The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-21


Days first appeared In print 1t dlsap-
pointed the expectations of some Of our
elderly and well-informed citizens who
quietly censured the author for not tell
ing the story as they knew It. His In
accuracies, they said, were glarng and
inexcusable; his description of the social
manners and customs of our people
mostly from hearsay. and far-fctched at
that.
The reminiscent had, in anticipation.
possibly, OF all such inconsidcrate twad-
die prepared u preface to his work set
ting forth his design-I use his own
words-"as slight memorial of men
and things and events of which there
were few, or no records, and which must
COON pass into oblivion IL not rescued
by one OF the survivors of them; he
hoped, therefore. that the unprctending
character OF his little work might disarm
criticism, except from such literary
providers as make their assault on the
weakest that they may be safe from re-
Bistance and retaliation The weakest,
say you, friend Mordccai: nay, the
providers assail indfferently the strong
est works of art as well as the weakest.
Macaueys History of England has
not escaped their censurc. The review
ers of his dny-English. Scotch and
Irish-have picked 1t to pieces. It's
little better than romance they tell
us with grave faces and abundant proofs
lie 1t so. The historian of England did
not write for the closet, but for that
great world of readers whom he desired
most TO please.
Mordecai's unprctendlng little work Is
now so scarce that one may go long
and far way before finding ii. There
were two editions of 1t. the first differ
ing very little from the second which is
sued from the Richmond press In 1851.
The subjects of my "reminiscences will
differ In many respects from those 40
charmingiy pictured by Mordecai His
reuolicction of Richmond and It's people
goes back TO the second half Of the
eighteenth century. mine to late stage
of the second quarter OF the nineteenth,
so fruitful of invention and discovery.
Supplemental it will be in SO far as l
am able to make 1t no.
By-Gone Fashions.
The fashions current threescore and
ten years ago were fast becoming I'M
fashionable when stepped upon the
scene. The last of the cooked hats were
worn on gala days By those two veto
rams OF the Revolution General Edward
Darlington and Major JAS Gibbon; and
the last powdered wig am able TO re-
member decorted the classic head of
Philip Harrison distinguished mem
might, Wiskham, Daniel. Leigh,
johnson and Stanard. Other and
as quaint fashions of dress were to be
seen at every turn OF street corner.
and at every cotillion of a polite draw
ing room.
Silver buckles were fastened to tho
w-quartered shoes of dandies and 10
the knees of staid old gentlemen. some
OF whom chung to their short trousers
nd coil "A
period as that which sIgnalized the rup-
turn between the United States and
Mexico. David Barclay "a well-known
tobacconlst OF the olden time. and Henry
w. Moncure. a much younger man. may
be said with truth to have died In their
boots shall have much to say of these
two worthless hereafter. The latter was
the senior member of the firm OF Dun
lop. Moncure & Co.. and was Justly re-
Rarded IN commercial circles as the
father of the Louisiana sugar trade
Fanciful and curious. and truly pic
turesque were certain styles of haber-
dashery worn by old gentlemen not yet
out of the fashion of q former age-the
silken stock. close-buttoned to the throat,
yielding reluctantly to the open linen
collar, and the ruffled bosom likewise
to the vulgar sham. Joseph Mayo, one
OF our former mayors, displayed the ruff
files in and out of his little court up to
the sad days of the so-called reconstruc-
ton OF Virginia. He was regarded as
fair game to the facetious Marshall
Hanna. a reporter at one time for
Rives Pollard's Southern Opinion and
also to Tom Watson. the self-styled pro-
totype bard who had frequently APP
peared before his honor as vagrant.
The epithet chosen by Hanna. and mer-
cilessly applied to the mayor-one OF the
ablest the city has ever had-suggestel
the absolute rule and disregard OF law
. of the TYCOON OF THE RUFFLED
BOSOM. Watson illuminated him In
verse One OF his couplets here given.
speaks very poorly for the muse who
inspired him; 1t Is doggerel simple and
pure, and we'll fitting his quality:
"The stars shine In the hollow sky,
But 1 shine in doggery."
The white and colored proletarlat of