Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-11-29
Henry c. Anderson


News:
have just heard with shocked sur.
prise of the death of Colonel Fl. C.
Anderson, and beg the courtesy of a
little space in your paper. to pay q
brief tribute to his memory. He was
my friend, staunch and true. twenty
four years have glided by since l
won't to TaZewell to take the prn-
cipalship of Its High School. Can
ever forget that cold. rainy night in
September. when in the hack from
Graham, myself. wife and child,
tired, homesick. strangers, stopped
in front of the old Dodd hotel. and
hearty voice inquired of the driver il
we were within? or the insistent in
vitation that would take no denial.
that ourselves, and trunks should be
driven over to his home? or the
CHEEKY fire in the guest chamber, the
dainty, hot supper awaiting us, and
the generous hospitality of the two
weeks that ensued before he would
allow us to leave? mention this
little incident of his hospitality to
me, n stranger. because it was so
characteristic of the man. His hos
pitality and generosity were unstinted
and unfailing.
Was there II sick one in the com
munity, rich or poor. Henry Anderson
was tho first to visit that house,
cnrrvipn yuitb hin, uop,, l;tti,, ,lol;oo,,,
of food or flowers and always his
CHEEKY voice and smile left tho sick
one brighter for the visit. Agnin, /
recall summer Of almost torrentinl
heat. during which time he gave
standing order that ice should he left
every morning for the uae of the
prisoners in the jail His heart big
ana generous, wns ever afield in
search of suffering and sorrow To be
allevinted, and surely of no man could
il be more truly said "Innsmuch ne
ye did IL unto tho least of tn hese."
Faults? Weaknesses? Ycsl But the
nll-cloaking mantle of charity and
love for his fcllowmnn must hide
the turf above his grave will spring
sweet flowers of romcmbranc for the
untold number Of good deeds that
live after him.
Henry G. Anderson was cast in no
mold of common clay. His patrician
face and commanding bearing would
have singled him out in any crowd,
ns man of note. and in his earlier
manhood, no intellect was more keen
than his; no man welded moIe
dominant influence IN everything per-
tnning to the town and county in
which he lived.
A brilliant conversatonalist and
rare raconteur. he wns always the
center of any circle in which he
might be thrown. In him the poetic
temperament was developed to the
highest degree, and never have
known more passionate lover of
nature. Wordsworth. himself, had no
keener delight than he in the beauties
of flower and tree, of blue sky, green
meadows and running brook.
An ardent sportsman, W ith rod or
gun, one-half the pleasure he derived
from these was in the intimate touch
he got from earth, and air and sky.
Some of the pleasantest hours of my
life were spent with him as my
companion along the banks of the
winding Clinch, or the limpid waters
of Clear Fork, and their mossy banks
were never pressed by the foot of ono
who saw and loved their beauties
more than he.
Yes, Henry Anderson is gone.
Never again will his familiar figure
be seen upon the streets of your
beautiful little mountain town, but
he will not be forgotten. The summer
wind will whisper in the green grass
above his grave; the deep blue sky
will bend in loving pity over it; the
peaks of his loved Buck Horn and
Dial Rock will stand Sentinel over
his sleeping dust. and on the Resur-
rection Morn, may the All-loying
Father. who knoweth and pitieth the
frailties of his children, remember
only the love he bore his fellowmen.
c. e. KREGLOE.
Baltimore. Md, Nov. 25th.