Newspaper Article

Barbee Chiseled Dreams in Marble - January 6, 1934

Poets for ages have rhymed their dreams, sung endless words to perpetuate their inmost thoughts, but Herbert Barbee in his dingy little studio in the little town of Hamburg, Va., has for 50 years smote his chisel with a wooden mallet to chip from virgin marbles the ideals of his wakeless hours.

Now in his eighty-sixth year he is running a gallant race with Father Time with his "masterpiece of masterpieces" for the trophy--The Lost Pleiad--a piece to complement the bust of his honored father he carved and placed atop the Mary's Rock at the summit of Thornton Gap in the hazy Blue Ridge Mountains where the Barbee clan started on the road to the fame that has rightly crowned its struggle.

Survivor of Iron-clad 'Virginia' Tells of Stirring Naval Battles  -  February 9, 1934

"I was in the Confederate Navy, suh, and mighty proud of it"---and the man who is probably the only living survivor of the old iron-sided Virginia told of the days when he was "gunner's powder-monkey on this superdreadnaught of the South."

Born in Hanover County in 1848, William Martin Butler enlisted at Richmond in the navy when he was 14-years old. He first shipped on the Patrick Henry, but later was transferred to the Virginia, the ship that but a few months before had "made obsolete the navies of the world" when she steamed out from Confederate defense of Norfolk clad in iron.

Confederate Guns Aim at Eagle Foe - October 21, 1934

War clouds rolled and surged over the Eastern United States, the Confederate Congress assembled, and the doughty sons of the South rode beneath the Stars and Bars even before the spring day in 1861 when Chief Sky, a young Indian, spotted a young eagle high up in a pine tree in northern Wisconsin.

The war's thunder had not then broken the stillness of the great woods. The momentous events in which the young red man's find was to play so conspicuous a part had not even cast a shadow in that remote section of the nation.

No hint was discernible that this strong young bird was to cause a great Confederate leader, General Sterling Price, to place a tremendous worth upon its capture or death. But that is history

Virginia Fairs - October 21, 1934

No appeal of the Old Dominion has more lure than that of Virginia's county and district fairs for the carnival man and woman. No other State beckons in late summer and early fall with the assurance of certain profits that are offered on the midways of nearly 100 fairgrounds from the tidewaters to the mountains.

The Vanishing Medicine Shows - October 21, 1934

His hair was a shade greyer, his face not so ruddy and rotund, and the worn appearance of his tweeds was in strong contrast with the flashy sartorial garb he wore when I had last met him.

But the animated countenance, the shrewd grey eyes and his erect carriage were unmistakable. I recalled him as the owner and manager of the Herbs of Longevity Medicine Show, a six-people outfit--Old Doc Keister Wiglow.

Training 'Frosh' is College Tradition - October 21, 1934

What happens to a freshman in a Virginia college? Probably not exactly what happens to Jimmy Snark of Chicago, but then all first-year men encounter "laws" and traditions many of which are identical to the problem of our James.

In this, article detailing the evolution of a freshman, Jimmy swaps experiences with pals in other Virginia colleges.

Park Commemorates Petersburg Siege - October 21, 1934

The Petersburg National Military Park, scene of the siege which opened June 15, 1864, and ended April 2, 1865, is rapidly being converted into a beautiful historical park attracting nation-wide attention, and under the direction of the National Park Service it will become one of America's most sacred shrines.

Who Were Killers of John Stephens? - October 21, 1934

Whether this is legend or truth cannot be said, but a cross was burned one night in the Clan Convocation ground, a spot overlooking County Line Creek, not far from Yanceyville at which the solemn determination was reached that [John] Stephens, thrice warned to leave the county only to bring hot diatribes from him, must be removed for the benefit of white women's virtue specially, and the welfare of the county citizenship generally. His fate was sealed, so the story goes (Captain Lea does not vouchsafe endorsement but smiles on hearing it), the fiery cross burned low and it was left to picked leaders [of the Ku Klux Klan] to determine the means of his end.

Barter Theatre - November 4, 1934

Swap Chick or Pig For Theatre Seat. The Barter Theatre at Abingdon, Va., has been unique experiment
that seems destined to exert a wide-flung influence and to fill the training gap left open by loss of the 'Road'.

St. Joseph's Villa - November 4, 1934

So come to me, my little one--
My years with thee I share,
And mingle with a Sister's love
A mother's tender care.
                      ---Whittier.

One hundred years have passed since this thought of the immortal bard was first enacted in Richmond by that devoted trio of Sisters of Charity sent here at the request of Father Timothy O'Brien when St. Joseph's Academy and Orphan Asylum materialized out of the dream texture of the kindly old priest's heart.

A. P. Hill (Part 4) - November 4, 1934

After Jackson's death Lee threw his full weight of dependence on Hill's third army corps.

