The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-10-10

happened to be In The yard. In the dense
crowd was an old patriarch. who probably
never saw a ship a cannon before in his life.
He walked all around the big guns, examined
them very carefully, and seeing string hang
ing from the breech csrelessly took hold of it
and pulled it. 1t was the lanyard Wasn't
there circus2 The big gun went of. the dirt
and chips few 80 feet nigh, everybody yelled,
and the officer in charge of firing the salute
'cussed until he was out of breath. The poor
old fellow who was the innocent cause of all
tho rumpus jumped higher than the gun-car-
riage. and then turned and fed at gait that
would have distanced Satan himself. few
minutes later the President arrived, and never
knew till afterward why everybody laughed
while the Presidential salute was being fred"
Gen. Townsend. of the local Loyal Legion,
tells good story of mistaken identity. He said
the other day: at occurred in September 1862
when we were captured by the rebs. When
DIR. Hammond went to the front as Surgeon
of the regiment he took with him as his servant
a likely young negro named Preston, from
Geneva. After the capture Confederate off,
Ger spied Preston, and, riding up to the aston
ished dsrky, asked him the regulation ques-
ton: Whose boy are you and where do you
belong?"
His reply was, DIR. Hammond Il
thought so,' said his questioner. You come
with me, and I'll take care of you until 1 can
communicate with your MASTER
He placed him under guard, and it was a
considerable time before the thoroughly alarm
ed negro could get word to DIR. Hammond.
When the latter was informed Of the circum-
stances he at once demanded an explanation of
the officer responsible for the detention of his
man.
This was forthcoming clear, sharp and to
to the point. That niger belongs to Doc
Hammond, a neighbor of mine, in Georgia,
and now Surgeon in the Confederate army.
I recognized him the minute laid eyes on him,
and Furthermore. the fool niger himself adj
mitted his identity. i shall hold him under
arrest until / can notify his master that have
found the runaway
This confident assertion astounded our
worthy Surgeon, but he sufficiently recovered
himself to assure the rebel officer that he was
also DIR. Hammond, Surgeon in the United
States Army. and that he had known Preston
for years in Geneva, and had frequently en-
ployed him before, aud could produce indis-
putable proof of his statement.
You may rest assured that this proof had to
be brought forward, and every man of us whose
face had been operated upon by Preston in his
barber shop in Seneca street Geneva, promptly
came to the front and testified thereto.
This preponderance of evidence in his favor
secured Prestons release from his unfortunate
position. though his captor was still inclined to
believe that we had entered into a wholesale
conspiracy to shield q runaway niger from
the consequences of his act.
1T was an absolute impossibility to get
Preston into Virginia after that. He'd had
enough of the war, and was thoroughly salts
fed to take job as a barber in Willa:d's Hotel,
where he remained until short time ago"
+
1.-The people of Virginia arc nightly stirred
I'D over the proposed enactment Of an honest
election law" said ex-Congressman Waddell.
of Richmond, in an interview this week.
The tariff and silver questions have been
relegated to the for the time, and from all
quarters OF the State comesup the cry for fair
ballot and an honest count. The masses Of the
people irrespective of politics, havo always
been for honesty and fair dealing in elections.
For years the Democratic machine has perpe-
trated countless frauds. The electoral vote Of
Virginia, if counted fairly, belonged TO Harri-
SOP. bat the Democratic managers stole it AWAY
from u.s. FIVE could have square deal there
isn't shadow of doubt that the vote of the
State would go TO the Republican Presidential
candidate in 1896. Now, great many men
who have always voted the Democratic ticket
are getting weary of this crooked work and
saying it is time to end it. Of course, the fell
lows vino have profited by the trickery, though |
they may make some show of a desire to amend |
the present law, are unwilling TO do anything |
that will cause them TO desist in their nefarious
work"
Lincoln used TO be as fond of telling stories !
on himself rs on anyone else. Someone was
smoking in the presence of the President and
mplimented him on having no vices. neither |
drinking nor smoking. THAT is doubtful |
ompiment." answered the President. al
recolect once being outside stage in Illinois, |
and man sitting by me offered me cigar. |
/
smoked for some time, and then grunted out:
It's my experience that folks who have no |
vices have piaguey few virtues"
r
Perhaps the most interesting of Rcvolu-
tionary relics is old mansion over In Alex
andria, Va. which ought to be regarded as one
Of the most historical houses in America. The
place stands in a square on Fairfax street, and
com prises an antique hotel known as the
" Braddock House." while the real point Of i'm
terest, the old csrlysic House. is not to be seen
from the sidewalk at all. Standing in rear
corridor of the hotel one looks out at q mansion
that was once the liveliest of the hospitable
abodes Of oiden times. The bricks are still
sound but the front is dull with the rains and
suns OF nceting years; the stately porch or white
pillars is shat ia by the towering mass Of the
hotel, and the walk in front is high in air, the
ground having been cut away to level the new
buildings foundation. The stone steps on which
the olden gallants whispered airy nothings in
the moonlight, now catch only the ceaseless
sound of the ticking wires in the telegraph
office below and tho yard where Lieut.. Wash.
ington conferred with Braddock is but the site
Of business Offices aud stores.