The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-04

n.
srnn hot words, between Ferguson and
coi Thos j. Boyd, OF Vythc, respective
IL champions of heavy APPROPRIATION bills
for the Central and the Virginia ana rem
nessee railroads. Ferguson charged BOYD
witL trcachery 10 the internal improve
Wont LOG rolling compact OF the railroad
,r.nnhere The lie was given. and resent
I'd nv blow IN the hail just after adj
tournment But no blood was drawn, ind
fricnds made peace.
M. rnAcKfRi AND Mr.. RITcHIe.
think II was during this session that
Nr .lhackeray came 10 Richmond ana
delivered 10 crowded houses his famous
n,,morots lectures entitled THE Four
GEORGES" lie was treated with disin-
pushed consideration and hospitality oy
The Leading citizens OF the cry anu
,r,o,,r5 his weeks visit immensely. Mr..
ines LYONS. who llvd on Marshall street
I mink. on the corner Of seventh, enter
ed him AT dinner one evening, ana IN
yifod many members or the --tsssia'uie
TO call and be introduced 10 MI lhath.
ray before his lecture hour. MT. Lyons
t,in,ant and highly accomplished daugh-
tcrs uerc then single. and graced the re-
cention with their presence. making with
tbeir father. a group around me great
novel; never surpassed IN appeaiah.'
ard intellectual charms by any coie'ie
with which he was ever suffouhgtu 'Eeh
In fhc palaces OF 81. James or Buckiis-
MI Thackcray was physically model
rrrriinen OF the highest English type oil
cultivated manhood, win MS ROBUST Hs,
10 large head, ford complcXion ana
n.steivo crown OF iron-gray hair, ana
rfe uaanrcrs were as cordial as II ne had
t..n horn and reared in America, and
his conN ersotion as sparkling ana 'nifth,
provoking as HIS pen. Altogether ne ana
lis surroundings that evening male
lasting impression on my somewhat un-
sonhieticated mountain-bred mind ana
r,eoners "a / held a brief conversation
win him. my part Of II responsive 10 IN
0rlrics he made about the montana Tea
tnres of Virginia generally. but particu-
i,rirg the Natural Bridge and White
Srirbur Springs, as localities he would
Ike 90 visit. ,., -,-.-
1s1D-'f In Richmond. was q noted event
Trbe elder Mr.. Eitchic came over from
Washington on a visit 10 his sons, VIM.
y and This Richie, Jr., who were cd
fling the old Enquirer after their iather
removed 20 Washington city. n wider
field for the exercise Of his great edi-
Wiiiiam and TON" Richie entertained
their father at a banquet 10 which large
number Of legislators were invited The
place was the second noor or large brick
store house. but recently erected on the
y y. corner Of Broad and Fifth, Sixth.
or Seventh streets. | could point out the
building II I'm Richmond, but here nj home
cannot Identify the cross street on whlcn
n stood TIE room was more than 100
feet long. and over p broad. Two tables
extended its whole length. Judge John
Y. Mason, then President Of the James
River and Kanawha Company, and whose
hOspitable residence was on the = w.
corner Of Fifth and Cary streets PREF
sided. and read the toasts with his IN
Irritable humor and WI
OF course the first toast was TO tho
hcnored and distinguished guest "Old
Tom Richie as he was affectionately
called iy his political and personal
friends and ruefully respected and
feared by the Wings. But on this occa-
sion all partisanship was ignored. and
good fellowship and a common patriot.
ism predominated. The entertainment
for the physical man was superb. and
speech, song. anecdote, and fraternity
held the crowd till o'clock In tho morn
ing. Mr.. Ritchle's speech in response &c
the toast and Introduction of Judge Ma
son. chiefly retrospective and an opito-
mixed biography. delivered with great
mOdcsty, and intense feeling and pdtri-
otto fcrvOr chained his audience in the
profoundest attention 10 every sentence,
until silently pent-up emotions could no
longer he repressed. and would burst
out IN yells OF applause. no doubt awak-
ing the sleepers for many squares around.
larusVnship was for the nOnce lost right
Of. and that NireiEianism which eleven
years later united the hearts and hands
OF Wings and Democrats in defence o.
her sacred SOIL her love Of freedom ard
resistance TO tyranny, was foreshadowed
when the picture was drawn by this mas
tcr.hanG Of the lowering clouds ON tho
political horizon. portentOus Of the gath
cring storms Of fanatical wrath. even
then forging its thunderbOlts IA time 60
be hurled against the equal rights Of { II
the States Of our Unicn it was The last
time ever saw, and the only time / ever
heard Mr.. Richie. and the occasion left
on my mind the ine0aceable impression
that he WIS The greatest editorial read
or Of popular thought this country has
exception. Horace Greeley. but their
liVos were so divergent that II would be
hard to attempt parallel between them
OLD BUCK AND JUDGE MASON.
This mention Of Judge Mason recalls an
event OF two years later, 1852. Whit
Tunstall had then gotten the Richmond
ara DanNille railroad I'm operation &c
Jennings Ordinary. within four miles OF
BurkeNllle And as he. like all the Other
railroad Presidents. wanted more money
nom the state, he got up an excursion
train 10 take as many legislators as
Wouiu 80 10 the end of his completed
ROAD anu back, together with some prom
lnent Richmond men. John Y. Mason
was enc of these, and he had then al
ms house visiting statesman and u,
friend from Pennsylvania. 10 less a per
SCraBe u an James Buchanan who had
the Presidential Bee" in his bonnet
odd Buck With his ear-cutting shr
collar white starched muslin cravat
swalloW-tail coat. and high plug hat. was
as stir as ramrod." This did not
conform 10 Judge Masons 'dcas Of IN,
occasion. And after Introducing us al
personally 10 his guest on the train, h,
managed during the trip to form q con
splracy with most Of us. 10 the end tha1
Whch We reached the end OF our iourne,
up IN NOttOWdy, and got the edibles ano
turntables safely from the train out intt
inc broom-sage under some spreading
Old oaks, the fun should begin, and h,
ruined fast and furious until "Old Buck
would DE compelled TO unbend and laugh
We stayed there two hours, and, / sup
pose George Baghy or Polk Miller ncvel
surpassed that crowd In wit, anecdOte
ana mirth-provONng Stories gathered
from all quarters OF the Stale, from
Chesapeake Bay 10 the Ohio, and from
the Potomac TO Tennessee. Whit Tun
stall led off I'm a speech that set ever!
body TO laughing, except "Old Buck NJ
smile rippled his face, which had all th'
hxedness and determination that doubt
less always characterized II when he wa
a lay delegate 10 his local Presbytery be
fore which were pending resolutions o.
coincidence with the family Of an hon
ored and venerable pastor. who had re-
Gently been called hence 10 bette
world.
"Whit's" failure on the skirmish line
10 change the smile 10 draw out tn
enemy. called up Judge Mason on toast
who concentrated all his forces for a di
rect assault on "Old Bucks" impertuba
bility. knowing the determined resist
ance he had TO overcome he had loaded
himself with regulation charge OF aoot
"Old Rye" on top OF which he was filled
10 the muzzle with gravity tr0yine
proicctiles to be discharged at point-blanl
range into "Old Buck a typical speci
men Of all mOrOse and incorrigible ole
bachelors. When the Judge opened fire
"Old Buck" was leaning his shoulder
against multi-centurien white oak like
a rLnnf efalnamiiic iclcle so To sneak