The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-04-12

RAILROAD AFFAIRS-THE AUGUSTA COUNTY
FAIR CoMrANY-HoRsE-TnIEF CURIOUS
CASE.
Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.l
STAUNroN, April II, 1873.
The train Yesterday morning passed
through Cady's tunnel. The railroad ALL
thorities deserve praise for the rapiGity with
which they have made the repairs. The loss
to the company from the fire at this tunnel
Is variously estimated by railroad men at
from three hundred to five hundred thou
sand dollars.
The express train from Richmond did not
reach here until about I O'Clock yesterday
morning, in consequence Of the burning of
the depot at Melton, below Charlottesville,
together with large portion of the track.
The erection OF the round-houSe on the
backgrounds Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad Company is progressing rapidly.
The foundation is nearly completed, and
everything Is in readiness to begin the other
work as soon as that is finished. 1t Is ex-
pected that the company will soon begin
building the workshops on the grounds
granted them by the city of Staunton. These
grounds have already been condemned by
the city, and the compensation of the differ.
ent owners fixed upon. At the last meeting
of the City Council provision was made for
raising the amount of this compensation by
issuing city bonds, to be sold at par, bearing
eight per cent. interest, payable seminar
nually, and running for twenty years, tree
from taxation.
Besides the purchase Of the Fair Grounds
for S25, 900, the Valley Railroad Company
has also purchased two acres Of land from
W. 3. kayser for $500, and one acre on Hos
pital Hill for 5000. A two-acrc lot be-
longing to D. \. Kayser, near the Fair
Grounds, was valued at $1,000, and will be
taken by the company at this valuation if
they want it. The route the road will take
coming into Staunton has not yet been de-
ternlined upon. There is every probability
now of having this road completed in short
time. The favorable news from the Sbenan-
doah Valley road has probably had some
thing to do with the recent vigorous push
which has been given to the Valley road.
The hope is now INDUCED by our citizens of
having both roads completed to Staunton
before n great while.
Since the sale of the grounds of this COM
pany to the Valley railroad, the directors
have been looking out for a new location.
They have advertised for proposals from all
persons having suitable grounds, to be put
in by the 10Th instant. The places offered
will all be examined by Mr.. W. A. Pratt.
architect and engineer, and when he has
made bis report the Board will at once decide
upon what is to be done. Some of the stock
holders intimate that this would be good
time for general divide, but it is not at all
probable that anything Of the kind will take
place, as the Augusta County Fair. Is an in
srituUion Of incaculable value to the county,
and'having succeeded SO well SO far 1t would
be a crying shame to abandon it now.
a man giving his name as w. d. Smith
was arrested by City Sergeant Parent on
the charge of having stolen a horse then in
his possession. He said he bought the horse
at Charlottesville; but upon telegraphing to
Charlottesville Sergeant Paoli came here,
and recognized the horse as the property OF
Mr.. Woods Garth, of AIbemarle. A warrant
was issued by the Mayor, and Smith was
taken to. Charlottesville. Smith had been
working on the Valley railroad, and stole a
horse from Dir. J. b. Roller. of Rockingham,
which he sold in Charlottesville. Whilst in
Jail he is said to have told Il lellow-prisoner
that he had stolen some seven or eight horses,
and had resolved never to steal any more and
lead an honest life, but the horse of MIR. Rol-
Ter was so convenient that he could not resist
the temptation to try it once more.
A stranger was arrested by Deputy Ser
geant Kurtz last week for an assault upon
$. f. Roche. He gave his name as,O. Will
lis, Martin Ham. and George w. Hanlon,
but it is. believed that neither is his true
name. He says he is from Maryland. his
attack upon Roche was entirely unproyoked,
and it is supposed it was made with the in
tent of robning him, for he bad seen Roche
draw money from bank that morning, and
had been following him all day. Roche was
drinking considerably during the Gay, and
was tight at the time of the assault upon BIN;
He was fined by the Mayor So 80 end bound
over to keep the peace in bond of $50, and in
default of security was sent to Jail. Hesee
to be hard case, and on entering the Jail re-
marked that lie had been in those places be-
fore. Before he made the assault upon
Roche he was heard to say that he intended
to get money some way or other, If ne had
to kill somebody for it.
The Fires In Apprenticeship. LIE