Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-09
Random Sketches of Old Time Richmond
by LEWIS IL. BLAIR.

lie Is buried wisdom will he entombed
with him. Naturally, spinning yarn
and weaving cloth could not prosper
undor such management. and the fate
OIL each company was disappearance as
cotton mills.
ORC TO Make
Hell wv ENJOYMENTS
owing to It's difficult access. Rich
mond, in old times. was rarely honored
by tho visit of circus, niinstrcls or other
form of amusement. so that it's citizeps
mad TO make their own cnjoymcnts.
Many found churches. prayer meetings
and rcvivals sufficiently amusing, but
others, not so spiritually minded, sought
their entertainment otherwise. The
prlncipnl course of amusement of tho
gentlemen was in QUOT clubs. / waa
100 young to know, except by hcarsay.
or the buchanan Spring Quot Club, in
me part of the city, to
which Chief Justice Marshall belonged.
put l well remember the quot club that
met on saturdays on Mayo's Island. and
10 which my father often took mo
Alter a sumptuous dinner. the gentle
men began their game, and keen was
the rivalry to demonstrate whose ono,t
came nearest the meg, or pcg-dis-
tancc being measured with m;nu+o
accuracy. The gentlemen also formed
Il musical club. of which my father
was Il member. and l we'll remember ,
meeting OF the club one evening at orr
mousse ana the supper served. One of
me pieces played on this occasion. and
which made quite an impression on mo
was either the Barber of Seville" oran
overture from William Tell, and 7
never heard it again till many wears
after at an opera i'll New York. The
revival was very agreeable.
Politics was another constant diver
sion for tho men. Boys did not. MS
now, have fairgrounds. because then
both boys and games were fewer th,n
now. anG their games were playod
during recess hours. Thor bnsebau
was both like and unlike our present
game OF that name: there were neither
pitchers. catchers nor diamonds. but
there were bases and outfelders
Each batter tossed his own ball. and
struck at it on its descent, and. if NOT
very expert. he was soon caught ONT
but an expert batter sent his ban birh
into the air. and sometimes beyond tho
fence. when all ON base came home IN
triumph Dumb Johnson was a noted
batter.
Another game was called ..ball". q
soma rubber ball WAS skied. and upon
It's return to earth. there was ,
to get possession of il. for
the holder would he master of the
situation. and. as the BOYS scattered
ne would plant the ball in the pos,crior
or the hoy nearest At hand. and, as all
then wore Jackets. the impact was
generally severe. Another game.
called Prisoners Base. was PLAYED from
the four corners Of a street. tho
diagonal corners held by the same
team. and the game consisted i'm catch
ing a boy off his base.
But the most exciting of all eanos
were rock battles on tho stone If
Hill, between the Hin cots
ana the Butcher Cats. Every pleasant
afternoon each side eagerly assembled
and the battle began; but il was sell
uoh' mat any boy was INJURED. though
! remember one boy who had an eve
put OUT. Walter Scott. II afterwards
lost his life from yellow fever at Nor
toik' was a leader OF the Hill Cats.
Another most enjoyable game-if II
may be so called-whs, OH warm after
moons, TO battle in the falls of James
River. There were several pools
Big He'll" Little He'll" ctc-into IN.
boiling waters of which the bovs
plunge and sport: and there was
below the falls. a rapid stream called
SuSN!, which was not much patron- I
ized by the boys. probably becaus. i,