Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-04-01
Valley News Items.


Rockingham Co. 1t is large building
45x75 feet.
1t is said by the Shenandoah Valley
that there will be several excursion par |
ties to the Luray Cave Easter-one
from Winchester and one from Gordons-
vile.
The Town Council of Woodstock has
authorized the issuing of 81 500 in bonds
for the purpose ofpaving the Main street.
The bonds run for five years at six per
cent. interest, payable annually.
Mr.. NJ. L. Swartz, of Bridgewater, on
Saturday morning week killed blue
crane, four feet in height and five feet
eleven inches across the wings. He
shot him at distance of one hundred
yards.
On March Oath, