The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1892-01-15
Airy Tongues.

Henry Watterson lectured the other night IN
Bristol on Money and Morals" knowing
that his stock of either was very limited, ala
not expect much of lecture, but even then
was disappointed. Having heard so much
about his being an orator, one who has never
heard him would naturally expect to hear
something extraordinary, but, unless am very
| much mistaken, almost every county seat IN
Virginia can boast Of an orator who is quite
his equal on the platform, if the Bristo! effort
is fair sample Of his ability. The audience
was small, however, and not at all enthusiastic,
and this may, to certain extent, account for
the poor speech. Mr.. Watterson is evidently
deeply impressed with the idea that Mr.. wat
| terson is a very important parsonage; he dwelis
| with no little emphasis on the important part
that he claims to have played in the politics OF
tina country in the last few years, and relates
with much pomposity various stories about
his intimacy with many of the leading figures
of the day. This sounds rather ridiculous when
the frequent snubs he has been the recipient OF
at the hands of some of these gentlemen are
taken into consideration.
| In tine presidential campaign four years ago
Mr.. Watterson was invited to deliver an adj
dress before the Democratic students Of the
University of Michigan. The Southern stu
dents at that institution took great pride IN
sounding his praise about Ann Arbor, and no
effort was spared to give him warm greeting
in this, the great educational center OF the
northwest. great throng turned out to hear
the prophet of the star-eyed Goddess, whose
coming was so eagerly looked forward to by the
! Southern boys but, if there was ever dis
gusted set, it was these same Southern boys
after they had heard the cringing, cowardly
and contemplate speech of which Mr.. Waiter
son delivered himself that night. Their warm.
! loval hearts revolted with shame and mortifi-
cation that any man who was held in such es-
TEEN in the South as this man should have so
little manhood, should be so degraded as to
prove the traitor to his section that WattersOn
did that night.
GREETED the day he ever espoused the cause OF
the South; that he rejoiced that the armies OF
Lee and of jackson had suffered defeat. He
unblushingly apologized to these people for
ever taking up the cause Of his native state,
and stopped little short of villifying the men
and women of this dear Southland of ours for
pursuing the course they did in the dark days
of the rebellion. This may sound incredible,
but heard that speech with myown ears, and
shall never forget the feeling of shame and hu-
initiation experienced when did hear 1t, and
remembered that but a few hours before had
been uttering words of praise about him as
representative man of the South" None OF
| the Southerners who were then attendants at
the University of Michigan will ever forget the
incident; and, though now scattered all over
the country, have no doubt that they will all
| bear testimony to the truth of this.
| Mr.. I. T. Taylor has put up q new building
on Pearl street, which he is occupying as q
grocery store.
Mr. J. B. Dowden, Manager of the Big Stone
Gap Crate and Mantle Co., has resumed work,
after the holidays. He has purchased about
forty tons of old iron and scraps from the APP
palachian Furnace, and is now engaged in cast
ling twenty tons of pipe for that company for
Fits water line to the South Fork.
The regretted death of Mr.. James F. Peters,
President Of the Appalachian Furnace, which
occurred at Ironton, Obs, On Friday Of last
week, will not interiors with the progress Of
ofthe twork, aud its early going into bias, as
Mr.. BIRD and Dir. Ridenoar have been tha act
| i've msa during BIT. Peters, sickness. go.
Tho third and fonfsh sfoses ara Aaif tusa-
plesed, the ars. ana sseond being airsaay