Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-04-25
A Gossipping and Interesting Letter

NEWS ITEMS-DEER AND FISH SIonAIo
BRUSHING UP AT THE wARM-DlsTIN-
GUIsHED vIsIToRs--NEW RESIDENT
PHYsICIAN-NEw HACK L1NE-INTER-
EsTING TRIALS.
&C., &C., sc.
ICorrespopdent of the Staunton vINDrcAToR.l
WARM SPRINGS. April 22d.-Circult
Court is an era in the quiet life OF Bath
as it is only at these terms OF this
court each year that tho people meet Gu
masse at the court house here. The ses-
sion commencing on Monday, the lawyers
and their clients were gather ny for TVS
or three days previous and it was not unit
Sunday night that Judge Mclaughlin ha'
completed his legal family circle. toward
The make up of which Augusta, RocF
bridge, Allegheny, Highland and Is
contributed.
This distinguished family consisted
Messrs! Geo. M. Cochran, James Bum
gardner. Jr R. L. Parish, L. II. Stephen
son, s. II. Letcher, VIM. M. McAlister,
John W Stephenson and w. 5. Hammond.
To zee them gathered costly around
bright wood FIRE in the sitting room OF the
Warm Springs Hotel and hear them chat
ting pleasantly over old cases or laughing
merrily at good jokes always with law
point to them, COED naturally quoting
Grattan and Leo, Randolph and q score
more. and quietly accepting the informal
decisions of tho genial judge, one would
hardly be prepared to see these Same gen.
tlemen few hours after in the court room
cutting and slashing each other with keen
est satire and sharpest retort, demolishing
one another in vengeful satisfaction with
'sauthorities" and submitting with Ill con-
cealed chagrin to the inevitable rulings Of
the court. 1t is just the difference be-
tween sham battle with stick guns or
blank cartridges and a bloody charge with
steel bayonets and shattered pieces,
THE FIREsIDE COURT
took up and disposed of in rapid succession
and with little formality, prominent cases
in every court in the district, Shultz VS..
Gisiner had rehearing with hearty
laugh at the expense Of the defendants
counsel whose Client played the mischief
with his own case on the witness stand.
Koiner VI. Driver was called up again and
but little sympathy expressed for the cler-
ical defendant in his narrow escape from
s'perditlOn, - aud whenever case bore
hard ON some one of the bar present, it was
called up, and had new hearing ending
in a good laugh at somebody's expense. As
nearly all the members Of this ''happy fans
ily' are ex-Confederate officers, war re-
miniscencss and courts martial came in
for their share of attention and Fitz John
Porter was relnstated with allowance of
back pay, which will make that gentleman
independent for life. On Monday MORN
ing at an early hour the sovereigns began to
assemble and before the middle of the day
q goodly crowd had gathered on the court
green. dotted the beautiful grounds of
1.-The Warm" hung around the store and
hotel doors or chartered on the long porti-
co.
CANDIDATES
abounded, of whom Mr.. VIM. M. McAllis-
ter, the present successful incumbent and
w. S. Hammond, ESQ.,, promising young
lawyer, present their claims to the Com
monwealth's Attorneyship. Messrs. Z. F.
Revercomb and John S. Criser contend for
for the Sheriffalty. Bonner and Simpson
for the Treasurership, Jas. N. Stuart, A. G.
McGuffin, William McElwee and VIM.
Roberts for Commissioner of the Revenue
and R. Fl. Bell for County surveyor. Of
these last Mr.. Stuart is an old officer of Is
years standing. a gallant exConfed. who
gave an eye to the lost cause. Col. MEG uf-
lin is an old and popular citizen, a brother
of the esteemed Teller of the Augusta
National Bank of Staunton who many
years ago held the same Office in Bath for
which his brother is now a candidate.
Mr.. Bell has well filed the office of
County Surveyor for the last two years and
has NO opposition as yet. The candidates
passed here and there through the crowd
presenting their little handbills to every
one except your reporter, who was careful
ly avoided and snubbed on every occasion.
He gathered few news items however.
One gentleman from the border reported
A SNOW FOUR INCHES DEEP,
Friday, on Elk River in Pocahontas, the
adjoining county in West Virginia. An
other from Williamsville told me of a poor
but worthy man, Charles Campbell, who
lived mile from that village, getting his
only horse killed in singular way.-He
and his wife returning home the other day
found the horse, a young animal, lying
dead near the house, it's skull having been
crushed by a large rock, which was near.
The rock had been brought some yards
and evidently thrown with great force
upon the head of the horse, while it was
probably asleep, and killed it outright.
The perpetrator Of the malicious act has
not been discovered. The sympathizing
neighbors at once generously subscribed
$3l towards the purchase of another ami
NAL for Mr.. Campbell. A StauntOn gentle
man, coming over the mountain this morn
ing. saw herd of six pretty deer walking
on ridge near the Alum Springs. These
timid creatures seem to be aware that they
are now protected by the majesty Of the
law. and are fearlessly showing themselves
in the gladeS and pastures of the noun
tains.
GOOD FOR BATH.
Notwithstanding the number Of candi-
dates, and the unusual crowd of people
here for the last two days, only one drum
ken man has been seen or heard of, and he
slept off the effects of his benzine on soft
bench yesterday afternoon, and went quiet
ly home in the evening, a sadder if not a
better man.
HARD TO SWALLOW.
A few minutes ago some gentlemen sit
ting here, in McAllister's Office, telling
deer and fish stories, came over big fish
statement that made your reporter breathe
so hard that the narrator took it for a
whistle of unbelief. He called in his wit
nesses and proved that Mr.. Chas. r. Nc
Danald, the well-knOwn ex-member from
Bath. had caught IN two hours 80 trout
which weighed rs pounds. The story was
confirmed by that gentleman himself. and
l, as we'll as your readers who know him
will have to believe it. Mr. Chas. c.
Francisco, father in-law of our clerk, j.
N. Ryan, caught last Friday in the Cow
pasture huge pike, Is inches long, the
largest fish caught for many years in these
parts.
THE SPRINGS.
The weather here is beautiful and we
are having the warmest days Of the season.
The grass upon the lawn is green, the
trees budding, and this well known and
popular watering place growing prettier
every day. Col. Eubank is assisting ma
ture in the identifying process by repaint-
preparations for his summer visitors,
number of whom have already announced
THAR coninn Among tha DISTINGUISHED