The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-07
! Grafton cannot comprehend 1t. how
| oyer prasa0ted

ever presented.
After Appomattox Court h ous e.
when we approached the pontoon
bridge which the federals had placed
over the James from Manchester
across Mayo's island to the foot or
Fifteenth street, the picture was ap-
Mailing: smoke and destruction on
every side Fate dealt us a stagger-
Ing blow in this great fire, at the
end of four (4) years of war, l,loe
business and warehouses being burn
ed. The loss of real estate, while
serious, was the smallest part OF IL.
The merchants, TO pay debts ana start
afresh after the war. had in the ware
houses. tobacco, cotton and valuables
greatly in excess nf the value of the
real estate and worse than this, many
of the Young men, coming home with
out a plaCG TG commence business ana
no one to employ them. except to
clean bricks or do other mental jobs.
gradually drifted away In search of
daily bread. One of them told me he
understood tho Lords Prayer" bet
ter than he ever had hefore--as for
a weeks supply ahead, he never
thought OF II.
We had only one court, the Tnited
States court estate courts no longer
existed). presided over by an I'M
scruplnus Judge with INSCRIPTIONS
court officers This court was used
az machine to squeeze money out
of the wrecked citizens You could
not apply for amnesty or pardon at
Washington and all were under the
han who were supposed to have 500
000--until all court costs were paid.
Writs against nearly all were spread
all over the Federal building. and
boards uus m on Bank street IN hold
I. aYIAf IN
pay debts to landlords and men to
paw debts to those sued in this So
called court Some Of our older cit
f7ens paid $1,000, one 1900 court
costs. 7 Was told. to get control OF
his property. and the officers, in
short time left with, / was also told.
$50 GOO or 100000.
The United states internal revenue
office was run on tho same lines as
the United states court, and was even
more successful in money getting and
in oppression than the court.
Have Won ever thought Of doing
business IN a city without bank, or
insurance company, and without in
tanEibles" as our new Virginia tax
law calls t. and where nearly all the
men supposed to he worth SEQ 900
were sued and could not control their
property? Where all the railroads
were worn ont. with no money TO re-
pair them. and were Broken streaks
Of rust" instead Of rails?
We Of the army AZ least, and 7
think all had some support in facing
the conditions from one sentence In
General Lees farewell address: You
Will take with you the satisfaction
that proceeds from the consciousness
Of duty faithfully performed" He
mnant. we thought when our rights
under the government. AS we had been
taueht TO know them. We're denied
and our country invaded Won resisted
to the bitter end without counting the
cost as those of orr blood had been
doing before us and must continue N
do to the worlds end or lose their
self respect and become degraded
men and communities.
Immediately after the surrender.
General T4ee said to groups Of officers
and men: "our people need YOU more
than ever We must go home and
to work. and stand by them" In the
moment % hts supreme agony. he
was thinking of "his people" and not
Mt ait or himself So we followed his
last Injunction even II 1t lead To
CLEANING hot bricks IN our burned CITY
for daily bread He practiced what
he preached and was a continuing ex-
ample and source Of strength
one other FnpI'ort we hf'., CUR
CITY our hefoNeu cI'E h1Ata@t" Noll''-
]t6 pay tfe interest On It's pifbItr dent
/ fthe debt amounting then to $500
o00l. to keep faith. amidst ala these
herFors. Win 'aoNe Muu "9,l ~ ~
/ h"r' liaNll@ 10 GO -NoFtn "o%ut ,tIS
Ftline- FFit SfFe''F iileh,'t ~ I'1S
( achleVeiheh' OF our GU ~ ne'ne" 'i',
( IN my huS'h Ike SAM 1aui
/ felt that - was a citizeh ot no mean
/ CIV
!
a.. .,,t, ltaeo W. haa
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