The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-10

Philadelphia paper thus describes the
negroes Of the BLACK Belt"
"A very black belt surrounds ana
includes Eufaua. and on the day OF
the circus exhibition | found " DIM
cult. and sometimes impossible, 10
make my way along the sidewalks, on
account of the throngs Of negroes.
They were perfectly well behaved now
ever and. though the oldest inhabitant
had hardy ever seen so many negroes IN
town. not a single case Of DISORDER was
discovered by the vigilant police. Inc re-
lations between the races seem 10 De
kindly and cordial. You may visit the
post-onicc and see the negro employees
Of large business houses taking the man
from the lOck-boXes Of their employers,
and IT, now and then, the negro cannot
read the number on the box, he asks some
white man TO show him the number on
the key, ana the favor is promptly and
kindly granted. 1 never knew case IN
which 1t was refused
And who can imagine any good rea-
son why such "A favor should ever De
refused? IL may be reasonably doubted
whether there are half dozen negroes
in the whole South who would refuse
10 do as much for any human beng II
IL were in their power TO do II. The ne
sroes are. upon the whole. a very polite
and accommodating people. | once hNed
i'm a region IN which the negroes outnum-
bered the whites ten 10 one. Nearly AL
the negroes were Republicans, ana nearly
all the whites we're Democrats, ana yet
the relations between the two races were
kindly. There was 10 approach 10 social
equality" but the Waterman says mat
this is lust as true in Boston As II Is IN
Richmond.
The Piedmont region Of Virginia rs a
notable country from many points Of
view: but one OF the most striking things
i'm its history is its pronounced loyalty
TO the mother country during the colonial
DAVIS Of the "Old Dominion" The very
names Of it's rivers attest this loyalty. In
accordance with popular custom, ! write
"RapidanF: but the Hon. b. Johnson
Barbour. who was excellent authority
in such matters. used TO say that TINS
was A corruption of the Rapid Anne.
The river was named for Queen Anne.
one OF the counties along whose borders
IL flows Is named Orange. for william,
Prince Of Orange. and not ION account
of the red color Of its soil. queen Anne
must have been highly popular here IN
the colonial days, for ia this region We
have not only the Rapid limo river but
the North Anna. the South Anna. and
called FluNanna. Why so many rivers
should have been named Anna or
Anne" tor a queen VINO was VIGOROUSLY
not fond of water. but decidedly preferred
something stronger. is a question with
which my antiquarian lore is not strong
enough 10 grapple and ! must leave IL 10
those who are curious and expert IN such
matters.
In tho days OF queen Anne, however.
"temperance" had not been invented.
Nearly every one of the biographerS
II that excellent man. Addison, mentions
The fact that this great writer was iOnd
Of his glass. and sometimes drank to-
freely But, as Macaulay very justly OBJ
serves. this fault. IN that day, and even
among serious people was regarded as
one of the smallest OF poccadilloes. and be
adds that IN was almost as common for
n gentleman to drink too much as it
was for him 10 wear a wig and sword.
Really. ana in spite OF the 'pessimsts.
it does seem that IN our time We have
reformed that indimerently,' nor do We
think IL altogether wild to hope That We
shall in time, reform IL altogether
Certainly IL is now no part OF the charac-
ter Of ''nne gentleman 10 get drunk.
To any American statesman 10 Is now "a
decided disadvantage TO Doe known as
hard drinkcr. FIFTY years ago. quite %
considerable number of the ablest party
leaders. Wings and Democrats. were no.
tOriOusly and shamelessly incorporate IN
their habits, and several OF them were
known 10 appear as speakers in the
Senate. in tho House and on the
stump so far gone ia drink rs 10 be
scarcely able 10 stand. Nowadays we
seldom hear of these melancholy exhibit
ti0us. Public sentiment on this subject
is growing healthier. and il is now very
generally desired that our legislators.
judges. and other public officials should
be sober men. Some forty years ago. az
county courthouse in Virginia. a friend
Of mine was requested 10 use his influence
10 release prisoner who had been COM
mitted 20 jail on the charge. Drunk and
dlsorderly." Ny friend undertook the
task. I'm performing il. he had To 90 with
TIE committing justice the sheriff the
clerk OF the court. the Commonwealth
attorney. and the Jaiicr; and every one
OF these officials was found 70 be drunk.
and. upon reaching the Jail. he found the
prisoner drunk, 30 not believe that this
case could now be matched anywhere in
Nirginia Rev .. :. 4. Hidden in the Re-
lleious Herald.
Sam Smith. Republican, OF Knott
county. Ky. bet his farm against
barrel Of wine on Nci(inlcy.