General A. L. Long, after the war, described the corps commander well when he said: "No man was more distinguished throughout the war for chivalric bearing than this brave soldier. On every field where appeared Army of Northern Virginia, he bore a conspicuous part."

Longstreet was not so kind. He resented Hill's elevation to a corps commander on Stonewall's death.

He accused Lee of favoritism to Virginians and declared, "General Daniel H. Hill was the superior of General A. P. Hill in rank, skill, judgment and distinguished services."

Postmasters of Richmond, Virginia- November 4, 1934

In the last century and a half, Richmond has grown from a straggling village of 1,800 inhabitants to a modern provincial capital of more than 180,000. During this period the life of the city has developed in many ways, but in none more strikingly than in the growth of its postal service.

Postmasters of Richmond, Virginia (Part 2) - November 11, 1934

A. P. Hill, Soldier of the South (Part 5)- November 11, 1934

Bolivar Heights, one of the three great promontories, about a mile and a half west of, and overlooking Harper's Ferry, was where A. P. Hill, with his Thirteenth Virginia Infantry, began service for the Confederacy.

Charles F. E. Minnegerode, Rector St. Paul's Church - November 11, 1934

Although not a Virginian by birth; not even an American, probably no resident of Rchmond has been held in higher esteem than was the late Rev. Charles F. E. Minnegerode, D. D., the scholarly and well-beloved wartime rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church--that cathedral of Confederacy where General Lee and President Davis worshipped in those ghastly days of 1861-65.

Jack Jouett, the 'Paul Revere' of the South - December 2, 1934

Jack Jouett Jr.'s 45-mile ride on the dark night of June 3, 1781, has never been equaled in history. Paul Revere rode only 15 miles on a public road, on a moonlight night.

Time never erased the scars the hero received that night from the briars and bushes, as he rode to save from "capture and execution" by the British, the Governor of Virginia, the future President of the United States. The hero was presented with a sword for the heroism by the Legislature.

Colonel Bigger Was Master of Jest - December 2, 1934

Legislators and State Officers who were familiar with the General Assembly up to a few years ago--about twenty-five--will recall Colonel John Bell Bigger, the venerable clerk of the House of Delegates. He was one of the best-known men of the State, and his hold on the members of the house was remarkable. So far as is recalled, he never had opposition among the members of his party, and the minority was not sufficient to cause him any worry.

Diaries of Young Ladies of Virginia in the 1700's - December 2, 1934

"We danced, romped and talked scandal"

This sentence was written by a "Young Lady of Virginia" in a letter to her bosom friend about 1782, from one of the great houses in Virginia. And though her language is quaintly stilted, and her expressions a trifle sanctimonious, a frolic-some humor peeps through her long words, and we come to the conclusion that she and the most modern girl are "sisters under their skins." The only difference seems to be the degree of frankness in expressing what they think. One is shocked by any bare revelation of her inmost feelings--the other disgusted by too great reticence.

Pony Express Was Idea of Virginian- December 2, 1934

The Pony Express goes through! The mail must go on!"

'Tis a far cry, even in these days, from Ol' Virginny to the muddy Missouri, the snow-capped peaks and passes of the Rockies and the deserts and valleys of California. But it was a much farther cry in the days between the time when the Forty-niners heeded the Western call and Fort Sumter's fall when those fleeting phantoms of the desert--the Pony Express riders--carried Uncle Sam's mail over thousands of miles and through hourly dangers of Indians, storms or perils of travel.

Early History of the YWCA - December 2, 1934

Richmond Women's Christian Association was organized in Apri l881, with Mrs. Whittle acting as provisional president--and took up the work of sheltering and protecting girls and women in rented rooms at 619 East Main Street. To be exact, a flat of six rooms, in charge of a matron and a girl of 13, constituted the setting and the personnel of the organization that was to develop into a modern and far-reaching structure.

Streetcar Strike - December 2, 1934

Sergeant Hatton Amos was something of a spotlight figure in the big street car strike 30 years ago. He was picked to do a lot of gumshoe work and as a consequence the tall, lean and lank officer was the butt of many onslaughts, serious as well as inconsequential.

Before the strike assumed its tragic period, and there was no apparent cause for military interference, Sergeant Amos was detailed to ride around in the empty cars to do what he could as the bodyguard of the strike breakers. A modern Javert, and the soldier that he was, Amos never flinched.

Famous Ghosts of Colonial Virginia - December 2, 1934

The ghost legend, however, is of his lovely daughter, Evelyn, who had not only inherited her father's gracious bearing but was a great beauty as well. She was presented at the Court of George I when she was 18, and it is said that she was the toast of the English nobility. This is easily understood after seeing the lovely portrait of her painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller. It was the statesman, Lord Chatham, who said on meeting her that "he no longer wondered why young gentlemen were so fond of going to Virginia to study ornithology since such beautiful Byrds were there."

