The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-17
TIE. "BOY SPY"
His Visit to Virginia, and What He
Saw There.


81 80 less than by the direct rali-Toute. Ire
actual expense for room, meals and fare Tor q
night on the Potomac aud day on the James,
without a stop. would only be trihe more than
By the Yail-route. The time by water is "A
hours while that by rail is but FIVE hours.
] have been 10 Richmond several times, dur
jnE and since the war, and the first place to
wLich ] have always paid my respects, then as
now is Libby. The hotel people and the back
drivers say that without exception, the first
point the tourist to Richmond seeks Is not Jei
Dsvis's mansion, the Capitol, OF Gen. Lees
house, bnt Libby Prison. This ugly old brick
struCtaTe SO familiar to thousands, is the shrine
10 which the old veteran pilgrim invariably
hobbies JBe moment he gets ashore IN tie city.
! gathered one bit Of news while on this scout
ing expedition, which / can lay before TIE
national TRIBUNE readers first, which Is to
the effect taaJ
LIBBY PRISON Is NOT GOING TO BE MOVED TO
CHICAGO.
] got on TO this fact accidentally, as occurs
e with nearly all my scouting experiences II
50 happened that through some social channels
I was fortunate In meeting with a gentleman
in Richmond who holds an important position
u business circles, and is active IN the New
S1ath, or GCuug Democracy of the city politics
j regret th4t I can only give The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE Editor, privately, ms name as my
authority for this statement lie Informed me
q
contains among It's Inhabitants good many
Yankees. i is understood here that Libby is
TIE greatest attraction TO Northern tourists
the city contains, and there is no disposition
ArionEthe5e Virginia Yankees 10 kill the goose
that lays lch golden eggs in Old Libby. Il IS
evident 10 everyone that what wonid be Rich
mond's loss would not be ChiCag0's gain. But
few Western soldiers were associated with
Libby; Io-t OF those confined there were OF
tte Eastern armies. Tie agitation CT the re-
n0val has, however. accomplished all that was
perhaps sought for in securing an immense
Euount Of free advertising ler tie sale Of relic
bricks from the inside walls or uelgbDUTing
tobacco warehouses. Libby proper is q three
eigTr building, about l50 by 200 feet. Calcu-
latiug j. brick 10 a square foot in this immense
srea, one gets an idea oil the bonanza there is II
the sale 6 bricks 20 relic hunters. walked down
70 Libby early on Sunday morning, going over
precisely the same old Main street easily recOg-
Eiziug the old shops and houses that were there
- years ago, and looking now precisely IS they
ID then.
The streets were almost rs deserted as during
the war or Sunday. I was on hand bright and
early &C the old shrine, and found two men
Etaading, or rather lurking, about on the out
side pavement. On guard, as Of old, to prevent
T5iic Geuds stealing bricks.
The old brick pile looked quite familiar TO
me, except that the doors are al closed now
down, spiders have woven their webs about the
iron grstiags. and dust has gathered on every
rEiBE that VIII bold it, The little S by 10
panes OF glass iu the sash are so covered with
the accumulation Of dirt that one cannot see
INTO THE OLD SHE'LL.
Tic wh.tcWEsaed walls outside have been
GrsIcEed q by the rains and storms Of p
years, leaving only a few ghasty looking
Etre2ss here aud there On the walls Oh, how
q -
time CI uy lrzt visit here IS the Boy"
Then al was actiyity,-in every hole and
corner, inside and out, there was life and
SOIL. Today all IS des3.ation; the ter
rI5le memories only remain. It viii be
remembered that 1t was my habit while 10
Richmond during the war, 10 visit Libby.
When I'd get h0mcz.ck and lonely, strange as
IL may seem, tie sight Of the prisoners inside
served 10 elC5lraEe and cheer me up amazing
y iu tlo5- dreadful days II suspense aud IN
csrtaiGty. i was soon aeter frst Bull Run, that
I FIRST ssw lae old shell filled 20 oEerfiOw.ng
with tie baTs-I was going 10 sly Ia blue, but
g. 2 matter 81 fact but few Of them possessed
s. entire outfit OF uniform.
II sT5s hot August weather, and most OF them
were IN Ighr marching order All were ap-
psEeutly Jolly and happy, and their hearty,
ringing laGga could be heard a square Of.
re--l distinctly Congressman Eiy's appearance
IL has shirt sleeves, il earnest conversation
VIII q group Of officers
III looking 2 further evidence in support Of
the hat that TIE building was not 10 be torn
GGHl, observed that recently quite q large
patch % neH tin root has been put on the old
building. which lass been painted to correspond
WIca TIE other. bUt the ueWness IS easily de-
tszsea By anyone IN search OF c!eus. On the
Egst-s 'front.' ga addition Of some 40 feet Of wall
has been erected, 50 that Libby Is not how pre-
G4sely as % was during the war. The engineer
NJ q .s i s-s-# r1 IL
I'll ground toor for their machinery told me
tl@t tieIr concern had made 40 calculation Oh
change Of base for their plant
4ae Waterman, 81 0 eyed me sGspiciously
81 first as relic hunter wanting a chance Z
steal trck, became quite communicative
when be iOund cut ! formerly
BELONGED To TIE REBEL Army,
and could TAX familiarity about Richmond
lie could only say the building was ID
be removed some time 70 make way
3oT IMPROVEMENTS. lie volunteered the oh
scrFati0a that If they did not watch il nigh
sud cay ,aat the whole concern would be re-
moved brick by brick, by the relic hun
ters. One can scarcely credit the stories told
ot the tricks rgsortcd 10 by visitors every das
aud night q ger hold Of piece Libby before i
goes u Chicago. de pointed TO where bricl
had been dug out " the wall the day prevjou,
BY visitor, whom they caught ia the act anC
took to the station house where a heavy tn,
was llapOsed upon hlm. While the watchma1
was absent another party climbed 70 one OF tht
windows ca ile river front and cut out pauj
o. glass. Ec showed me the crumbs Of putt,
lying on the ground.
~ were asked 10 mention that which mos
Impressed O. was the most striking feature o
uly revisit 10 Richmond, il would ughesitat
iDey be that / found the city looking yer,
much as ] left b. - years ago.
There ls indeed, but little to note II the wa
q modern improvements IN the old Coufeder
&c Cap TAI. lu truth, il may be said that tht
Oldest inhabitants are those who own the urgp
eIiy and bold The tlleT, and are Of the 20 nun Ii
DON o. sell-aatisded class, who both believ,
aud practice the pTecept leave well enough
alone. Us companion Of the New South anti,
expressed tic situation when lie observed TIA
Richmond needed, more thau anything else,
number Of
FEEsT-CLAss FUNERALS
That portion Of the old city DESTROYED b
Ire has been rebuilt 50 nearly 10 the old styI
That a.mos. failed 10 recognize any change.
Jcd Daglss old quarters or office, where
stood On guard 50 long and faithfully an alone
has become tAC new Custom House aud Pos,
Office building, the Government al Washinpto
beng engaged ia this Improvement
Tie neat mOsI noticeable change Is that 2 mes
City Hall IS being erected on the site Of the oil
building, right above the park. Ii will be "a
membcEed hat Mayor Mayo had his headgual
tes pa Zee old City Hall, where assemble
indcrs Baltimore rough refugees, at whom