Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-09-08
gard TO public speaking. He not

A'AAtbhif Va NrNtRN HNAt
of Senator John ;. Barbour, Jr. /;
Governor DuvaI OF Florida; DR..
Henry Curtis, the brotber-in-law OF
President Tyler, and many others
whose descendants now live respect
ed citizens in Richmond and the
State were pupils at this school.
Mr.. OQilyie remained in Richmond
several years after which he gave
up his profession and travelled
over the South delivering lectures on
elocution. He was an unthrlity man
and became Incorporate. but he was a
good teacher and his scholars respected
and loved him. Mr. Richie in the I'm
quircr speaks Of him aflectionately and
in terms Of the highest praise. He led
this wandering life until 1920, when he
returned 10 Europe 10 take possession OF
the estate and earldom OF Fralater, to
which. on the death OF the incumbent,
he had fallen heir. His reputation az an
elocutionist having preceded INN, on his
arrival in London he was invited TO de-
liver q public address in the Surrey In
stitution. His effort was n sad failure,
which so mortified him that he COM
mitted suicide by cutting his throat with
q razor before he got possession OF his
estate. Let US drop tear to his me
mory even now, for while he lived in
Richmond he was useful citizen and
did much good.
ST. JOINS.
Now, turning our eyes towards the
east, we see what was indeed the city OF
Richmond Of the year 1900. 1t stretches
from Rockets along Main and Cary
streets and along the river-bank rs far
up as the present Thirteenth street.
There were in it five thousand seven
hundred and thirty inhabitants and
about one thousand houses Old st.
Johns church, built in i740, Of historic
fame, as being n spot redolent OF Patrick
Henry's eloquence, where the Virginia
Convention of 1775 sat, looms up on
Church Hill, and not far from it Is the
residence of Colonel Richard Adams,
who owned nearly all Of the land sur
rounding it, The old Masonic Hall, on
Franklin near Eighteenth street, also ap-
peared, built in 1876, the first one erect
ed in the United States and not far off
the old Pineapple church. which wos the
mother of the Monumental, which was
tho mother Of st. Pauls, and has for its
Youngest daughter All Saints church,
the Episcopal church lately erected on
Madison street near Grace street, can he
seen. The houses in the city are com
paratively small and most Of them built
of wood. A row between Fourteenth
and Fifteenth streets Of more imposing
appearance is dignified by the name OF
the Brick Row. However. there IS a
large amount of business done among
the merchants Many of them trade dl-
rect with England, and the newspapers
are filled every now and then with adj
vertiscments of vessels arriving at Rock
etts from Europe laden with all kinds Of
merchandise and soliciting for return
cargo-tobacco and grain and other pro-
ducts. Accounts are kept in pounds,
shillings, and pence, and many OF the
merchants are rich.
THE FERRY.
The people Of Chesterfield and Man
chester, where many wealthy tobacco
nists reside, reach the city over Mayo's
bridge, the only one across the river,
built in 1887. and also, when they prefer
IL, by ferry-boat which runs across the
river and lands on this side near the foot
of Fifteenth street. The old people tell
a story which is, | think, the progenltor
of the many fish stories that have con
stantly been told ever since. Old Martin
Hawkins used to hnul the seine IN the
river and land it near this ferry. On one
occasion large sturgeon was caught
in the seine. As soon as 1t appear
ed in shoal water bis negro man,
Ned Monday, fearing that 1t would get
away, seized it with both hands IN Its
gills, which were instantly closed, and,
with a violent leap, the sturgeon cleared
the seine and disappeared with Ned on
it's back. Poor Ned was accounted
lost but to the establishment OF all he
soon appeared. mounted on the stur-
coon. who, with the velocity OF an eagle,
had darted across the river and landed
high and dry on the opposite shore,
where Ned with his prize was Ioyiully
received and carried back. Our fore
fathers in those early days lived well
and enioyed themselves as We do now,
but they were deprived of many
Of the conveniences of life and comforts
which we possess. They have no rail
roads TO whirl them in swift velocity all
over the country, but they had their car
riages and stage-coaches to carry them to
the White Sulphur Springs and about tho
neighborhood to visit their friends, from
whom the most Joyous welcome always
greeted them. They had no gas-light to
dispel the darkness OF the streets, but
amid the dimness OF the light shed by
tallow candles and whale-oil lamps their
evenings were passed in social enjoy
ments.
CHURCHES.
Parson Blair, Parson Buchanan, and
Father Courtney preached to them as
fine Gospel sermons as We hear nova
DAVIS from college bred divines. They
had but one or two churches in town,
but in proportion to population they
were as much church-going people as
their children are to-day. They played
cards, they danced. they rode line
horses, they attended the races. delight
I'd in fine saddlehorses, and many OF
the race horses were very fleet animals.
They frolicked and got drunk on better
and purer whiskey and brandy than we
do now. They got their education
from the few schools which were III
the city, and at the old-feld schools IN
the country, where many OF the greatest
men the country has produced were edu-
Gated. They read the Virginia Ga
sette and the Enquirer, and heard, some
two or three weeks afterwards. whatever
news Of interest had taken place IN New
York, Philadelphia, or Washington.
They were great politicians, as their de.
scendants are to-day. and every one OF
them was willing to swear that Nlr-
pinia was the greatest State IN the
Union, and her people the best
After all. Notwithstanding the very
many improvements in almost every
department of life which we now pos
sess / am. very doubtful whether our
forefathers did not lead happier lives
In spite of disaster from floods, OF loss
60 fires, and the