The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-05-26

lief II am mighty glad that we don't
have the job of cleaning up this place. Ev-
cry foot of it seems to need all the soft
soap that mother made last Winter. My
sakcs just look at them windows. You
can just see out of them. and that's all.
don't believe they've been washed since
the place was built. You'd have to brush
them off first with a hickory broom"
''All the same" said the Adjutant rev
crentiaIy. "this is one of the places that
all Americans should honor-it is one OF
the shrines of patriotism. At the time
that Virginia was breeding statesmen i'll
| stead of negroes for the Southern planta-
| tons. this was the meeting place for them.
and where they reused the people to a
sense of their patriotic duty. Many Of the
very greatest men in our country. Patrick
Henry, John Marshall. Jefferson, Madi-
son. and Monroe have all met their fellow
citizens here and discussed with them the
great ISSUES involving the upbuiiding of
the Republic. 1t may look poor and dirty
now, but it is almost as much an object
of reverence as Mount Vernon"
''All the same said the practical ST.
''if after 100 years Posey County couldn't
show a better Court House and County
buildings than these. I'd advise it to sell
out for waste timber land. The Govern
ment ouehter take this place, with all its
history. put it in decent shape, and take
care of it,
What they need down here" said Ser
geant Eisenbeiss, looking over the wide
stretches of land growing up in old-field
pines. lis an Immigration of Pennsylvania
Dutchmen. Hard hands and elbow grease.
and not so much bolitics, would soon make
neffer seen finer land efen in Crawford
County OH the Allegheny Rifer, where
come vrOm.
There's the whistle blowing" said
Shorty. Lets get aboard. I'm
mighty glad. though, I've seen this place
where Patrick Henry has been. l was al
ways stuck on Patrick Henry ever since
death" That's what We used to think in
AndersOnvillc."
The rest of the ride to Richmond was
through 4 rolling. fertile country which
had been we'll cultivated and untouched by
the rayaging hand of war, until they
crossed the historic Cbickalominy and en-
tered the wide circle Of the intrenchments
ard forts which surrounded the city. The
girls uttered expressions of Amusement and
horror as they rode in q ramshackle old
vehicle through the wide stretch of burnt
district to their hotel. 1t was a destruc-
ton and desolation such as they had never
before dreamed of, and recalled to Maria
the pen-picture in the school reader be-
ginning-"Rome was an Ocean of Flamer'
posing themselves at the hotel and remOv-
ing the CRIME of travel, it occurred to
Shorty that he needed some paper collars,
and he started out to find a clothing store.
I'm going down town." said Serg't
Eisenbeiss. ''l'll show you place to get
EN-. I've pen here pefore.'
They did not have to 90 far. Some reg
iments were being paid off and discharged
at Richmond. and getting knowledge of
this fact in the mysterious way in which
buzZards learn of a carcass miles away. a
horde of Jew dealers had descended upon
the town with stocks of clothing and other
goods, which they intended to work off
for the crisp greenbacks the soldiers re-
ceived for their pay, bounty, rations. cloth
ing, mileage to place of enlistment, and
other allowances. They firmly intended
to short-circuit the most of that money
directly from the Paymaster into their
own yawning pockets, and the soldier after
passing through their hands would be very
poor picking for their less adventurous
brethren who would not go further South
than Baltimore and Washington.
Instead of, as one would imagine scat
tering themselves around the city at eli
gible points, with each one taking a GER
tain territory for his own, these Jews all
congregated together, on one side of the
main street, in q row Of sheds hastily run
up on the site of the burned business
like wolves. On either flank of the row
of "cheap clothing emporiums" were dog
geries. cheap nigger-minsterel shows, freak
collections, and other fakir outfits that
usually hung around the larger camps All
Of these were just as bad as the Provost
Guard would stand, and the Provost
Guard would stand almost anything, short
Of sttually knocking the soldier down and
robbing him in broad daylight.
They stopped in front of the first store
they came to. There were seductive signs