Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-23

II
mine whom 1 had not seen for several
years. He is quite a congenial compan-
ion, but I think the peculiar phase OF
crankism which ne has not developed is
not worth cultvatlng. have not. in the
few days we have been together recent
ly, been able to introduce a single subject
upon which the crank did not have views
the most astounding, expressed with all
the quietness Of calm conviction. Here
is an instance Of the extent to which his
idosyncrasles Of intellect have carried
him.
'Tf you've ever seen a profile OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio railway" he said,
you must have noticed that it, in a
general way, looks like an A with the
cross cut off. One upright is planted at
Richmond, say, the other at Cincinnati.
The tops come together, or rather the
apex is formed at a little station up on
the Aleghanies not many miles east of
the White Sulphur, called Backbone.
From this station east to Richmond and
Newport News, and west to Cincinnati. 1t
is down grade. Now the amount of coal
consumed In forming steam to pull a train
east or west from Backbone must be only
a very small part Of the quantity used to
take train from Cincinnati or Richmond
to Backbone. 1t SENS to me that after a
train is started from Backbone it must
be a case Of holding back all the way.
Now l have an idea that there is a great
deal Of motion lost here. Those enigma
wheels are revolving n great deal for no.
thing, except 20 take the locomotive out of
the way Of the train it is supposed to DO
drawing. Electricity is a motive power IN
many respects superior TO steam. 1t has
displaced steam in some instances, and
believe it will eventually do so in every
instance Now why can't all that motion
which is going to waste while the train
is running from the top of the Allegha-
MES to Cincinnati or to Richmond, be
utilized to charge storage batteries with
electricity to pull those cars back 20 the
summit Of the mountains?"
At this point / broke away.
While on a railway journey through
Virginia recently l enjoyed looking cut
Of the car window at the fine old homes
overlooking the farms through which the
road ran. Many of these old mansions,
relics Of days of bygone glory, were fa'
from being in that state Of princsy tle-
gance which distinguished them In he
days when the Virginia landlord was in
deed the monarch of all no surveyed.
Paint was badly needed, outhous5s were
dilapidated. and fences were gone.
But on so many such farms / saw an
other dwelling not a tumble Down negro
cabin, but a new frame residence. bright
and fresh-looking in its rot always ar
tistic colorng, situated without any refe-
renee 10 the picturesqueness or the view
from the front door, but with n careful
consideration Of the nearness of the
spring, one, by the way which had not
bothered those who selected the site OF
the mansion on the hill. but there wero
plenty Of pickanninies TO carry water in
those days.
The new houses, in a great many in
stances, were, was told, the homes OF
men who had one time worked on the
farms, probably as overseers or under
their fathers. who occupied those posi-
tons. In the shuttle Of time positions
have been strkingly reversed. The over
seer in many instances owns much or
the land on which ne once worked with
the negroes, and his old employer and his
sons in as many instances are under
MANY obligations to their former en-
ployee.
If seemed to me the old house on the
hill its SCARED and faded walls, and
gables and chimneys, half hidden by the
trees. represented the Old Virginia. The
new house decked out in new paint,
spick and span in conventional building
and loan coloring. was New Virginia.
And maybe I would die a millionaire II /
could think the new building the most
beautiful.
A story I heard the other day well IL
Illustrates some sort Of truth. l VIII leave
tho reader to define It, 1t has the merit
OF being true in every detail.
Last summer Hon. Hilary Herbert
Secretary OF the Navy in President Glove
lands Cabinet. and Major George u. NC
Clellan. son Of the distinguished Union
General. came down 70 Lexington from
Washington TO attend the commencement
at the Virginia Military Institute. on the
afternoon Of the day on which they IN
tended returning to Washington they en-
gagged a carriage and started TO drive FIX
miles over TO Buena Vista. where they
doah Valley Division Of the Norfolk and
Western for home. After going about
three miles the carriage broke down, and
the driver left them standing in the road,
several miles from nowhere. while he re-
turned TO Lexington 20 get another con-
vevance. The two gentlemen waited es
patiently as they coulc for an hour, at
the end OF which time they determined
to walk 10 their destination. They Kept
10 the road for some time. trudging along
through the dust and heat. but finally
one suggested that they take near cut
through the fields. The suggestion was
accepted they believing their general idea
OF the topography would enable them 10
find their way.
1t was so much nicer walking across
the green fields than along the dirty
road. II was even nicer in the woods.
The delightful shade was highly refresh
ing. and the lights and shadows were so
restful TO the eye.
But after they had wandered around in
those woods for three mortal hours. wan
dered till long after the last ray Of day.
light had gone. wandered IN every 6irec-
ton OF the compass. wandered until their
shoe-soles were nearly gone. and their
feet were as sore as an artillery horses
shoulders, they thought Il possible to be
surfelted with a good thing. and there
came near being a Thanksgiving meeting
right here when they got back into that
blessed road once more.
But for the life OF them they could not
tell in which direction lay Buena Vista,
and the problem was not solved when
they heard n vehicle approaching and
farmer drove up in his wagon. From him
they learned that Buena Vista lay IN the