The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-11
The Once Famous Saratoga Of the South a
Phantom of the Past.
FAMOUS VISITORS OF LONG AGO
Horny Clny's Banquet and President
Closing scene OF tho Old Regime
Chnr1ninE Pen Pictures OF Ante.
Bclium Social Life.
Correspondence Of the vireinian.)

y >
me traveller coming from Kentucky
OF the South and West over the Chesa-
peake and Ohio, in order to view the
crane ana rugged scenery Of the New
river canon before entering into the
heart Of the Allcghanies to the inland
neaith resorts, usually stops off for :,
day or two at the old White Sulphur
the once famous Saratoga of the South.
IN the iong-ago. ante-bellum days,
when Southern aristocracy made lis
summer headquarters at the noted Vir-
gina Springs, where the planters came
up from the CarOlinas, Kentucky, Geor-
ga and mississippi in their: carriages,
with great baggage trains and a reti-
| uile or servants, and when they came
Inc first Of June and stayed until frost
fell. those We're gay Old times at the
mountain resorts, when life was worth
the pain Of living
beginning with the first register In
iSo2. and coming on down to 1860, one
IN Ihds a succession Of historical names
| mere are the Sumpters, the Pickenses
and the Hamptons, of the Carolinas:
| the Clays and AIarShalls and Critten-
dens. OF Kentucky; Corwin and Ewing
and .Trinlble of Ohio; the Choates and
Weosters and Pierces, of New England;
| DICKINSON, Marcy and Dallas, Of The
Middle States; Cass and Douglass and
| 5enton. from the then far West: the
fIoSdS, Cabells, PrestonS and a galaxy
OF bright names from Virginia; the Car
rolls. from Maryland, and a host or
| others whose names have rendered
| American history illustrious Here these
Ola notables came in their shad- bellicd
coats and sideboard collars and a prop
CT: ulEnlIled time they had Of it as they
mingled their sulphur water and mint
1uleps together and talked politics. It
was away back in 1887 when there must
nave been something in the wind Of i'm
portance to the Wing party. On a musty
| Old page Of the hotel register Of tina :
Year, In THAT fine, almost feminine, hand
writing that is familiar to all, we find
unis inscription: I'll. Clay, kentucky"
while among the next days arrivals are
Rutus Choate, Massachusetts,; Thomas
corWln. Ohio; VIM. G.. Rives Virginia
and Willard Fillmore, New York. That
these gentlemen held q conference goes
Wilhout SAYING, but the secrets Of that
caucus have never been dlvulgcd.
| Those We're the days when the Cover
nor or south Carolina adopted the Gus
tom OF speaking to the Governor Of
North Carolina, and the habit spread
INTO the New England States and into
the far West. until man was not re-
garded as possessing the qualities OF
craftsmanship unless he could face a
mint 1ulep every hour In the day Those
| We're the days too. when the making Of
a. 1ulep was an art rs we'll as a domestic
accomplishment. The night before Mr.
| Clny's departure from the springs he
gave banquet in his cottage 10 his
friends. Fortunately there is still q liv-
| ing eyewitness to that entertainments
and If his description can be relied upon
1t was a gala event that transcends all
modern blcw-outs. Old Uncle Jimmie
patterson, the Eenera bic gatc-keciiar
who has been an attache OF the White
sulphur from time immemorial, was the
| noor servant on the row in which the
| Cray cottage was situated, and helped 10
| serve the banquet He says that the
oeporemcnt OF the host and the guest $
| was eminently proper until about thc
| hour OF midnight, but from that time Of
Inc night until the morning dawnei
there was high old time on the prem
iScS. When the cloth had been removed
| ana the Powhatan pipes were brought
in-tne degenerate practice of. cigar and
cigarette was not in vogue in those hal
! cNon days-SOme one called for music
| ana q messenger was sent for a negro
| nader. who soon appeared with his old
| laShloned instrument The old fiddler
started in with Monkey Musk" ana
when he touched up "Misslssippi Saw
| yer, Mr. Clay stepped into the middle
| or the flOOr and gave them 4 Kentucky
breakdown This was fair challenge 10
| Alr. Choate who followed with a New
| England pigeon wing When the old
negro struck the chord OF "Old Virginia
Never Tire" the courtly Rivcs, after
| ward Minister to France, felt that the
reputation Of the Old Dominion was at
stake and shedding his coat, executed
the double shuttle with q skill that
would make a minstrel man enyious
And thus the Jun grew fast and furious
until the gray dawn peeped over the
| mountain tops. An, those old BOYS or
blessed memory.
It was the Fourth Of July, 1854. that
Franklin Pierce, then President Of the
United States. arrived at the White Sui
phur and stayed six weeks. The West
ern railroad terminus was then at
Stanton. Va. and the Intervening dis
lance of nearly ten miles was made in
a stage coach. II was a lovely summer
afternoon when the freshly paintcd
Concord coach in which the President
and his wife rode. drawn by six white
horses with pliimes on their heads
rolled up in front Of the Martin house
while the band on the lawn PLAYED
Hail Columbia" and the guests on the
piazza waved their handerchiefs and
cheered welcome to the Chief Magis-
trate OF the nation. Mr. Pierce wore a
brown broadcloth coat, with n large vel
vet collar, and with his fine physique
and round, smooth shaver face, looked
every inch the statesman. In more re-
spects than one he was an ideal Presi-
dent
1t was in 1869. the summer before his
death, that Gen. Robt. T.. Lee rode over
on horseback and spent a month at
the Springs There are those here now
who remember the quiet dignity of the
Confederate chieftain, who always
seemed !, to carry a great load on his
heart that was wasting his life, but did
not detract@ from the courtly bearing
and consistent Gentlemanlys conduct
Of the great " irginia soldier. The day OF
his departure was a, mem orajl,le, onr, IN