Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-04-26
Several Unpublished Stories of
General Lee

Several Unpublished Stories O
General Lee
Tie regular Washington cores
pondent of the Richmond Times
Dispatch published in that pape
Of last Sunday the following here
tofors unpublished incidents in tn,
life Of General Robert E. Lee Will,
a resident of Lexington and presi
dent of Washington College:
New stories Of Robert E. Lee ar,
very rare. Every man who knew
the great soldier appears to have
been kind of Boswell, noting al
his words and actions, and the re.
suit has been that every incident
of his life, from early manhood tc
old age, has been preserved and
transmitted to newer generations.
There is no stronger evidence of
the greatness of the man than this
evident eagerness to treasure some
word or deed of his for the pur-
pose OF passing it on to posterity.
By a new story, the news paper
man means, ofcourse, astory which
has not been printed. 1t is said
that those related below have
never before been put into type.
Both of them were told during re-
cent exercises at the University Of
Virginia, when the alumni from
all over the country and the repre-
sentatives of educational institu-
tions of ell sections assent led to
attend the ceremonies marking
the installation Of DR.. Alderman
in the ONCE Of president Of the
University.
"When / had taken my masters
degree at Washington and Lee dur
ing the presidency of General
Lee," said Professor Chas. A.
Graves, of the University of vir-
ginia law school, al became an in
structor in the law department.
One morning General Lee met me
on the campus, and, in his kindly
way, asked me how / was getting
ON. replied that was making
it very well, but made some al
fusion to the dull boys in the clasa.
"'Mr. Graves said General
Lee, in his quiet, serious manner,
Il hope you will follow the stage
drivers rule
" What is thatp' / asked. il
could not see how any rule of the
driver of a stage coach could be OF
value to a law teacher.
"Look out for the poor horaes,
SIR, replied the General, and he
bowed with lis usual courtesy and |
passed on. 1 have always tried to
look out for the poor horses. "
Hundreds of "poor horses" scat
tered over this country have cause
to thank "Old CHARLIE" as the
boys called Professor Graves, for
his conscientious following of the
advice given him by General Lee.
General Lee was the most ac-
,omplished manager Of men, If that
DO the right term, that have
aver known" said, Professor
Graves. IT have been walking
With him when we would see
student approaching. The General
would ask me the name of the
young man, where he was from,
whether his parents were living,
md how he was standing in his
,lasses. When the student met
10, General Lee would speak
o him, calling him by name;
vould ask when he had heard from
lis mother 1--WE will say his father {
ras dead) remark he was glad to
ear he had shown improvement
q his class standing, and urged
i'm to show the same advance in {
he next month. and, wishing him
God day. would pass IN. The 10y
'ould go his way. wondering that |
man at the head Of Il University
aving six hundred or seven hun
red stuCents 81 tuld have such
etail information concerning o
nit Of the student body. This {
ad a powerful effect upon stu t
ents, the belief that the personal I
curse of each man in the Uni
ersity was being watched with
UGH close interest by the presi-
ent." Il