Glass High School - Crest Yearbook (Lynchburg, VA)

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sons bought Sandusky and have re- stored it, which brings us to the pres- ent. And yet I don't think Sandusky will ever live in the present, she has too much of the past. There are a few miscellaneous items I would like to tell you. The dado in the dining room is one width of native pine. VVilliamsburg wanted to buy the back stairs, because the treads were worn so intriguingly. There is a tiny attic over the kitchen. There are two windows, both very small, 'and one entrance, the width and height of one's shoulders-so you have to get down and worm through. In this room is an iron baby crib. It is too big ever to get His just Deserts out of any of the present exits, so there it sits. She is an old woman, magnificent and grand. If you go inside and stand quietly for a moment you can feel the soul of her. The old grand- father clock on the landing ticks on. She does not fear timeg it is nothing to her, she is old. The floors creak under you, she is not complaining, merely making herself comfortable. T-he walls squeak and tell you things she will not say. The windows are open, she does not fear. The plaster cracksg it is nothing to her. Tomor- row it may rain, but she is not afraid. The future is nothingg the present is here, but she lives in the past. VERY day the 3 :67 slowed down to make it 'round the Devil's Bend, and the dirty old man took advantage of the opportunity to jump off the freight car that had been his home for the past four days. But unhappily for him the train was going a bit faster than he thought. The ground rushed to meet 'him in a wild green and brown blur. He felt a sharp pain-then nothing. Pk Pk Pk Alexander Frederick Bennington, III--that is your name and don't you ever forget what it stands for. The THE CRITIC LINDA STICKEL, '64 Benningtons have been leaders in this community and in this state for two centuries. My son, it's up to you to carry on the family name and carry it proudly. You won't let me down, will you, son P He looked up. His eyes followed the proud lines of her face. No, Mother. I won't let you down. PF PF Dk That's his old lady up there in the front row. She sure looks proud, doesn't she ? Well, I guess she should be. He's 29

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ish. Ah, but the entrance, my friends, that is a beauty indeed. The door itself is half again as large as the standard. It is bordered on the three sides by glass, on each side by panels. These panels of glass are very old, bearing a diamond-scratched date 1858, and the names or initials of many residents. Above the door is a fan window as wide as the door, and very high. The whole imparts a feel- ing of rich sparing grace, a tall lean luxury. Around the side of the house is a stone walk between two rows of box- woods, which now leads, purpose- fully, to nothing. This walk led, in the heyday of the house, to the kitch- en. If you go and stand there be- tween the boxwoods you can look down all around you-the h-ouse is on a hill-and see the land which used to belong to the house. A thousand acres once but it was reduced when portions were given to the eldest sons. It is now only four acres, the land on which the house stands. You can see also, from this position, the full length of the Appalachians, they stretch around the horizon a full hun- dred and eighty degrees. The -house was built facing directly south, at its back is the north, to the left the west, the right the east. Thus the moun- tains stretch an encompassing arm around the back of the house. But come with me into the front hall. There is a door on each side, the right to the dining room, the left to the parlor. On the right and far- ther back is a delicate upsweep of stairs, in the Queen Anne style. Stand here in this hall and let me tell you what I know of the history of the house. Samuel Johnson named the house Sandusky. He had been cap- 28 tured by the Indians previous to 1 808 and taken to the north of Ohio. There, by the Sandusky River, he lived with the Indians. So when he built the house, he named it San- dusky. Sandusky is an Indian name meaning beside the still waters. And the house and name have be- come inseparable. johnson, for some private reason, moved his wife and daughters, in- deed, his entire household left twelve years after the house was finished. It changed hands several times. In 1842 the Hutter family bought it. And they were living in it when the house experienced its most historical moment. Sandusky was headquarters for the Union troops under General Hunter for the three days during the Battle of Lynchburg. The front hall of the house would still display, were it not for the obliterating Sanders of the un- knowing Adkinsons, the hoofprints stamped upon the floor when the first troops rode their horses through the front hall. The parlor served as a hospital for the Blue, and the floor of the room still bears the blood- stains. And since, as I have said be- fore, the house is well situated, Hun- ter had a hole cut in the roof of San- dusky, and a ladder placed there to serve as a lookout post. The ladder remains today. When General Hun- ter and his command moved into San- dusky for the three days, two of Hunter's petty officers were Ruther- ford B. Hayes and VVilliam McKin- ley. Hayes became president in 1877 and McKinley in 1897. Now if I have left nothing out, we shall move on. The Hutters lived there until about eleven years ago. And in 1952, the Neville K. Adkin- THE CRITIC

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first in his class-leader of every- thing on campus. Practically runs the place is what my Benje says. Some people have all the luck. Proud old family, lots of money, fancy hon- ors . . . It ain't all luck. My joseph tells me he Worked real hard for those honors he's getting today. He'll go far, that boy. Pk Pk if lVIr. Bennington? Mr. Simpson will see you now, sirf' Thank you, miss . . . Let's see, now. Shoes shined, pants creased razor-sharp, new hat-everything's perfect. Al, my boy, you can't miss. As he Walked across the waiting room, the gold lettering on the door to the office glittered before his eyes. Someday my name will be on that door. bk Ik Pk Boyl There hasn't been a shindig this big since his old lady's funeral. It's a big wedding, all right. And don't they make a lovely couple? She's so beautiful. She'l1 be such a wonderful wife for him. Yes, she's a very accomplished young lady. A real prize for a rising young businessman like him. Pk Dk PII Al, you can't mean itl What will you do ? I guess I'll have to make it good. He was my partner, and I'm respon- sible for those debts. But, Al, he double-crossed you. 30 And where will you get that much money ? We can sell the house, and those bonds will help. We'll come out about even. We can move to a small- er house in another part of town. I can make a go of it, if you'll help me, darling. Al, I Won't live like that. I'm not the struggling type. If you sell this house-I'll leave you, Al. But it's a point of honor. I must do it. Then you'll have to go it alone, Al. bk Pls Pk Don't blame me. Oh, my darling, don't go. Don't go li' His conscious- ness was returning and with it the pain. He looked up at the sky. I had to do it. It was the only thing I could do. Oh, Lord, what did I do to deserve this? I don't de- serve this. I don't deserve it! bk Pk Pk Here he is, Dad. Over herel He's still sleeping or somethingfl Poor old rascal, must've tried to jump off a train and fallen. Run for help, son. He's dead. The boy Cast a frightened but curi- ous eye on the old man's face, even now twisted with pain. Then he turned and ran -off out of sight. Poor devil--but what am I pity- ing you for? You're nothing but a dirty old bum. You probably got just what you deserved. THE CRITIC X t work by Linda Stickel, 64.