Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-08-22

proud and honored at his presence here to-
day, a Virginia boy who has won his way
to great honors in the land he has chosen.
GOV. Filter, who was received with loud
cheers, said ''Fellow citizens of Angus
ia: appreciate more than tongue can tell
the honor you do me. AS Capt. Opie has
said we fought on different sides in the
great American war, but the questions
which led to that war are now in the past,
and | meet you as fellow citizens of this
great Republlc under one common flag and
with one destiny. (Applause). I am told
Speaking to the band) that you belong to
an organization which takes its name from
a great general 1t is an honorable name.
The old questions which gave birth to the
war, IN which he was a great figure, have
been settled and can to-day say, and while
| believe he was wrong, [ must say it sim
ply to be true to history-that no man who
wore the uniform of either army, added
more to the illustrious history Of Ameri-
can yalor than he whose name you
bear. Great applause.) 1t is asimple act
of justice to say this. (Applause.) In Wis
iting the scenes of my youth [ feel that 1
am growing old, and [ begin to feel that
the time cannot be far off when in the last
words of that dead soldier, 1 too
must ''pass over the river and rest under
the shade of the trees.'' It has been forty
years since my father with his family left
this county to cross the Alleghanies and
make his home in the great West beyond
them. Though but a boy of eight years 1
carried with me in my mind the picture of
the locality in which my first years were
j spent have thought of you q thousand
times. | have thought of this county in
the blvouac, and on the weary march, and
have often wondered what in Gods name
has become OF the good people of Augusta
i'll the conflict. l have strained my men
tai eyes in picturing the old home, the
creeks in which bathed, the fields in which
L played, for many years, until lately, all in
, a jiffy as it were, l determined to satisfy
, the longing, and said to my wife let s go
J down and see the home of my childhood.
(Applause). She said yes at once. 1 wish
my wife was out here, d introduce her to
you. She is the best woman in the world,
, notwithstanding she is a Yankee (Great
laughter). She denies that she is one,
though. Y on people down here call every
body N orth a Y ankee, and that is where
you make Il mistake. Out West we call
the New Y orkers Yankees, and in New
York they call the New England people
2 Yankees. Soyou see it takes a long chase
to locate Yankee after all. My wife is
from New Y ork. She tells me that she
already loved one Virginian, but that since
she has come down on this visit with me
= she loves thousand. Laughter and ap-
plause.)
3 We shall leave here in a few minutes for
f the White Sulphur Springs. Nothing would
suit me better, if l could do it, than to
make a three months instead of a three
days stay among you. (Applause.) 1 hap-
| pen to be just now the Governor of Illinois
Y and | want to extend to you an invitation.
Y ou would be surprised to know how many
e Virglnians there are in Illinois. I have
often wondered how the old State has
: kept up under such a terrible strain as
emigration has made ON her population.
You will find among the Illinois Virginians
that there is a sort Of Masonic feeling
about each other. All you have to do is to
say you ale q Virginian, and the track is
clear. want you all to come to my adopted
State to see me. 1t is great State. There
isn't such an agricultural expanse spread
out under the sun as there is in Illinois.
You will enjoy seeing it. Now you come,
and you will find the latch-string of my
you 50 well that when you leave you will
believe that you are hall Governor of Hi
!, nois yourself. daughter and Applause.)
And now, goodbye.
The Governor speech was received with
great applause, and the Band gave the
stirring notes of ''DiXie."
Governor Fifer sent for his wife to come
out on the portico, and at his request Capt.
Opie presented her to the people below She
was received with great cheering and
waving of hats, which the blushing little
lady received with charming grace and
of the head. A few minutes afterwards,
the Governor and Mrs. Fifer took car
rage for the C. & o. depot.
NOTES.
Among those who knew Governor Fifer's
father and who greatly regretted not meet
ing the son, is MI. Thos S. Hogshead,
member of the Board of Supervisors. He
knew him well and spoke most highly of
him.
Another was the venerable Shadrach
Jackson, colored, who was for many years
sexton of the Presbyterian church. He
used to carry bricks for Mr. Fifer when he
built the Presbyterian manse.
MI. VIM. Crosby, the census enumeration
for Staunton, also knew the elder Fifer
: well.
Gov. Fifer has younger brother named
after that famous old Presbyterian minis
ter. Parson John Hendren, the father of
Judge Jno. n. Hendren.
$; Launching New Company.
Starmton will have thepleasure of launch
ing new company at the Opera House on
next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
nights. 1t is Tennyson & Dawsons
''Gift Carnival and Refined Special