Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-05-30
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FRIDAY MORNING. MAY sc. 1879.
The Vindicator Election Ex1ress.

Few of our readers who opened their pa
pers Friday morning and read the quleI-
looking tabular statement of returns from
every precinct in the county, OF the cleo
ton held the day before, were aware OF
the amount of labor involved in getting it
UP. Such feat of new spaper enterprise,
as publishing returns from every precinct
in Augusta the next morning, even in the
most excited political elections. has never
been performed before, and as good many
of those who saw it would like to know
how it was done we will give them the IN
formation 1t took the labor OF eight e1-
press riders, eight horses, and i've ONCE
men to get up that table OF dry, unlnVl-
ting figures. The map of the county was
taken and the routes of precincts maze
out, The horses and riders were furnish
ed by S. T. Thornburg, the well-knoWn
livery man, and the dspatching them to
their destination. and receiving them Whsn
they returned was contided to Mi. Kent
Doom, a trust that was faithfully executed.
The riders on the longest routes were sent
out on the day before, and those on the
shortest were dispatched on the day OF t1e
election. The routes were as follows:
Mt. Meridian, New Hope and Red Mills
thirty miles, rider WIN. Taylor This
messenger made splendid time, bringingin
the returns in full, even the famous Red
Mills, at O'Clock A. M.
| Deerfeld, Lebanon White Sulphur
Springs and Churchville, twenty-five miles,
| rider Chas. Eehard. This messenger who
had to travel rough country came in at
5 A. nj.
Sangersville, Mt. Scion, Parnassus and
Spring Hill, twenty-five miles, rider Frank
Lushbaugh. This messenger got in all
right at A. M.
Centervllle, Mt. Sidney and Verona,
twenty miles, rider Edward Honey. finished
the home trip at 8 A. M.
Midway, Greenville and Folly Mills,
eighteen miles, rider Henry Swoope This
was the last messenger in, not reaching the
office till 6. Is A. NJ, the counting OF the
vote at Greenville not having closed until
"A. NJ.
Newport and Middlebrook, eighteen
|
reached the Office at A. M.
Sherando and Barterb ook, twelve miles,
rider John Parent. THIS rider in conse-
quence OF trouble about Getting the Bar
Textbook precinct, did not reach the office
till. 6 A. NJ.
Buffalo Gap and Hebron Church, ten
miles, rider VIM. Robr. This was the
shortest route and the rider was the first
in, getting to base at y clock.
The near precincts, Bolivar, Sandy Hol-
low and Peaco's Mill, were brought In by
messengers sent from town In the evening.
The difficulty of the undertaking was
greatly added to by the large number OF
candidates voted for, Which greatly delay
ed the officers of the eli ctlon in counting
the vote, and consequently put the express
riders, who had to wait for the count, be-
hind time. AT maj ,rity of the pre-
cincts the count was not finished until TO-
wards midnight. Even at Sandy Hollow,
near town, the poll was not ready until af-
ter midnight, and at Gfeenville, as we
have said, The vote Was not ready till 4
A. M. With but one OF two exceptions
the officers of the elections at the various
precincts entered into the spirit of the en-
terprise, and are entitled to our thanks for
the courtesy shown the messengers. Of
the messengers work We may say that 1t
was done on moonless night, over rough
mountain roads, many OF them unfamilia L
to the riders, and those who performed it
deserve praise for the judgment they show
ed in it's execution, as we'll as the tenacity
with which they held to it.
AS the riders arrived the scene over the
tabular statement was quite exciting. So
changeable was the complexion given by
the returns that as lace as A. M. a cool
headed gentleman offered to bet five
on Larew, and long after day had broken
the vote sto White twenty-three ahead
with only three precincts to hear from.