Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-17
A GLIMPSE AT FACES
Prominent Virginians Pointed Out to
a Party of Visitors.
SOME QUAINT DESCRIPTIONS.
Interesting Stories OF Martin, Lee' oar"-
well. and Others Told by q Rich
rnond Man.

THAT is Hon. Thomas S. Martin" The
remark was made by a gentleman who.
was dining with a party OF northerners
/ at the Exchange Hotel not many days
/ ago. The time WAS just when the IA
mIiar old hosiery was crowded ana
TANNED with the politicians and Office
/ seekers. embryo statesmen and others at
! tracted by curiosity" from all four cor
/ ners OF the state. The dinins-hall pre-
! sented TO the view simply sea or human
faces. as the big doors had not long been
open and most of the country delegates
having ACQUIRED a city appetite. were on
hand carly for their dinner. Below in
I the Office the picture was pretty much on
/ the order Of a cage containing many
parrots and monkeys. However. this con-
dition was not apparent, for the assem-
} bIage was one, as 1 have before said
OF politicians and slick-tongued fellows
whose patriotism" had reached such alb
normal proportions that they had left
their farms and stores ana offices to
come to the capitol city to work for
| their friends" Such was the status of
affairs on the day TO which l refer.
|
! yes" said the speaker, who was
well-known Richmonder, "the gentleman
who Just entered the hall. with the short
thick frame. the high, classic brow, very
! light hair, and the hard, determined
mouth Is MIR. Martin. who is opposing
| General Fitzhulh Lee for the United
! States Senate. IL is said that Mr.. Mar
! tin never makes a political speech, but
that his capacity for carrying a measure
| through and for engineering a campaign
IS remarkable. He is always as you see
! him-cam, collected, conservative" The
others eyed with some curiosity the gen
! tleman, who as IL has since proved was
/ TO become the next United States Sena-
! tor from Virginia. The speaker cOntin-
ued: 1T is SAID that Mr. Martin remarked
| 10 some friends a few days ago that he
would go into the Democratic caucus
| with Sc vote. and would receive the nOmi-
! nation with 65. l am not a Martin man,
but must admit that his calculations sell
| dom fall short" 1t will be remembered
that MIR. Martin received 80 votes on the
first ballot IN the caucus end was nomi-
/
| 66. lie had therefore lost one on the
first ballot, but gained it on the sixth
Now who is the tall man with the long
| Prince-Albert coat, the Corbett-like arms
the long dropping brow, the steady blue
eyes, and the dark moustache and chin
whiskcrs? No, he wears no siders." The
questioner was New Yorker who had
never been to Richmond before but who
always delighted in acquiring knowledge
OF Nrginians and their affairs.
"IIon. r. H. Cardwel, Speaker OF the
| House of Delegates, and one OF the best
| hearted fellows you ever saw. Why, it
| would be the most glorious thing that
| could happen TO this old Commonwealth,
| speaking from a Democratic standpoint,
| especially IL the people in every county
| could have "A Dick" CardWell among
them. lie comes from Hanover that
| county so productive of statesmen, sweet
| potatoes, and watermelons. When Mr..
| Cardwell goes home he exercises the same
| sort of influence over everything around
| him that he does here. He is a fine law
| yer makes an excellent presiding officer,
| is a good hand between the ploughshares,
and Is a capital good speaker. Why, when
he came before his people for reelection
| last fall he went on TO tell them what he
! had done for them and the great number
| OF things that he had begun, but had
not had the time to complete and showed
| them how absolutely necessary it
was for him to 10 back to the Legisla-
| ture to finish his work and the CONT na-
| ton of all the Populists and Republicans
| Of Hanover county, assisted BY the "hur-
| rahs' and other demonstrations Of these
| parties in a large portion of King WI
| liam did not have as much effect as
gentle breeze would have had upon a
| Chinese wall. lie was elected by an over
| whelming majority over one of the most
/ popular men in the ranks of the Third
party, and here he is"
These descriptions had aroused the curl
| osity and interest OF the visitors, and they
| asked innumerable questions about the
| different prominent Nirginians, as they
| entered the dining-room.
| A short, heaVy-set man with n rudy
| face almost white moustache and goatee,
| pranced down the long strip of carpeting
| extending from one end of the hall to the
| other Every eye In the dining-room
turned toward the newcomer. There were
salutations on all sides. Everybody
| seemed TO know the gentleman in the
| natty-grey suit as he passed the rows OF
tables. His air was that OF a soldier
He was jolly, jovlal, popular Fitz Lee.
| His bearing was superb, HIS maner ana
| BILE, his greetings TO all refreshing and de-
| lightful 4 pretty young woman from
| Brooklyn who was among the party
| with womaH-like assurance remarked at
| once: THAT is General Fitzhugh Lee. l
have never even seen so much as picture
OF him before in my life, but l know 1t
must be Lee"
Eyes" replied the gentleman. who It
seemed had been chosen as the encyclo-
pedia of the occasion, THAT Is our Fitz.
OF him every Virginian is proud. But
love for Fitzhugh Lee Is not confined TO
Virginia alone. He is admired every
where He never appears before an audi
ence OF any character without thrilling the
very heart of Il and setting up the great
est sort OF enthusiasm. When Mr.. Cleve-
land was last inaugurated President OF
A this nation General Lee was asked to com
mand the Third Brigade of the procession,
and he did 50. The result was that Mr..
Cleveland would not have known that he
was in the parade II he had been close
10 our Fitz. He looked superb as he sat
upon his prancing steed and rode through
the long streets of Washington on that
dreary, snowy day. with his head barred as
he received the applause of the assembled
thousands from either side Of the tho
roughfares.
20. by the way, while talking about
General Lee. | almost forgot to tell you
| about that gentleman I'm the suit OF brown
who has just taken his seat. No, no, i
mean this Observation-Disclosures man with
the somewhat auburn hair, moustache,
and goatee He is the present Lieuten-
ant-Governor, j. Hoge Tyler one OF the
most popular men In Virginia. He Is from
the southwestern part OF the state. and
aside from being well versed In matters
financial. agricultural. and mineral, Is one
of the most jovial and delightful converse
tionalists you would ever like to know.
He comes from distinguished Virginia
family q, yes, he has played Il very
prominent part I'm the politics OF the old
! Commonwealth I'm recent years. In fact,
IN the last gubernatorial convention he
received several hundred votes for Gov
ernor. But there is one thing about Hoge
Tyler-he has always got a joke TO tell
you. No matter when you see him or
what the circumstances may be, he must
tell one. ! remember very distinctly the
night OF the last convention when he
had Just been defeated in the fight for
the nomination for Governor. he was sent
for and came into the big convention hall
amid storm OF applause. After express
ing his surprise that the Democrats OF
Virginia would not take "a good thiHg
when they could get It," he at once told
one OF his favorite jokes. AS nearly as
remember Il ran as follows: General
somebody once made the remark that the