A gleaning of significance was: A certain lady was the fortunate possessor of two sons whose ages were respectively twelve and fourteen years; these boys were once invited to a juvenile party, their mother having provided them new roundabouts with plain brass buttons and trousers to match with well starched collars, their faces having been, of course, washed clean, and the chaps were well dressed and smart looking. Before parting with them, when they were leaving home for the entertainment, their mother, after carefully inspecting them, said, now boys you are both big fools, and now don’t you open your mouths while at this party. The host of the entertainment came to them and complimented their behaviour and appearance, and inquired about their mother. The boys looked directly at one another, but remained as dumb as oysters in the shells. Their hostess fared no better, and received no satisfaction when she kindly inquired of them about their parent. As she left the boys she remarked, well those are certainly the greatest dunces that I have ever seen. They overheard her remark, and one of them said to the other brother, they have found us out. Let us go home. Those very boys afterwards developed into intelligent men. It was truly wrong in their parent to thus discourage her boys on their first start into society; she should have taken an optimistic view of the matter, as the final result proved, as they both grew up to be well informed members of society.
A characteristic feature of the period of the time in which I am engaged writing, is the friendly relations now existing between the sections of the country; the North and the South. Nearly half a century has elapsed since the surrender at Appomattox. All the acrimony engendered by the late strife, has ceased. The bone of contention, the “Slavery Question,” which once divided the States, no longer exists, and now we see the Southern girl marrying the Northern beau, and the Northern knight woos and weds the Southern heroine, and thus results a commingling of blood and interests.
During the winter just preceding the great war between the States, a Miss Duryea, the daughter of Colonel Duryea, of New York, was making a visit to my brother-in-law and his family, Mr. Peyton Johnston, of Richmond, they being strong mutual friends. The colonel consented to her visiting in Richmond, and she was a very attractive young lady, and as I was at the time a young man, I was, to some extent, drawn to her. I well remember that she played a good game of single-hand euchre, and that we had many pleasant games together. She left for the North just before the beginning of the war. Her father commanded the Duryea Zouaves.
A unique character of the city was one Captain John Freeman, who commanded one of the passenger boats between West Point, Va., and the City of Baltimore. He was a great epicure, and was noted for providing the best meals on his steamer of any one of the line, and passengers to and from Baltimore and Virginia deemed themselves fortunate when they found themselves his guests for the trip on the York River and the Chesapeake Bay route. The genial old sailor had, by good feeding, acquired a fine front of genuine aldermanic proportions. A certain man once approached him and remarked that he could give him a receipt which, if he would follow well, would reduce his stomach to its normal size within thirty days. The captain listened attentively to him, and then he replied, “My good friend, it has taken me about thirty-five years and several thousand dollars to obtain the generous front that I have, and now you come and tell me how to get rid of it in thirty days or so, after all my time and money has been spent in acquiring it. Now, my dear sir, I must most respectfully decline to make use of your receipt.”
During the war between the States a certain quartermaster with the rank of major, whose duty never took him outside Richmond in extremely hot weather, when the mercury in July ranged from ninety to ninety-five degrees, had a negro boy whose sole employment was to fan him and keep off the flies. Now, this worthy official of the Army of the Confederacy always thought himself to be one of the hardest worked men in the service. Peace to his ashes; he has long since “passed over to the other side of the river.”
A time of great interest to the Virginians in the past, was the exhibition of the annual State Fair, when almost every farmer and family came to Richmond during the month of October to attend it. They would put off until then to do the shopping and trading for the fall and winter. The city would then be thronged with the visitors from almost everywhere. All the hotels and boarding houses were then filled, and all hands bent upon seeing and being seen, would flock out to the Fair Grounds. At night the Mechanic’s Institute was open and filled with machinery and mechanical products. The Fair Grounds were situated then at now the corner of Main and Belvedere Streets, which had been used during the war as Camp Lee. It is now the beautiful spot called Monroe Park.
CHAPTER XXVI.
One of the most important insurance companies in the city is the Virginia Fire and Marine. This old and strong institution antedates the great war, and its officers were at one time as follows: President, Mr. Thomas Alfriend; secretary, W. L. Cowardin, who afterwards became the president. At this writing—the year 1912—Colonel William H. Palmer is the president and Mr. W. H. McCarthy is the secretary. It has a corps of efficient clerks and its business is vast, and constantly increasing. The prestige and conservative mode of doing business of this model fire company, commend it to the confidence of the insuring public.
A unique man of Chesterfield county was a certain Mr. W. B. C., who was considered the best set-back player in Manchester, and could play longer on a small capital, or “stake,” than could be found anywhere. He took few chances in “bidding,” but when he offered so many points for his hand, the board of players deemed it advisable to let him have all the points that he claimed, as he was sure in the end to score them all. He was a very genial, pleasant companion, and he was welcomed in a game.
Many of the landmarks, in the matter of buildings, have been torn down and thus removed, and in their places more modern ones erected in Richmond. For instance, the old Swan Tavern, which stood on Broad between Eighth and Ninth Streets. In its day, before the war, it was a famous hostelry. It was there that the celebrated trial of the notorious Aaron Burr was held. Burr had been indicted by the federal court for high treason against the United States government, in attempting, by filibustering means, to inaugurate a separate government in the then new Southwestern States. Very able legal talent was engaged in this case, among whom was Mr. Jno. Wickham, Luther Martin and several others of national reputation. Chief Justice John Marshall presided at this trial. Mr. Burr was acquitted. He had been for several years an important figure in American politics and history, and had been a candidate for the nomination of the Federal or Whig party against Mr. Thomas Jefferson, the nominee of the Republican-Democratic party. In the election that fall there was a tie vote in the electoral college, and in consequence the election was thrown into the House of Representatives at Washington. The leader of the Federal party, Alexander Hamilton, gave the deciding vote which elected Mr. Jefferson as the President of the United States.