The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-28
HELP The MOUNTAlNEERS.
Great Distress Among the People Burned
Out by the Forest Fires.
SYSTEMATIC AID SHOULD Be GIVEN,
Hon. John Randolph fuckers Seventy
Second Birthday-The Chesapeake
and Ohio Doing flushing
Freight Business.

LEXINGTON, VA, Dec. H.-Speclal.-
Some months ago mountain fires swept
over a large area IN the Blue Ridge
Mountains, on the line dividing ROCK
bridge and Amherst counties. In some
sections the poor mountain people were
literally burned out Of homes crops
destroyed. and all their stock and I'M
plements burned, and the people made
practically homeless. and as a result
there has been much suffering from
the fire.
These people have no influential friends
that will help them, and CAL atteh-
ton TO the fact here, that II may be-
come known that there Is field open
IA orr charitably-dispOscd people TO rem
der aid where II IL much needed. Ihere
was a family Of thes people In town yes
terday, begging for aid and the tale OF
suffering they related-and l know Whdl
| they say is true from reliable source
of informatiOn-Was most piuaDle TO us
| ten 10.
some organized effort should be made
/ 10 render these people aid. hhey are
located far back in the mountain fast
nesses. and see but little of the outside
world. II there are any who would
! Ike 20 contribute TO their succOr l would
/ suggest that the money. clothing. OF other
| aid be sent % some well-knOWn cltzeh
/ Of Buena Vista tthe nearest point 10 'he
| territory burned over, say Captain JACK
| Talley. who, no doubt, would see that IL
was properly distributed.
HON. JOHN RANDOLPH TUCKER.
ON Christmas-Eve. "Blandome," the
hospitable home OF the Hon. and Mrs.
j. Randolph Tucker was the scene OF
| brilliant gathering OF the children
| and grandchildren OF the host and host
ess. the occasion being the celebration Of
| the seventy-second birthday Of the Hon.
| John Randolph Tucker, who was born on
| the 2ith day Of December, 1873.
| Mr.. Tucker was the honored recipient
| OF many congratulations from his family
circle in having reached the ripe old
age in the full possession of his physical
and mental powers, that are to-day as
vigorous and unimpaired as many emf
nent men many years his junior. he
| is truly one Of the wonderful old men
| of our day, and gives promise of many
years yet of activity ana usefulness.
| The loss of such a man would be felt
! both by the State and nation, his long
| experience. sound Judgment in matters
| of public policy, and great learning. make
him the peer OF any statesman of the
day. and at the critical crisis that now
confronts our nation such a man as }.
| Randolph Tucker on the proposed com
mission to settle the disput" between
| America and EnglanG over the Venezuela
matter, would be a wise selection.
HEAVY FREIGHT BUSINESS.
was talking to a railroad man, con-
nected with the freight service OF the
1
| day. and he told me that the freight
business on the Jamos-Riycr Division OF
| that road was heavier than it had been
since the road had been built. He said
| that during the past few days there had
| been ten or twelve additional operators
placed on the line, at new offices opened
| and that al a given point-Balcony Falls
the average number of loads going East
| consisting of coal and general merchan-
disc. ran up in the five and six hum
/ dreds. ] understand that the freight
yards at Clifton Forge are blocked with
! a thousand to twelve hundred cars Of
| freight ready to be moved East.
| THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.
Last night there was thunder and
/ lightning storm through this section, ac-
| cOmpanied by a heavy wind and an un-
| usually heavy fall Of rain. The wind has
moved to the northwest, and the Their
| m0meter IS dropping from the sixty-de-
| gree mark, where 1t has been for ten
| days. and the prospects arc that the
| freezing-point will be reached before the
|, twonty-four hours are passed.
| Professor James A. Harrison. OF the
| University Of Virginia faculty. for years
connected with the faculty of Washing
| ton and Lee University with his family
| spent the Christmas here.
Mr. Ross, Of the Norfolk Wa.) bar, a
| graduate of the ". and j.. T.. law
school. spent Christmas here with his
| parents, Colonel and Mrs. j. d. a..
| Ross.
! Mr.. George Booghor, formerly connect
| ed with the telegraph service Of the Nor
| folk and Western railroad. leaves to-
| morrow for ST. Louis. No, where he
| goes TO accept a position as operator
| with the Bridge and TuInn Company.
| OF that city.
| Miss Dimple Carmichael Is home for
| the holidays from Baltimore, where she
| IS studying music and art.
There is some talk OF an additional
| train on the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. between this point and Staunton.
| the new tram to leave here at say, D
| o'clock in the afternoon. and run TO
| Staunton by L. NJ, where the train
would lay over for the night. and leave
| there the next morning at o'clock, run
| ming local. reaching this point by 10.