Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-08-12
A Ryhmed Letter.
ADDRESSED TO GEN. JOHN ECHOLS, ASK
ING FOR A FREE PASS OVER HIS
RAILROAD.

ING FOR A FREE PASS OVER HIS
RAILROAD.
from the N Y. Recorder.l
Mai Henry L. Stanton, author of 1.-The Mon
eyleSs Man. and other clever poems, recently
wrote an extremely bright and funny letter to
Gen. John Echols, president of the Newport
News and Mississippi Valley Railway Com
pany, in making application for pass. The
novel communication is in rhyme. Gen. Ech-
obs. whose name, by the way, adorns the reso-
buttons of secession adopted by the State OF
Virginia, and who was prominent figure IN
tile Confederate military forces throughout the
war, told the Recorder reporter OF the Incl
dent while the two were thrown together in
travelling last week.
at the close of the war, and | have always
been very fond of him. Last Spring he came
to my Office and asked me for an annual pass
over my load. / said, i'll fun, to him: When
you go back to Frankfort wlite me note,
setting forth your wishes Very soon l re-
ceived Il written Application for the annual
pass, in reply to watch | wrote him a note,
telling Ail.l THAT would refer his application
to the lawyers OF the company, to advise me
whether it would be violation of the Inter
state Commerce law for me to issue the pass
as requested. 1t was in reply to that letter
that lie wrote me this letter, and the General
produced the following, which he allowed the
Recorder reporter to copy:
FRANKFORT, KY, March 30, 1892.
My Dear General: Your letter is here, and
very much fear that it's the very last word
that | ever will hear of that annual pass
and the rich should be SIGH. Now, if were
mogul, and if you were tramp, and the
journey were long and the weather was damp
don't you know would say in Christian
nothing to pay" Do you think I would
pause to examine a clause Of the corporate
laws and call in my shysters to make ''talkee
talk" in search OF statute to prove you should
walk? Nay, nay, my dear friend, for you
know very we'll that I'd grab at the String and
tinkle the bell, and I'd scream and I'd yell to
'Put on the brake" for humanity sake, and
when had brought the old thing to a stand
I'd stretch out my hand and I'd help you
aboard, and ia see you from walking COM
pletelY restored. I'd seat you on elegant cush-
ions inside; I'd give you drink and I'd say
you shall ride on plain, and through valley
by field and by river, now on and hencefortl
and forever and ever.
They say that a charter on iron to roll is a
thing without sentiment, sorrow Or soul; that
it goes right ahead, by the living and the dead
in merciless way for "pay," only 'spay. y
1t has corporate life and can move, but ii
can never love-.
Its pulses are quick, OF are slow, but pas
sion's a thing that it never can know. Now
you are the head and the front of charter-a
human turned into 'stop her OF start her.
a railroad machine and possible martyr; but
you OF c. were endowed with heart and soul
above that poor Office of gathering toll. You
could feel for tramp when he travelled alone
and when he said dread you could never say
s'stone.'' But now you are changed; you are
cinder and coal, with nothing but iron gone
into your soul.
Like old Polyphemus, who wanted to eat
the whole of the crew OF Ulysses fleet, you
are fond of the brave" and when you are
hungry it's easy to see you'd willingly make
small luncheon OF me, that is YOU would
take the last ''red'' in my wallet for one hap
by moment to tickle your gullet.
Now let me observe that I still have the
nerve, and the muscle to walk, and the brain
and the tongue, and the power to talk, and
while have these shall not be clam, but III
walk on your ties and won't care d-n.
Your legal advisers, those grabbers and mi
serS, those fellows you hire to do your desire
and all the rough work to be done for youI
line, no doubt will decline to let you be de-
cent and issue the pass and then IN a glass OF
old Monarch, OF Crow they'll drink to the
health of the man that can't go, unless he
goes slow.
Well. let them decide that the walker shan't
ride, for it's nothing to me in the end, since
know it is best to go slow.
Some day, on my way, | may halt at the
Calf and pay my respects to my friend, Mis-
tress E., for know it's not she who gives moth
ing but sass when ask for a pass. Pray tell
her that bottle of ssMonarch'' is here and I'll
drink it to her. I'll 90 for some sugar and mint
and some ice and I'll fix up toddy exceed
ingly NICE and I'll drink every drop to her
health and wish her the widow CT beauty and