
200 years ago; the old Colonial maya
zine, an octagonal brick structure thai
supplied ammunition against the Ba.
con rebels and against the British
now desecrated and mctamorphosed
into a stable; the site Of the old Col.
onial Capitol Of the old Dominion.
Lord Dunmorc's palace; Apollo Hal.
and the Wythe House. where Genera
Washington made his headquarters on
the eve of the decisive battle will
Lord CORVALLIS.
1t was painful to look at Williams
burg, the beloved, hallowed spot o.
olden memories. Every house has ID
history Of olden greatness, but The
grandees who lived in such glory ant
state are all in the dust never to re.
turn. The abomination Of desolation
reigns supreme, and the old city o
grandeur awaits to be rehabilitated b.