Famous Outdoor Forum Debated Anything From Applejack to Taxes

By Horace A. Hawkins

No organization in the City of Richmond attained a greater reputation than the famous Windy Point Club, which held sway on Libby Hill, Twenty-eighth, Twenty-Ninth, Franklin and Main Streets, being the boundaries of that organization, where weekly meetings were held, summer and winter, spring and fall.

The organization was unique in that the president declared himself in that position and he was never ousted. That was the late Captain John A. Curtis, legislator, harbor master, shipping agent and Gamaliel for many of the young and active men who were seeking political wisdom or stirring tales of the sea and daring adventure in the Confederate States' Navy.

It was a delightful congregation of good and congenial gentlemen, coming from many parts of the city. There were no dues, no fees. Any one who wished to affiliate would have some friend introduce him and forthwith he became a member--his sponsor standing for him in every respect. No one was ever expelled from the organization. Captain Curtis would preside whenever he had opportunity, and discussions would arise on any and all subjects, and there were those at times who were embryo Huey Longs. When that was the case the club would await a signal and then begin to sing lustily--without any idea of harmony--and sing the man down, and that was the end of the matter, with a shout of laughter.

There were several good story tellers among the members, the late John H. Frischkorn being a bright and particular star. He had an inexhaustible fund of anecdotes, and when in fine feather could keep the members in a roar for hours. One of his best was telling of his experiences as a soldier for the Confederacy--consisting of one advance to Fort Harrison to repel the invading foe. Just who commanded his detail that day is not recalled, but the officer had seen service in the army and was wounded. He took his command down to Fort Harrison, gave them instructions to deploy at the edge of the woods from which the Yankees were to come, and cautioned them not to fire until the foe had approached so that "the whites of their eyes" could be seen, and then to "let them have the hot lead."

"And when you have done that," Mr. Frischkorn would continue, explaining the order of the commander, "he told them to retreat to heavy timber half a mile back and to get over the fence and prepare for another effort to hold the Yankees back. Then, the officer said, he would be on hand when the gallant soldiers of the Confederacy should reach the fence and take charge of them again, adding that as he was "a little lame he would proceed to the point designated.' "

Mr. Frischkorn added that they obeyed instructions and when the enemy appeared he let go his rifle and declared that while the officer in command had a start of at least 10 minutes, he himself (Mr. Frischkorn) succeeded in reaching the fence several minutes ahead of his commander.

That was the first and last time I ever tried to be a soldier," said Mr. Frischkorn, "and I was not mad at the Yankees, they had done nothing to me and I came on back home."

Soldiers Jumped Overboard for Match

Mr. Frischkorn said that on one occasion, when there were several military organizations in the city, an excursion was arranged down the river for one of the companies. He said they paraded down the streets, with a band playing, and several of the ladies of the younger soldiers had taken their wives and sweethearts for the day's outing. They were, he said, engaged in marching and counter marching on the dock when one of the men stepped on a match, and with the resultant explosion 15 of the militiamen jumped into the river.

All shades of political faith, many views on church sects, were subjects of debate from time to time, and not one word of rancor was uttered, the rule--if there was one--being that such subjects were the concern of the individual and that the speaker was entitled to make his views known.

Along about 1896, when William Jennings Bryan was riding high along political lines, one Sunday afternoon the late John E. Epps, well known at that time, was seen coming to the rendezvous of the club, then at the base of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. He was accompanied by a gentleman who was a stranger to all except Mr. Epps. Mr. Epps brought up something about the tariff, and it is believed to this day that the gentleman who had come along was a man who was brought just to deliver a dissertation on that widely discussed subject. No sooner than the topic was broached than the guest unlimbered and for an hour and a half he talked tariff, the effects for and against the country, where the profits and loss would come in, the various rates on several articles, and what the country needed along such lines.

He had the members spellbound with such a display of language and held rapt attention for a long time. Then he nodded to Mr. Epps and departed down the hill to the Main Street car line and was never again seen in that section.

Banquets and Feasts; Candidates for Office

Banquets each year were events that brought the crowd from every direction--it being a Dutch treat. There would be speeches by distinguished members and the press agent would see to it that the menu was furnished the papers of the city, with a list of the guests. On one occasion President Curtis obtained a menu of a millionaire's club in New York and asked that it be printed. It was and one gentleman--now dead--saw it at one of the clubs and called attention to it with the remark: "That is going to be some banquet." The gentleman was known far and wide for his epicurean tastes.

The late Richard M. Taylor was a guest on one occasion, and as the chief magistrate of the city he was to make the speech of the occasion. He came prepared and when he was introduced proceeded to pull a roll of paper from his pockets--some 25 sheets--and opened it up, saying he had taken pains to put his remarks in writing, as the club might want copies of same, and squaring himself off he spoke with deliberation, clarity and emphasis on the need for such organizations to safeguard the welfare of the city. He had consumed about 10 or 12 minutes, and with a few words of thanks took his seat. The speech was written all right--on one sheet of paper.

Of the hundred members of the club there are not more than eight or ten living today. The others have gone to their reward--some of them received honors and distinctions; some had been soldiers in the Confederate service, others had been in congress and in the State legislature. Lawyers, bankers, business men, one or two ministers and others in various walks of life were included in the list.