Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-07-24
LOCAL.
THE LEXINGTON UNWILLING.
OVER TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE
PRESENT.

PRESENT.
THE SCENES IN THE TOWN-THE DECORA-
TIONs-CEREMONIEs OF THE DAY
LOUD COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANS
PORTATIoN FACILITIES OF THE BALTI-
MORE & oHIo-PICKPoCKETs ON THE
GROUND.
&C, &C., &C.
Reported for the Staunton VINp1cAToR1
LEXINGTON, July 21st.
This little town has never seen such a
crowd as it saw to-day, and it is fair to say
no town Of its size in Virginia could
have tried harder or done better to make
10000 people comfortable. Every place
that you could pay to get in, had long been
filled before the sun set yesterday after
noon and private residences had taken in
guests by the thousand. Of course there
were many inconvenience, but none that
can be laid to the charge of Lexington OF
its people. The train on which / came
left Staunton at 7:30 this morning, having
on board large body Of the 5th Va. infan-
try of the old StOneWall Brigade. 1t was
followed by a train bringing the Maryland
veterans and both trains ran through with
out stopping at way stations. stopping
would have done no good, for though the
way station platforms were crowded with
people waiting passage to Lexington, the
platforms and interior of the cars were
damned and there was not room for more
passengers. When we arrived at the Lex
ington depot there was an immense crowd
there, which was good indication of what
we would see when we got up town. The
veterans on board were received and
marched straight to the Washington Il
Lee University grounds.
THE SCENES AND THE DECORATIONS
The streets, OF rather the Main street of
the town-for as in all celebrations the crowd
tenaciously chung to the thoroughfare
through which the procession was to pass
was packed. All along it could be seen
the preparations that had been made by the
town to receive it's visitors. At every
corner was barrel Of Ice water with big
block of ice in it, adoZen tin dippers hanging
around its edge, and a colored man whose
sole business it was to see that it was kept
full. On either side of the street were
lunch stands at which the hungry veterans
might buy a substantial lunch with lemon
ade or coffee for a small sum. Some of
these lunch stands were under sheds erect
ed against private residences, the number
of faces at whose windows indicated that
more were being fed by the hospitality
within than at the lunch stand without.
One house which had been made ready for
the occasion by the removal of all the fur
niture, save that in the parlor, had been
imprOvised into an ice cream saloon and
was thronged all day. On the front of it
was a sign with letters two feet high,
''Jackson's House." 1t was the residence
of Stonewall Jackson when he lived here
Tt is a three story house, plain and rough
looking, which probably was once all
stone, but which has in latter days had
brick front put to it, with the stone side
walls still remaining. This house had
more visitors from abroad than any other
in Lexington, if l except the room at the
V. M. l. in which Jackson taught his class
and which was visited by a continuous
stream of visitors all day long. Next in
number OF visitors came the Memorial
Chapel which contains the tomb and re-
cumbent statue of Robert E. Lee, which I
was told had been visited since Saturday
morning by 1000 persons.
| The room in which jackson taught his
section at the Y. M. L., was thronged all
day. The chair he used was hung with
flowers. On blackboard in the room was
written, He fought q good fight" On
another blackboard was written, "Lieuten-
ant General Jackson's body laid in state in
this tower May IA, 1868, land next was q
printed order of the funeral procession.
On another blackboard was s'Major Thorn
as J. Jackson, elected to the chair of exper-
mental philosophy and military tactics.
1851
The decorated street and grounds through
which the procession was to pass, showed
hundreds of attractive designs, and some
which deserved the name of grand-especi-
ally the triumphal arch. AS the Augusta
veterans got off the cars the first they saw
was a broad banner stretched across the
street near the station with s'Welcome
heroes of may battles" When they reach
ed their headquarters at the Washington &c
Lee University grounds they found others
some beautiful, some quaint. The impos-
ing entrance of the University with it's
grand pillars was decorated with bunting
of red, white and blue, AID in the centre
swung an immense national flag. For
some forty feet on either side the space
was tastefnlly decorated, and in the centre
of each panel thus made was life-size
picture of Lee and jackson. One of the
most striking decorations was a green
terrace in front of the residence of Prof.
Quarles, on which was the name ''Stone-
wall Jackson" in peonies, each letter being
made with a different colored flower.
In front of the Lee Memorial Chapel was
q large tree bearing the sign "Rebel's Re-
treat, " and under it's shade veterans were
being servedslemonade, coffee and lunch.
In front of Prof. Whites house was q
large cedar arch ornamented with bunting.
AS you walked up the Main street you
could see decorations everywhere. The
Irvine House, a hotel, was profusely deco
rated, and Vignette on shield on It's
front was two Union and Confederate sol
diers clasping hands over the National flag.
There was an arch across Main street op-
posite the court house on which were pic
lures of Lee and Jackson and this inscrip-
ton:
ssFrom the field of Death and Fame
Borne upon his shield he cane.'
There were several banners stretched
across this street. On one appeared Jack
son s telegram after the battle of McDnw-