The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-08-26
A Gallery Of Sons Of
Essex.
A POLITICAL BROlL.
LEGISLATIVE CONVENTION.
What Chairman Med. Lee Says Of the
Lancaster County Meeting.
PERSONALS, ETC.
By our Special Correspondent }

/ BAO Vi AAOdVAA 1870
for their early morning second sleep.
The Free Lance representative wendell
his way TO the Il. f. & p. r. r depot
here to catch the train for Milford, en-
route to Tappahsnnock TO attend the
Essex county court, which was to meet
on Monday.
At Milford Mr.. Julian A. Collins had
ready a pair Of strong horses with a
comfortable vehicle and sleek looking
driver, as black as the ace OF spades,
who was equal to any information we
asked for as to people and places along
the route.
1t was hot and dusty ride, and it
seemed the sun shone with increased
power as q rebuke to our Sunday bust
ness trip, instead Of being at our proper
place at the Sunday School and an
swering to the roll when our name was
called. 1t was 3 o'clock when we drove
into the village of Tsppahannock and
then we met with q cordial welcome at
the Virginia Hotel from its polite and
attentive proprietor, Mr.. Geo. K. Scott
The evening WAS spent meeting friends
and at an early hour we retired to be
prepared for the work Of the next day.
Before breakfast Monday morning
we visited the court house building.
On its Threshold we paused and Won
dered il this was the sombre looking
| interior we had known at our last
visit The hand of some progressive
man or men had been at work. Before
as was bright CHEEKY room. Its walls
aud woodwork glistened as the rising
sun shone upon them through the win
dows while more than two score of
handsome portraits of men whose mem
cries are dear to the people OF Essex
were looking down on US suspended
from the walls This gallery Of por
traits would do credit to city and is
the largest in any court house in the
State Of Virginia.
1t embraces men who were prominent
in the county Of Essex before and since
the war Of 'Gl.65 The collection Of
this gallery is due to the energy Of that
spirited and indefstigsble citizen,
Judge T. r B. Wright assisted by the
mem. ers OF the bar and citizens OF Es-
sex When the question Of identifying
the court house and its grounds was
suggested, Judge Wright met with Sc
rious obstacles. 1t was said that the
county could not afford to spend money
for such purposes. The work has not
cost the tax payers q cent. The
court house was painted from the pro-
ceedings Of ground rents on several
buildings, which were in arrears. and
applied to this purpose. The yard adj
joining the court house was without
shade, and trees were planted by Judge |
Wright at his own expense and by his |
own hands, and each portrait was con-
tlibuted by some member OF the fam
lily, who wished it to have place in |
the gallery. The work is now all done.
but not without much time and labor,
and Essex may well be proud OF its
gallery, and Judge Wright, who is not
only one Of the best Circuit judges in
the State, but who has taken the time
to interest the people Of his circuit in
their local history. In this gallery are
Justice Edmund F. Noel, Hon. James
Mercer Garnett, member Of Gong
ress Judge II. W. Dangerfeld, JUS
tice Warner Lewis, Judge William
Brockenbrough, Of the Court Of APP
peals Judge Spencer Roane, Of Court
of Appeals; Col. George Wright Com
monweslth's attorney; Justice II. W.
Latane, Hon. Musooe r. II. Garrett.
mber OF Congress; ]. p. Lee and
John Lee, clerks Of county court; Judge
Selden Wright, of San Francisco. Gal.
Judge r. NJ T. Hunter, U. s. Senate
Judge Thomas Croxton, James M. Mat
thews, reporter Court Of Appeals; Judge
Eustace Conway, Judge John Oritcher,
member of Congress Justice Richard
Baylor, Justice Thomas Lewis. deputy
clerk; W. D. Matthews, Judge John
Taylor Lomax. Judge J. B. Christian,
County Clerk James Roy Micou, Hon.
Robert s. Garnett, member Of Congress;
H CLAY Tompkins, Attorney General
State of Alabama; Justice Larkin Humid
ley, Lewis H. Garnett. Commonwealth s
attorney A. W. Broaddus. county treas
urer Capt. W. A. Wright. brother Of
Judge T. r. B. Wright, who was kill
cd at Gettysburg; Major Burke. o. s.
A. Capt. r. G. Hale. O. S. A. Capt
Austin Brockenbrough. brother Of Mr.
B. B. peterborough. killed at Get
tysburg; Capt. VIM Latane Brooke, o.
s. A. and justice Of peace old county
court; Gen. Robert S. Garnett, o. s.
A., killed at Cheat Mountain Oapt L.
D. Roane, O. s. A.. and commissioner
Of revenue Justice Merriweather Lewis,
Judge T. e. Blackey and Judge
Muscoe Garnett, of the county court
Dol. Richard Route, j. p, Judge A.
b. Evans, County CLERK Harrison
Southworth, and Hon. Thomas Richie
founder of the Richmond Enquirer.
There is also handsome tablet to the
Of W. B. Matthews, who was
clerk Of court from 1914 to 1880.
Since 1914 the county Of Essex has
had only three clerks--Mr. Matthews.
who served from 1914 TO 1880; CLERK
James Roy Micou. succeeded him from
1880 to 1874 period Of 81 years, and
the present Clerk Harrison Suuthworth,
Of Spotsylvania. was elected in 1887,
and has held the Office continuously from
that time We do not recall parallel to {
this Essex is not only rich In the men {
- L.. fn,o;ehad 20 tha nount,v - 4