Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-01-13
Letter From Nec York.
NEW YORK, Jan. md, 1892

NEW YORK, Jan. md, 1892.
10 DE Editor Of he Free Press
Dear Sir: Permit me, through your col
umns, to correct some misleading Statement
made in the Spirit of the 22nd ult., in So
called report of the Charles Town Dinner,
aud which have Just been brought to my
attention as possibly ipjuring our Society
in the eyes of these whose opinions we most
prize. The Report" deteriorates into
maudlin, barbaric yawp as to the spirit that
brought lis together, description OF how
the writer thereof found his way home de-
spite swimming in his head, caused by
smoking to many strong cigars w If 1t
was through his large and much swollen
that he saw the proceedings of that evening
then there is little wonder to be expressed
at his inaccurate statements.
desire first of all, as the organizer OF
the Charles Town Society, and the member
who is, perhaps, most closely in touch with
all the other members, to throw upon the
writer of that article, and upon him alone,
the responsibility for the following SEN
tence: "For fear that some of the good peo-
pie in Charles Town whom we, that expe-
rience has enabled to form more liberal
ideas of the world, think bit strait-laced,
&c" Speaking for the other members OF
the organization, | disclaim any such feel
ing towards the home people. Contact with
the residents of New York has not led us to
believe that they are any better, or truer, or
brighter, or more liberal than the Home
folk. for whom we cherish the highest love
and admiration. We hope our friends in
Charles-Town will only regard the sentence
above.q quoted rs an admirable illustration
of what dangerous thing "a little knowl-
edge" or "a little experience" may be, es-
pecially when we remember that the begin
ming of the residence of the writer of the
report" in New York dates back only some
eight months.
Those same large Is Of his must have
multiplied his own glass into good many,
if he saw much drinking that evening. So
temperate was the crowd that it called forth
the following from our Chairman, Mr..
Rouss: "Where could we find another group
of young men as admirable as this? Only
five of them are drinking, and of that five
three drink beer, which is the next thing to
water"
For the benefit Of your readers | will say
that in addition to the few mentioned by the
author of the report" there were present
Messrs. E. P. Kennedy, Andrew Kennedy,
John Kennedy, Scott Mcknight, 4. NJ. Nc
Knight, w. II. LaBoyteaux, Charles La
Boyteaux, and F. B. Beall of Berryville.
also desire to deny, absolutely, the au-
thorship of the poem attributed to me. The
Poem" was written in response to a tele-
graphic request, was produced in fifteen
minutes, and found its way into print by
accident.
In conclusion, allow me 10 suggest TO the
young man of literary aspirations that he
request his mother Ia dress his English be-
fore he again rushes into print; otherwise
he may incur the danger of arrest by Mr..
Anthony Comstock for indecent exposure.
Or if lie did not write the article, that he
had best not sign anything in the future
until he is quite sure that the real author is
not guying him. Respectfully,
!. HARRY BEAlL.