Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-06-12

Mr. Davis is 73 years of age, and his health
is not of the best. 1t is evident that his
life of vicissitude is drawing to close, and
as one realizes it he cannot but admire the
physical and mental machinery which has
stood the strain of so much labor. Tall,
with almost snow-white hair and whiskers,
blue eyes, face wrinkling with age, voice
as soft and kind as mother s-such was
the picture of the man who for four years
held the destinies of a continent in his iron
grip. In the zenith of his power he may
have appeared naughty and imperious to
some, but not to the generality A kinder
face have never met, and though there is
something in the voice to warn one that its
owner has held place and power, one IS
soon charmed with its kindness and touch
of pathos. He asked me about my South
ern trip-where I had been, whom | had
met, and what opinion had formed of the
masses: and when l answered that the
North and South seemed more closely uni
ted to-day than at any period in our histo-
ry, he expressed deep qualification. cit is
grand and progressive country he said,
sand the better the people understand each
other the better for our future as a coun-
try.'' He asked me regarding the senti-
| ment of the North, and I believe | an
swered truly when 1 told him that rancor
and bitterness had died out of the hearts
of all but demagogues and melevolent pol
iticians. 'That is right, " he replied, Sand
trust that no untoward event will sever
the growing cordial relations" By and by
we drifted into the subject of war. It was
Mr.. Davis who gave Gen. Mcclellan his
first upward steps, and it was Mr.. Davis
| who appointed Gen. Meade to the Lake
Survey, and was sharply criticised for his
selection. He believed that McClelan's
campaign against Richmond, had he been
permitted to carry it out as planned, and
received the hearty support of the War
Department., must have resulted disas-
trously to the Confederates. 81 knew Nc
Clellan, Meade, Humphrey, and nearly all
the Federal Generals" said Mr. Davis,
''and many of them were my proteges.
Although they were fighting my armies,
could not resist feeling of pride in seeing
so many of the young men [ had helped to
advance winning fame and proving all that
had been predicted" | asked him to name
the best Federal General, he replied:
''There were two-McClellan and Meade.
Mcclellan Yves grand Engineer and
great General; Meade was steady fighter,
and his movements were more of an eng
ma to Lee than those of any Federal Cen
eral."
BRICK PoMERoY's ADVICE TO Boys
You are learning a trade. That is a good
thing to have. 1t is better than gold.
Brings always a premium. But to bring a
premium, the trade must be peIfect-no
plated-silver affair. When you go to learn
trade, do SO with determination to win.
Make up your mind what you will be, and
be it. Determine in your own mind to be
good workman.
Bide your time
Learn to wait
Learn to labor
Trust in fate.
Ever honest
Keep your pluck.
Ever falthful--
Trust in luck.
Have pluck and patience. Look out for
the interests Of your employer-thus you
will learn to look out for your own. Donot
wait to be told everything. Remember.
Act as though you wish to learn. II you
have an errand to do start off like boy with
some life. Look about you. See how the
best workman ia the shop does, and copy
after him. Learn to do things well. What
ever is worth doing at all, is worth doing
well. Never slight your work. Every job
you do is sign Ifyou have done one in
ten minutes, see if you can not do the next
in nine. Too many boys spoil lifetime by
not having patience They work at trade
until they see about one-half of its mystic
ries, and strike for higher wages. Act as
if your interest and the interest Of your
employer we're the same. Good mechanics
are the props of society. They are those
| who stick to their trades until they learn
them. People always speak well of a boy
who minds his own business-wKo is will
ing to work, and who seems disposed to be
somebody in time. Learn the whole Of
your trade.