The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-24
THE HOTEL CORRIDORS.
Opinions of Prominent Visitors Upon Va
rious Subjects.


rious Subjects
j. r. Price, of indianapolis, is regis
tered at the Ponce de Leon Hotel. In
conversation yesterday Mr.. Price said.
while my business interests often call
mo South, this is my first trip to Vir-
GINA. The entire State, | must say, is
an agreeable surprise to me. | had ex-
pected to see progress and development
going forward, bu, not to the extent
that have found. 1t is a remarkable
fact that while the oldest of the South
ern States. that heretofore it has been
the least developed. Treasures of
mineral wealth lie hidden beneath
your hills that exceed in wealth
the gold of Ophir or the gems of Col
conda. The delightful old Southern
civiliza ton in ante-bellum days was not
such as tended TO the development of
these resources, and consequently your
violetcrowned hills possessed little
value save for their beauty. But that
order is now changed and a great indus.
trial era has dawned upon the South,
and her possibilities are simply illimit-
able. In this great forward march of
progress Virginia is going to be in the
van.
Among the cities that have visited
in Virginia none of them impress me so
favorably as Roanoke. Your numerous
and handsome churches, magnificent
buildings and residences can but I'M
press the visitor with the fact that
Roanoke is on permanent solid founda-
ton that nothing can undermine. How
ever, there is one feature about your
town at which 1 am surprised. l see
that the principal streets of the city
are unpaved. BY this one thing a
stranger judges town very largely. If
your streets were paved it would add at
least hundred per cent. to the APP
pearance of the city. Otherwise Roa
noke is thoroughly metropolitan, not
as your citizens are progressive
and enterprising doubtless this defect
will soon be remedied. | am not only
pleased with Roanoke and the South,
but am fairly charmed by the people,
Everywhere have been met and vel.
coined with the greatest cordiality, and
when | return to my Northern home
shall carry with me the abiding convic.
ton that Virginia's reputation for hos
pitality is just"
Mr.. Price leaves for Indianapolis
Monday,
At the Hotel Roanoke yesterday was
a prominent Virginia gentleman, who
during the late war. was a member of
the 'Stonewall brigade" In converse
ton with citizen of Roanoke, with
whom he was talking over old war days,
he said: During Jackson's famous
valley campaign occurred an incident
that has probably been told often, but as
l NJ /
laughter. Stonewall was falling back
and Gen. Ashby was in command of his
cavalry. In the Federal army was an
Englishman. Sir Percy Wyndham, who
held the rank of colonel Of cavalry.
AS vain as peacock and anxious to
make for himself military reputation
he had more than once met Ashby's
command and came out worsted Chat
ing at this recollection he sot forth one
morning with a picked body of men. as
he expressed 1T, ITO bag Ashby" With
him he carried correspondent of
Northern journal to paint his achieve
ments in the brightest colors. Ashby
was in the rear, where he always staid
on retreat, and ere long Sir Percy
caught glimpse of him.
"At once his bugleman sounded the
charge and away they went after their
game. AsnDy not only stood his ground
but charged straight, at the head OF g
handful Of men, to meet him. While
Sir Percy was wondering at this fool
hardy daring troop that Ashby had
concealed on the flank OF the attacking
column charged him, and in less time
than it takes to record it had the gal
liant Englishman and his whole troop
"bagged."
THE colonel's rage and chagrin knew
no bounds, and as he passed back
through the lines, conspicuous for his
gorgeous uniform, the soldiers perceiv-
ing his i'll temper, set up the shout:
Look at the Yankee Colonel!" This
was the straw that broke the camers
back for of all things, vain OF his ma
tionality, he disliked most TO be mista.
ken for Yankee"
j. G. Ballard. OF Richmond, XIV. is