Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-08-17
Virginia Bar Association
A. C. Brax!On Elected President at
Hot Springs Association SpIen-
didIy Enter tanned.

Special Correspondence for the Spectator
The Virginia Bar Association met a
Hot Springs, Va, on the 7th inst. an
the session extended through to th
10th. ending in splendid banquet il
the magnificent dining ball of tn
Homestead. The Hot has been th
meeting place OIL various occasions. an,
Oh some there bis been complaint
complaint that the Association wa
not very welcome guest, but that al
matter of policy the Hot Springs Co
had thought best to invite them, Civ,
reduced rates. and get the railroads tt
do likewise. On one occasion it was as
serted that the company had doubled
them up in rooms, sent some unneces
sarily to the Virginia Hotel, small
Inn quite distant from the Homestead
and done various other things tending
to cause some to believe that door
Vlrglnians" were not altogether wei
come in this home of the millionaire.
If such has ever been truthfully said
on previous occasions, it had no place
IN the hospitality accorded this bod
this year. There was positively no
complaint and the management did
every thing promised with the utmost
punctlliOusness. No set of people W ere
ever better entertained, and there was
none of that "extra" charging which
so often causes the traveller to swear
because he knows he is being done. %
The prices of most things at the Hot
seem high to the outside world. To
the average topper 10 cents per drink
fn hnt fnr rod Ii,x}, 1.
seems steep enough. He has heard bis
father tell how years before 40 cents a
gallon was the customary price. But
should any one tell him that 20 or 25
cents was charged for single drink at
the Homestead, he would drop bis Jaw
in surprise and swear at once that
there was highway robbery going on
there. The travelling man of today
finds the "frills" and ''luxuries" of his
stay about of the same dimensions he
finds them elsewhere in the well ap-
pointed hotels, and the same price is
charged everybody. 1t is we'll known
that the Hot is no Cheap John place,
it is we'll known tibet it was built as a
luxurating spot for those whose money
has formed theme for the poet, the
penny-a liner, the cross roads orator.
the backwOOds pulpit orator, the walk
ing delegate, the member of Congress,
and even the President of the United
States. This very hotel has housed
John L. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie.
some of the VanderbiIts, and an Occa.
slonal Astor. Of the lesser lights
scores of them have been under its
roof. 1t Is not cosmopolitan in any
sense, although many poor Virginia
lawyer has had his knees under its
tables and has walked up and down it's
To look at them and look
at the millionaire if one were chOsing
q condition Of health and happiness
from appearances, he would in nine
cases out of ten chose the lot of the
lawyer rather than the millionaire. No
set of men who meet at this point ever
so fully enjoy themselves as the
Virginia lawyers. They often bring
their wives and daughters, they mingle
in the happiest way and would not
swap their way for all the world he.
side. They know that north of Mason
and DlxOns line the word hospitality
is never heard, it is Virginia born,an
and here alone it has sur
vlved The ravages of time w hen one
sees two overfed people come to break
fast at the Homestead, then walk about
the corridors sufficiently to get in and
out OF the hotel, then sit away off nv
themselves with magazine or book never
doing more than grunt at each other
during whole day-during a whole
week-uurlng a whole mountaineering
sour, ana Dored, and mad, watching
Lnelr joints as they take on or leave
OIL, little more or a little less CONT
each day, and On enquiry finds that
NOBODY knows their names, nobody
ever heard of them further than that
they registered from Stamford. Conn.
Or some where else down east. and that
hey are man and wife, and that the
vile q father left her some money. and
hat they are here for the benefit of
heir rheumatism, one feels glad. verv
glad, that he is not thus afflicted. not
VIVID The govt, but with everything else
Incident to them, even to the broad |
'Orpulence which incidence and self |
Indulgence must have helped bestow
'n Them. Not one sees such conditions
'ut would not rather be Virginia |
awyer, poorer chan Jobs turkey than
'e the stout couple from down east.
Judge A. A. Phlegar, President.
allied the Association together. and
lellvered a very appropriate and fin
shed address on Legislation of 1906.
ar. w. L. Shields of Lexington, Ell.
acksOn and Capt. Micaiah Woods of
each read papers on
arious toplcs-the former on The trial
1 MAJ Andre. the second on the lis.
lemberment of Virginia, and the last
the experiences of a Common.
'ealth 8 Attorney in Virginia. These
nth the business ordinarily incident
such gathering made no the work
the first two days. On Thursday.
ne last day of the session. Judge
'avld }. Brewer, one of the Justices
the Supreme Court of the United
lates, delivered an a dress, his sub .
ct being Critical periods of the Su-
RENE Court" All that Judge Brew
does ls able, but On this occasion be .
ent even beyond himself in the mas =,
Try OF his subject and bis manner of
'lvery. This article is not written ,
enter into any particulars of the :
OK OF The Association, but simply +
Ieii what were the features and sur i
'uholngs OIL The occasion. But we =
lnnot refrain from saying that never
Ii Cne Virginia Bar Association been
ore instructed and more charmed by I
~ address. To the people generally a
10 even to the bar the Judges of the =
lpreme Court are as Canaan was to =
rNf