Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-09
CAPT. FRANK'STRAMP
Warmly Commended For Ills Sympa.
Thy and Deeds Of Charity.
PITIFUL LOOKING WANDERERS.
Fleeing from the Heartiess Hardships and
Cruelties of Dredgers-Tho wash
ington Monument.
Correspondence of the Dlspatch)


CONFORM, KING GEORGE COUNTY,
VA, December s.-The staffordians and
all who attended the entertainment at
Stafford Courthouse on the evening OF
Thanksgiving-Day were highly pleased
with Captain Frank Cunningham and his
splendid singing. The Richmond singer
has been commended far and wide for
his tender sympathy and deeds OF genuine
charity for the poor tramp whom he
found at Stafford Courthouse and carried
with him to Richmond for the purpose Of
restoring the wanderer to higher walks
and nobler aims In life.
Tramps have been so much more nu-
merous here this fall than ever before
that citizens have become curious 10
know where they come from, and also
why 50 many abie bodied. intelligent white
men are wandering about the highways
begging for bread. DR.. T. T. Arnold, OF
this county. who resides on the thorough
fare mostly travelled by them, and who
feeds more tramps than any other one
man here, has catechised quite q number
OF these pitiful-looklng wanderers as TO
tho cause Of their condition, and all tell
ing TO be fleeing from dredging vessels OF
the Chesapeake bay and Potomac river.
DESERTIoN.
According TO their statements these So
called tramps left Baltimore and other
cities early in the fal! and engaged with
droGgers for the season, but they were
50 cruelty treated on the vessels that de-
sertlon became their only alternative.
One gang after another state that the
dredging boats have mixed crews-soune
white men and some nesroes-and that
the masters OF the vessels allow the ne
groes to impose upon the whites, not
only unnecessary hardships, but the most
cruel ana inhuman treatment. They de-
clare that the colored members Of the
crews thrash the whites most shame
fully, and never permit them to take
their meals until the darkies have eaten,
and then they have 10 eat only the scraps,
&c, left by the negroes The writer can
not vouch for the correctness OF these
statements. but certain II is that these
poor. wandering white men bear unmis-
taxable evidences Of very bad treatment
at the hands of somebody, and as tho
tales OF woe told by one gang are nearly
always identical 20 the statements made
by other gangs, even from remote points,
our people are In full sympathy with the
deserving dredgeTs. although II is believed
that the captains who allow, aid, ana
abet such treatment to their employees
are foreigners and not the Virginia
dredgers. This opinion ID strengthened by
the trumps' own statements.
SPANKED.
An old grudae between two citizens OF
this county lcrTnluated the other day IN
fogpfng administered according TO the
most modern methods known. The men
had quggrelled, threatened, challenged
figured In the courts, and thirsted Tor
each others gore until patience ceased
10 be A virtue, but somehow they could
not get together. Meanwhile, fire broke
out In the neighbJrhood, which threat
aned widespread ruin. The neishbors
rushed to the scene to eXtingush the
flames. Here the two enemies met. and
when the fire rachcd the premises OF one
OF them, he forgot his menaced property
and promptly turned his attention 10 his
oil enemy, saying: "Oh, yes, old fellow,
I've got you just where i long have
c{Cyed to get yOu-on my own land
tfl this little Informal prelulc he
swung his neighbOr across hts lap, uu-
buttoned and removed piece by piece his
captive's wearing apparel, and then. with
a limb OF brush, proceeded 10 apply the
rod upon the naked hide" The fellow
that was a fair way % fight, anyhow; but
he "had the presence Of mind not to
hght a man on his own soil"
Several mad-dogs rrded the stock on
a number OF farms again a few days ago.
\ fine hog belonging to Captain, Henry
EudsOr, near this place, died several days
after ii was bitten. 1t IS supposed that
many dogs were bitten las, week. and
some Of them have been killed, while
others are kept confined and clos ~
watched. The county officials have paid
but little If any attention to rabid dogs
Stree hydrophDba made It's appearance
here several years ago, although much
damage has resulted from the disease,
and people and farm animals are in
danger OF being bitten at any time.
The members Of Potomac Baptist church
gave an oyster-supper and musical enter
tainment last Tuesday night, and realized
a nice little sum Of money for church
purposes.
ENTHUSIASTIC.
The people Of the Northern Neck are
very enthusiastic over the Washington
monument. soon to be erected at Wake
field, in Westmoreland county. IL IS now
thought that Messrs. John Crawford &
Son, Of Buffalo, y. Y, will do the work.
and that 1t will cost from $1,000 to $1,000.
II is safe to predict that the unveinng
ceremonies VIII be the most imposing
affair ever witnessed in the Northern
Neck, and are looked forward to with
intense anxiety and pleasure.
Five thousand cases Of canned tomatoes
were shipped to New York this week from
the canning establishment in Richmond
county, per the schooner Amelia Hearn.
MORE POPULAR.
The telephoue-line running from the
Chesapeake bay through the counties OF
the Northern Neck to Fredericksburg is
becoming much more popular, and Is more
highly appreciated now than ever before.
BY 1t the people Of the Neck are brought
In closer touch, and its great usefulness
Is now realized and acknowledged, even
by fogies, who hitherto regarded it as
very foolish and needless thing. Important
business communications and local items
Of public interest which were formerly
several days in transit are now 'phoned
over the Neck IN a few minutes. It Is
hoped that telephone offices Will be estab-
lshed at many more pOst-oiiices along
the line In the near future. SO that the
people OF every community may share the
accommodations afforded by the enter
prise.
4 number Of fattened hogs have died
here within the past week.. and, 50 far,
IL has not been determined what the dis
fe 4 70 cftI1auly showing