The times., 1899-07-20

under clear, almost cloudless. skies. and
with refreshing northwest winds blowing in
across the fields from the far-away Blue
Ridge Mountains. r
The exhibition had been thoroughly ad-
vertised and special railway excursions
run expressly for the horse show, brought
visitors from every section of the State
The roads leading to the grounds were
alive with vehicles wheeling eager, joyous
faces along the highway throughout the
forenoon, and long before the hour for the
first event had arrived the grandstand and
approaches to the enclosure thronged with
enthusiastic horsemen and horsewomen of
the Old Dominion.
A more brilliant or more distinguished
company has seldom, if ever come to-
gether in this place. 1t may be said that
the gathering here today typically repre-
sented the beauty. the grace. the galiantry.
and the genius OF the State. The Virginia
girl was present in all her loveliness.
With her low, SLOW, musical speech, her
free, genial, natural manner and her
healthful sympathy with all t-of-door
life. she was easily first among all com
petitors and handily won the blue ribbon
in each and every event. At her side and
rivaling her beauty with the gentle oour-
tesy that seems to be theirs by inheritance,
had come in from Alexandria and Char
lottesville, and further away. Lynchburg
and Richmond, to share the joys and
pleasures of the day. Nearby and older
only in years. the fathers of both were
looking on with the interest and enthusi-
asm of true sportsmen and genuine lovers
of skiliful horsemanship.
Distinguished Visitors.
Among the many distinguished men
present were Senators John W. Daniel and
Thomas S. Martin; Joseph T. Lawless the
Secretary of State; John F. Ryan, the
Speaker of the Virginia House of Dele
gates; I. c. Pitcher, a delegate from Fau-
quier county; George Caller, a delegate
from Prince William county; George Nor
ris, a Senator from Albemarle: George
Helms, the Superintendent OF State Pris-
ons, of Richmcnd: Z. d. Cole, OF Freder-
icksburE, q member of Governor Tyler S
staf; William II. Sands, CT Richmond: P.
| H. 0'Bannon, formerly member OF the
| Legislature from Rappahannock county;
| Charles Mann, member of the Legisla-
ture from Petersburg; Ernest Leith of
Hamilton; Robert Portner. J. B. T. Thorn
ton, Colonel Berkeley, and former Con-
gressman Meredith. of Manassas, and C.
c. West the well known and popular
horseman OF Baltimore.
Senator Daniel came up from Lynchburg
on an early train and was an interested
spectator in the grandstand throughout the
day. He was looking exceedingly we'll and
was greeted with warm cordiality by his
many friends in the community AS he
passed in and out of the crowd his fine
/ leonine countenance and the pathetic evil
dence OF his heroic conduct on the field OF
battle awakened the admiration and sym
pathy of all who saw him. With his
usual urbanity the Senator declined TO dis
cuss politics, saying he had nothing OF
public interest to remark. He seemed
keenly interested in each event at the horse
show and his eyes shone lustrously and he
applauded ardenily when any particular in
cident pleased him.
Just thirty eight years ago tonight,
said he, as he sat on the hotel piazza after
| supper, Il came into this town. and he
looked as if he were running over in lis
mind the details of the first battle of Bull
Run. s.n
Senator Martin, accompanied by Secre-
tary of State Lawless, came down from
/ Washington on the noon train. The Sen
ator was in his happiest mood. and passel
| directly from the station to the exhibition
| grounds. Until today no one dreamed
that Senator Martin knew anything about
horses, but it transpired before he left
| that he was intimately familiar with the
records Of every horse that has ever been
| saddled for horse show in this country
| and that he could give points to the boy:
along the rail and in the grandstand or
| jumpers. roadsters, ladies' saddle horses
| ponies. and thoroughbreds of every de-
scription.
why. that mans a wonder" said {
| Prince William county man, who had
driven in ten miles for the horse show and
! F,-- ,to
Hes the best ail-around informed mar
l ever knew Give him anything like al
even start and he'll beat any man il
America on any question from politics tc
ponies" said the Prince William man.
Senator Martin had nothing whatever tC
say OF political nature. He came dOwr
only to see the horse show and to renew
some pleasant acquaintances among hi:
| friends in the neighborhood. He eX-
pressed himself as highly pleased with
everything he saw at the horse show. ant
his manner clearly indicated that he en-
joyed every moment of his stay. He min
gled naturally, but not cstentatiously wit
the people on the grounds, and imprcssel
all who saw him with the frank. generous
magnanimous qualities of head and hear
which have made him so potent factor II
the politics of Virginia.
Senator Martins visit was regarded as
significant on account of Governor Tyler's
| announced candidacy for the Senatorshp
Nothing however, that Senator Martin
said or did could be interpreted in any
way as indicating more than ordinary
interest in the present Virginia situation
He seemed to regard. and his friends con-
CURED in his opinion. the present politi-
| cal conditions in the Old Dominion witt
perfect complaCency.
IL has been reasonably thought tia
Prince William county might be classeC
as doubtful in the coming Senatorial
canvass. That is precisely the situ
alton here. Each aspirant, both Sena
tor Martin and Governor Tyler. ha!
a strong following in the county, and il
is impossible to predict the result with
any degree of certainty until public opin-
ion here crystsllizes definitely. Each fac
ton is active and each man reasonably
expects to secure the delegates from the
county. The feeling of Senator Martins
friends in regard to the opposition to hin
here was pointedly expressed today by a
| Prince William county supporter of the
Senator. "Oh," said he, mildly, in cross
ing an ocean a man expects to meet &
| wave or two"
One OF Governor Tyler's supporters salt
to a Times reporter: Il am a Tyler man
shall vote for him. l think this county
| may support him. But in spite of all that
| am very sorry the Governor is a candi-
date. l do not believe he can win. Al
his real friends think it is impossible fol
him 10 do So He may get delegate here
or there in the State, but he Will, / fear
be overwhelmingly defeated. | cannot
understand exactly why he ever let his
friends persuade him to enter this can
vass. His candidacy is. l am afraid. abso-
luteIy hopeless. He will, think, not only
be defeated but he will be sacrificed po-
litically if he seriously makes the fight
In my opinion and in the opinion o.
many of these men, he concluded, point
ing to a half dozen Tyler supporters stand