Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-15
LACY BEDFORD RECALLS
"CO|NGS ON IN OLD DAYS
Things Amt What They
Used to Be- He MUSES. on
Steps of Courthouse.
OLYMPIA cLun ~ SWING
council Gathered Around Urd-II,,
S'c over EnHln" House mud uJIIy
"rn"icy nnd His ":nng, Discu.,ru
street Car Situation.
lBy Hurry Tu,.Lc,

mo venerable Lacy bedford sat
"iScohsoiat"ly upon tho well worn
stone steps leading into the ancient
mouse In Washington Suuar"
nc crossed FIRST one leg ana then tn.
pthcr' lie strokcd his stubbiy gray
q. ana glanced lonringiy toward
lie" i-atham's soda water, establish
ment across HUH street He arose.
shnn!cd about for mon.n,. ami
started to hum that wcll-knowu
ballad
ihings amt wha; they usoh to he
49,. rninSs amt wha, they used To be-
lhingS amt what they used TO he
Many long years nro."
Then h" looked up toward wash
,ngton and Early's old place whcr.
II" used TO git IN the coy back
rom ana riay checkers with Iubc
early and WASH" and thu, crowd
Ina, used to hover around In warm
weather nnd In cold
Billy carter hnbblcd down. Hun
street. leaning heavily hut ,hc.r-
fully on his bic black-thorn stick
ioi dern chilly today. hcy. Lacy -
Now YOU shouting" replied Lacy.
How bout them DAYS when We
could set around tn" big stove In
polio" headquarters. and hear all the
goinrs on v"nturcd i.acy.
An them old DAYS when tho
olympia Club was wont To nice, on
INC upper deck "a, Moore and
inrke's. and Aicrk wrigh, used TO
h"'p the crowd back when the
dancing started"
Member when tho old tavern used
I" be, up thcr" abou, Thirteenth
street, and n. l.. Ton"y was tho main
Eny ON his block. and afterwards go,
elected TO tho Lcgislatorr"
'rlr,l- t,I
Captain i.ipsr"mb "WhoIr Chcesr. -
Il used 10 like 10 20 IN To the
Council! meetings over the engine
house. when tn" stove was rcd-hot
and Hilly Bradley and old man I-,z.
and Brother Abbott. aud Dick Fer
;uson used 10 discuss the stree, car
situation. That was when Cantain
!.ipscOmh was the whole cheese AZ
clerk OF the finance committee. CHIEF
of Folic" ma Ci,v Engineer. h. and
old man Smith. chief Of IN. fire de-
Ihr'm"nt. used 10 gracefully dis
po@c "f tn" annual funds"
Then Billy Garter started in TO
bring up the SPIRITS OF Ihc ola days
when l." WIS known far and wide
as "l!road Rock" ana could icll you
All about any harness horse between
Saratoga and New Orr-lccns lie
had all the pcdigrccs at the tin Of
his tongue. and now has piled up
In the corners OF tho back room Of
his drug stor. many valuable vol
umns devoted To horse lore
Member that old gray mare
Things ain't like they used To be.
though" broke In Lacy. being unable
10 associate the old gray mare with
anything hu, the good old days. many
long years ago
Billy and LACY locked arms. walked
down to the corner and Gazcd long
!Hrly upon thc structure that has
chrulccd the memories Of the old
market house. in IN. rear OF which
Mayor Maurice used 10 hold his court.
when IN" old fellows with the we'll
known Rebel yell sat around the
camp hrc and went all over the war
again and again. They mourncd
silently the absence Of tho nrc-cnginc
house where Walter Smith and "Old
Maj Smith used TO keep the horse
in racing condition.
TIA old hors" always reminded
me-.
I.nry WINS "S"mc" Sprintrr.
But Lacy would not let Billy's
thoughts turn 10 horses
II used to like To hear the old
fire bell ring" mourned Lacy. land
| was some Splinter when il come
To getting to n fire. Less see. tina;
reel company had "A great old gam:
on It's membership roll. We used Ia
start ont with just me and Walter
smith h!tched up TO the reel. but by
the time we got over To cambridge
street Ernest Wells and old Boz
French was in line. and by time we
reached the old church there was
Tom Rurke and Charlie Petit catch
ing hold of the rope. Rud Neal could
run some, too. not counting his size
ana he had a lot OF strength When
| he got hold of the rope the wcakc.
| boys used to let 20. and rest IN
| Billy Morrissctt had reputation OF
! being one OF the most consisten
| members OF the reel company Jeff
was too little. hut he stuck to the
| rope until Carter Jones grabbed IL
'ohn Moore used TO run ahead of tho
| reel and wait Till we got near tho
fire, and then he would rush UP an.
| push one of us fellows out of tn,
way. and land at the fire like q
| hero. That's the way with them big
| follows
And" added Billy, while YOU fell
| If ------