First German Calls Virginia's '400' - December 16, 1934

Tomorrow evening the Commonwealth Club will be the scene of the most fashionable function of the year when the proverbial "400" local society members dine and dance at the opening Richmond German.

Following the custom of many years, the season's debutantes will formally make their bows and for the first time will pass before the receiving line of the german officers and their wives. More than 20 girls comprise the list which is representative of Richmond society as well as that in several other cities. Twenty-four debutantes received invitations.

Christmas - When Good Fellows 'Give' Together - December 16, 1934

Here are the stories of 14 families whose children face empty stocking tragedies. Their cases were picked at random from the files of the club. Certainly they are no exception to the general rule. There may be cases which make a greater appeal to the heart. There may be some less moving. But these are real Richmond people and in every one of these homes, Christmas will be just another drab, cold and dreary day unless some outsider is moved to compassion.

Christmas Celebration on Southern Plantation in 1939 - December 16, 1934

Nineteen hundred and thirty-four's varied methods of celebrating Christmas give the reveler little pause for retrospect but it is an interesting pastime to turn back the pages of history and live an old-fashioned Yuletide with Virginians of 100 years ago.

Perhaps one of the most graphic accounts of such a festival is that written by Charles Campbell, the Virginia historian, and published in the Southern Literary Messenger, the magazine later made famous by Edgar Allan Poe, in 1841. The author describes a Christmas party, which was typical of the festivals of the great houses of Virginia at that period, which was held at Teddington in 1839.

Richmond Light Infantry Blues - December 23, 1934

It has been established that from the beginning of their picturesque organization, about 145 years ago, members of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues have drunk enough toasts to drown the whole Japanese fleet, about which so much concern is being aired these days, but, so far as the records show, the drinking was never done officially at Christmas.

The Spotswood Hotel - Christmas Day Fire, 1870 - December 23, 1934

Christmas Day 64 years ago Sunday, December 25, 1870, the city was awakened at 2 o'clock in the morning by the alarm of fire--the famous old Spotwood Hotel was in flames. It was a bitter cold morning, and there was great excitement.

Richmond's Own Christmas Carol - December 23, 1934

It was Christmas eve, with no food in the home, no money left and just enough coal to last through the day. Above all, that sublime faith of little children would be crushed unless there was some miracle.

Remembering Woodrow Wilson - December 23, 1934

Americans in the South, especially in South Carolina, easily remember that December 28 is the birthday of Woodrow Wilson, since that State has a holiday in his honor. But many other Americans do not remember so well, and in these days of the very vocal New Deal it is easier than ever to forget that this former President accomplished wonderful social reforms.

Where Was George Washington Wed? - December 30, 1934

Odd perhaps, and yet there is no letter, no statement, nor any bit of contemporary evidence to show where George Washington and Martha Dandridge Custis were married. Of the 35 or 40 volumes that have been written on the life of Washington, not one of them gives conclusive evidence on the place of his marriage.

Fincastle Resolutions- December 30, 1934

Located on the highway across the river from Austinville, the marker conjures up thoughts of the older days when the Revolutionists under George Washington were putting over a "New Deal" of their own manufacture, and the flag with the snake and "Dont Tread on Me" emblazoned on it, was the Blue Eagle of its day.

Perhaps we had better delve into history so that the true story and significance of the recently placed marker becomes known. As the Fincastle resolutions are chronologically first, we will begin with them. But first a word about the geographical situation.

Nathaniel Bacon - Rebel "Patriot" - December 30, 1934

Nathaniel Bacon, the "picturesque rebel" of Virginia's seventeenth century, had two plantations in Henrico County. His principal place of residence was at Curles Neck, but he also had a plantation on Shockoe Creek, once known as Bacon's Quarter Branch, which is within the present city limits, and at least two of the momentous events of Bacon's career occurred on the ground that is now Richmond.

Witch Trial of Grace Sherwood   -  December 30, 1934

Immediately the door of the anti-room was thrown open and a deputy entered bringing Grace Sherwood. Whatever grounds there were for the accusation of being a witch, Grace Sherwood certainly possessed none of the appearance of one. She was a middle-aged woman, full, round and plump. She had a motherly face, brown hair turning slightly gray, and mild hazel eyes that bespoke a kindly nature. Obviously she was much frightened and her face of an ashen paleness. She was dressed in a tidy black dress, wore a white apron, and a bunch of keys dangled at her side.

She was brought forward and seated in the appointed place. On the opposite side of the room sat Mr. Maxwell Boush, the Queen's attorney, and Luke Hill and his wife, the accusers. Both Hill and his wife were tall, thin, raw-boned persons, whose sharp, crafty features inidicated far less of human kindness than those of the woman they sought to prosecute.