Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-11-10
A YIRGlNIAN IN NEW YORK.

or the CITIZEN, the article begun last
year titled CA yirginian in New
York" will now be concluded, al:
though the Virginian in the case is
no longer in New York.
The city of New York is as rich in
history as jamestown or any other
spot in our beloved Virginia. ANY
one who has not read Irving's Knick
erbocker History of New York should
read 1t, for it is delightful book
All around and in Brooklyn Borough
there are bronze tablets marking spots
where the Continental army struggled
with the British. In Prospect Park
there is monument erected TO the
400 brave Marylanders, who on that
bill made last stand and by their
courage and at the sacrifice of their
noble lives, saved the army of Wash
iDgton. @
Out little ways on Long Island
is where Nathan Hale, the MARTYR
schoolmaster, was captured and exc
cuted, and there is statue of him
in Manhattan City Hall Park just a
few feet from the surging crowds of
Broadway; the arms and feet are tied
and chiseled in the base of the stat,
ne are his last words. "My only re.
gret is that | have but one life TO
lose for my country's sake"
A few blocks down the street in
the church yard of Trinity is large
tablet marking the last resting place
OF Captain Lawrence, whose diving
order was "Don't give mp the ship"
Often, when looking st these monu-
ments that mark the resting places of
the monumental men of former DAYS,
i have wondered if the statesmen and
leaders of the present sge, taking
them as a body, are the equals of
those of a century ago. We have in
history that the representatives of
Virginia once long ago refused to
vote Tor or receive an increased COM
pensation that they did not feel they
had earned. We have today the dis
graceful spectacle of represen tatiyes
from many of the states, including
one from Virginia, voting to pay
themselves mileage at the rate of
twenty cents a mile for a trip home
that none Of them took. If we NAV
believe the warning voice of history,
our country has wandered somewhat
from the affairs of patriotism and
honor and is worshiping false gods.
Wall street is today at the lower
end of Manhattan and the great city
stretches many miles above it, but it
rs said that this street once marked
the northern boundary Of New York
that there was a wall there to keep
the Indians back; hence the name
"Wall street." There is some present
evidence to corroborate this bit of
history. The spirit of the Indian
evidently fingers near, for passing by
the Stock Exchange on Wall street
We may still hear the whoops of wild
men. Beyond some difference in ap-
parel and the fact that these men are
after money instead of scalps, there
is not much dissimilarity between
them and the ancient red men.
When | first passed along Wall
street, was attracted by din from
the Exchange that sounded like a
closely contested ball game going on
indoors; and l stopped to investigates.
1t was in the days of the old Ex-
change building and the weather
being warm, the doors on New street
were open. | watched the surging.
frenzied mass of men fora long time.
Then, being something of hayseed,
| felt an interest In knowing how
corn, wheat, ETC., were selling. Ac-
| walked through the door
and up to one of the stands where
prices were being continually posted
and changed. A young man imme-
diately approached me.
Are you member ?" he asked.
The first thought that flashed
through my mind, ridiculous as it
may seem, was that he wanted to
know if was a member of the
"Member of what ?" / inquired.
"Of the Exchange"
"No," / replied, 81 just walked in"
'Then you must walk out" he said.
l had not been in New York long
enough at that time to learn that
"seat" on the Exchange, without
which one may not trade on the floor,
costs something like $4,000.
Although | lived in New York
i've years, ] never came to admire
Wall street and its business. | took
my visiting friends to the Stock Ex-
change for about the same reason
that would have taken them to the
menagerie.
Financial experts tell us that Wall
street is the balance wheel of the
country, but in my opinion the Stock
Exchange might be swallowed up
some night without any great loss TO
the United States. 1t trades on the
sweat of other mems brows. 1t is
the whirlpool of "frenzied finance" !"
the great gambling table of the ma
ton, the place where fortunes are
lost and gained in so hour, where the
heads of men turn white before their
time, and whence now and then a
wild-eyed participant sinks away
penniless and with revolver ends a
life that might have been spent in
peace and happiness had the soui
been satisfied with less The farm
with its blooming fields and the
woodland where the keen tool of the
lxeman releases the sweet ordor of !
he pine are to me thousand times /
more attractive as scenes of labor
han this vortex of human madness,
where the mind of men dwells only
IN the twentieth century god--money. /
New York is growing at rate /,