Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-09
WAR RELICS FOUND.
THE TELEGRAPH BOTTLE AND IT'S
POsT-BELIUM USES.
A variety of Curfosities Thnt were
Unenrthed by Farmer-s""s
sums of MOney-The
Neck Railroad Enterprise.

thew A lady In this neiBnpo'h"O" 10"
lust found what was called here tnirts
wears ago a telegraph bottle IL 70
a, insulator from one Of the telegraph
noles of an unfinished line estabilsheh
across this county By the Yankees aDoul
,ss, and. compared with telegraph ltso-
,ators Of the present day, is a very curl
ous-looklng thing. Thirty years ago ines
Telegraph bottles" were quite common III
the homes here, and were by some
families put to various uses honieS
which were invaded and ransacked py un-
nrincInled soldiers were placed wnere
necessity WAS the mother OF invention
and I'm many OF these homes the only
oandlestlck or candle-stand was an IN
verted Telegraph bottle with candle
made Of beeswax and tallow, nicely ht'ed
in the hole intended for the lhsuia'or
min. Although these top-heaVy cahule-
sticks answered a fine purpose Wheh
rothlng else could be had TO I'll the
hin. they gradually dropped out OF use
as times grew better. and were soon 20
entirely forgotten that the one receh'ly
brought 10 light near this place Is re-
earded as an inestimable little curiosity
N weighs two pounds, or more Is very
dark-green in color, and IN shape RESENT
bles a modern 'stove-pipe' nat WIN
brim turned down all around AS re-
hinder of the darkest period In the MS
torv OF this section II IS pretty parlor
orr,rnent and one could scarcely ina
oine or crave nicer and better paper
weight or pen-hoider, or paper-Welsht
and pen-holder combined.
ANOTHER FIND.
And even the wild woods about here
stui give ND every now and then some
long-hidden relic Of war-tlmes ana army
paraphernaIia In clearing a piece OF
new ground some time ago farmer I'M
eartbed n decayed muslSet, a mouldy car
tridge-box. and "A rusty cahteeh-sui
living together under the rotten remains
OF a huge gum-lOg. The WoodWolk Oh
the old drearm would not bear handling,
and rust and canker had long since got
Ten the best OF the metal parts. though
enough remained intact to show that the
gun was loaded and capped when 1t was
laid TO rest Time and rust have 50 I'M
haired the old canteen that not scent
or trace remains to tell whether John
RarIevcorn or some other NATIVE drink
oncupied IL last The leather cartridge
box and contents are remarkably Wen
preserved, considering the lapse OF thirty
or more years and seems 10 have been
used and laid away by most careful
hands.
VARIOUS CURIOSITIES.
Close by an old camp-ground another
farmer lately ploughed up long tin
box containing a variety or curious
things. which must have been buried du-
ring the war \ partial set Of artificial
teeth. a pair OF scissors, several needles,
two keys, some buttons. pocket-book
filed with tobacco. a pipe, and one odd
earring occupied one end, and what
was In the other end is a secret known
only TO the finder. but ii is believed that
Il contained nothing OF any real value.
The farmer who found This box had so
| long INDUCED midday dreams OF finding
a fortune, and, indeed, had so long lived
on the hope of suddenly striking streak
OF luck" that when his ploughshare
brought TO the surface this hidden
treasure" he tucked it under his arm
and hied away TO a solitary thicket TO
count his wealth" laying to his poor,
tired soul the hattering JUNCTION that he
would no longer have 20 toll and sweat
for his meat and bread. There is nothing
about the contents OF this box to indi-
ca te when or by whom II was buried, bat
on one end Of the box itself appears these
letters and figures: "B. i. l. n. DIN
except the artificial teeth everything the
box contained can be bought for % cents
cash. lie hopes TO find some one whom
the dental plate will fit. and in that way
get big money out OF the curiosities.
SUMS OF MONEY.
Many little cUrloslues and some articles
| OF value nave been found from time 10
| time 10 this and adjacent counties ever
| since the war closed, and 1t is an open
secret that parties have found snug sums
| Of money in one or two Instances. One
| poor man, "A few years back, grubbed up
enough money to pay for cosey little
home for himself and family, and,
having never before owned a home.
| his find made him just the happiest old
| citizen in all that neghborhood.
Another homeless but hard-work
| ing farmer ploughed up a hun
dred or two dollars, and eager
| 10 increase his wealth, invested every
| dollar i'm hired labor 10 dig up the whole
country about him in search tor more,
and In sixty days he was a poorer and
wiser cid soul than ever before.
But II no more war-relics are found,
and. indeed, IL none had been found in
| these parts since 1895, the great-great-
grandchildren OF those who passed
through the ord al OF war can hardly
forget what sort Of a thing the war was
here, for nearly every old homestead has
| relics" which were obtained while the
conflict was going on. Cannon-balls, fras-
ments Of exploded shells, bent and bat
| tered bullets, sabres. bayonets, canteens
buttons, coolSing-utensils, and all man
ner OF "tTinkets." picked up on the Old,
| deserted camp-grouuds IN war-tlmes have
| been preserved and handed down 10 sue
| cceding generations as relies so that
| The "relic-hnding' business now Is by 10
| means essential 20 the perpetuatlOn Of
war-memories here. Ingenious HOUSEWIFE
| have turned to some use many OF tnese
| little things, so that they may be use
ful as well as ornamental" and that
they may be appreciated by their chill
| Gren.
| THE RAILROAD SCHEME.
| The June term OF the King George Coun-
| ~ Court convened Thursday, and owing
| 10 the heavy rain the previous evening,
| which made the soil too wet TO cultivate
1 A very large crowd was In attendance.
| Every section OF the county was repre-
| scented on the green, and a goodly num-
Der Of visitors from Westmoreland, caro-.
| line, Stafford. and Fredericksburg ADDED
| to the multitude. The Northern Neck
| railroad scheme was the absolute topic,
and was probably more generally dis
| cussed by the masses than ever before.
| The recent proposition 10 submit TO the
/ qualified voters OF the county the ques-
/ ton OF King Georges taking $4,000 stock
| In the proposed road brought out the
| anti-railroad citizens in fun force, and
| they were by no means 'mealy mouthed
| about the proposition. But II was appar-
| ent that the opposers OF such a measure
| were in the minority. and that they num-
| bered still less later in the evening, when
| the whole question had been fully eX-
planned and made to appear exceedingly
fair and plausible.
The grand jury Indicted several parties
| for the violation Of law, true bills" being
| found against some for selling intoxi-
| cants in violation OF the local-option law.
LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE.
The Law and Order League OF King
George held business meeting while
| the court was IN session. and among
| other matters OF Importance Initiated
| number OF new members. As before
49,. h. ArsrR