Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-30
Customs.

(Charlotte (N.4C.) Observer0
There are some strange customs III
this country handed down from anti
guilty. For instance, A. 3. Williams. the
brilliant writer, who was formerly editor
o, the Greenville tS: CO News, now edl-
tor of the Richmond News, tells that
when he went to Charleston a a reporter
on the News and Courier he was struck
with the fact that a bell in nearby
tower rang at 4 certain hour every night.
After about q week this excited his Won
der. but he held his peace for another
week, when, hearing the bell for about
The fourteenth time, at the Identical min
ute and hour. and unable to contain him
self longer, he turned to aEaco-Worker
with t.Why do they ring that bell at the
same hour every night" "Just because
they always did do it, was the impatient
answer There is another Charleston Gus
tom which obtains to this day, and That
is repeating in the morning paper.
year after to 4 day. the death notice of
a deceased person Thus there may be
found in the News and Courier of this
morning, a notice heading like this: John
Smith. entered into rest December Is. 1908.
We all do fade as a leaf. lat same
death notice appeared a, year ago to-day
Charleston, OF course, doesn't count
when it comes to oddities, but here Is q
custom OF The Virginia Legislature,
knowledge OF which has just been given
the public by the Richmond Dispatch:
Upon the assembling of that body a
good, fkeen-edged pocket-kn:fe is pre-
scented by the State to every member Of
the Senate and House OF Delegates. The
custom came down from the days of the
auill pen. Every man who could write
was Obliged TO nave a sharp knife with
which to make his pens, and Virginia
gave knife for this purpose to every
member of the Legislature, just as all
Legislatures now furnish stationery to
their members. Some time ago the House
abandoned the pocket-knife habit, but
/. the Senate clung TO it and the House
went back to it.
The Dispatch grows pleasantly reni-
niscent. It says the snun-boX custom
came along with the knife. It was a day
when most Virginians used snuff The
clerk (then called clark and by the
way, the late Judge w. a. Moore. OF
North Carolina held to this pronuncia-
tion to the day Of his DEATH OF each
house kept a snuff box. which held about
half pint, and a page carried this from
member 20 member to take a pinch from.
The House of Delegate led in the abro-
cation of this custom, and the Senate
abandoned it eighteen or twenty years
ago.
The United States Senate gave up the
snuff-box in years more recent than that
since the death of old Captain Bassett
and OF Senator Wilson. of Maryland.
Who is it who sat In the Senate gallery
occasionally twelve or fifteen years ago
who does not remember little brown
snuff-box sitting on a ledge on the wall
to the right Of the presiding officer. and
Senator Wilson, an active. white-haired
little old man, stepping lightly into the
chamber from the cloak-room, taking
a pinch Of snuff from the box which Cap
tain Basse.t had provided. and then pass
ing with springy step to his seat? We
are not sure that the nuff-box is not still
there. though Senator 4 Wilson and Cap
tain Bassett are still gone.
AAIERICANsTEAC CONvICTED.