is the secretary. It has a corps3 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 genial4, pleasant companion, and he was welcomed in a game.
Many of the landmarks5, in the matter of buildings, have been torn down and thus removed, and in their places more modern ones erected6 in Richmond. For instance, the old Swan Tavern7, 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 celebrated8 trial of the notorious Aaron Burr was held. Burr had been indicted9 by the federal court for high treason against the United States government, in attempting, by filibustering10 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 acquitted11. He had been for several years an important figure in American politics and history, and had been a candidate for the nomination12 of the Federal or Whig party against Mr. Thomas Jefferson, the nominee13 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.
This embittered14 Mr. Burr towards Mr. Hamilton, and he made a most severe personal attack upon him through the newspapers. This drew from Hamilton a challenge to mortal combat on the field of honor and resulted in the death of the latter by the bullet of Burr’s pistol.
Alexander Hamilton was considered by many as one of the greatest men of his time, and was the brains and leader of his party, then styled the Federal, or later the Whig party. His theory of government exists to this day and time.
A prominent citizen was Mr. Jesse Wherry, a man of wit and humor, a good mimic15 and was a candidate at the time for Commissioner16 of Revenue, to succeed Parson Burton, who had died. During the canvass17 he attended a Methodist religious meeting and when the preacher offered up a long, earnest prayer, Wherry emphasized it by his approval in frequent and loud amens. A party out of spite informed the leaders of the meeting that Jesse was not only not a Methodist, but not even a member of any church whatever. This action came very near causing the defeat of Mr. Jesse Wherry for the office, for the whole meeting voted for his opponent. There once lived in Richmond a man by the name of Hicks, who kept a livery stable on South Tenth Street, between Main and Cary. He owned a fine female pointer dog named “Sue.” She had a pedigree nearly a yard in length. The puppies he found a ready sale for at a good price. One day a party approached
Hicks and said: “I wish you would give me one of her puppies.” He replied: “You go to Major Doswell and ask him to give you one of Sue Washington’s colts.” “It costs the major a good deal of money to produce her colts,” exclaimed the party. “Don’t you suppose it costs me something to obtain my thoroughbred puppies,” was Mr. Hick’s reply.
I remember well the time when the last mortal remains18 of the great Confederate general, Stonewall Jackson, were brought to Richmond for interment. The body lay in state in the rotunda19 of the capitol and all who desired could view the corpse20. There lay still in death, the man who had been the right-hand and arm of General Robert E. Lee, and but few, if any, who passed around his bier failed to shed tears of sorrow at the great calamity21 which the South sustained thereby22. Upon a caisson was placed the casket and conveyed to Hollywood Cemetery23.
His faithful colored body-servant led the famous old sorrel horse that had carried him through so many battles. At the battle of Fredericksburg, General J. E. B. Stuart, with the aid of his servant, had provided the old horse with an entirely24 new equipment—new saddle and bridle—and when his men saw their general seated on his familiar old sorrel, bedecked and ornamented25 with the new trappings, they were utterly26 amazed at the improvement. His new uniform of Confederate grey, which had been procured27 for the general without his knowledge, became him well and was admired by all.
点击收听单词发音
1 marine | |
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵 | |
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2 antedates | |
v.(在历史上)比…为早( antedate的第三人称单数 );先于;早于;(在信、支票等上)填写比实际日期早的日期 | |
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3 corps | |
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组 | |
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4 genial | |
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
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5 landmarks | |
n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 );目标;(标志重要阶段的)里程碑 ~ (in sth);有历史意义的建筑物(或遗址) | |
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6 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
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7 tavern | |
n.小旅馆,客栈;小酒店 | |
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8 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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9 indicted | |
控告,起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10 filibustering | |
v.阻碍或延宕国会或其他立法机构通过提案( filibuster的现在分词 );掠夺 | |
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11 acquitted | |
宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(自己)作出某种表现 | |
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12 nomination | |
n.提名,任命,提名权 | |
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13 nominee | |
n.被提名者;被任命者;被推荐者 | |
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14 embittered | |
v.使怨恨,激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15 mimic | |
v.模仿,戏弄;n.模仿他人言行的人 | |
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16 commissioner | |
n.(政府厅、局、处等部门)专员,长官,委员 | |
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17 canvass | |
v.招徕顾客,兜售;游说;详细检查,讨论 | |
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18 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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19 rotunda | |
n.圆形建筑物;圆厅 | |
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20 corpse | |
n.尸体,死尸 | |
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21 calamity | |
n.灾害,祸患,不幸事件 | |
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22 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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23 cemetery | |
n.坟墓,墓地,坟场 | |
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24 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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25 ornamented | |
adj.花式字体的v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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27 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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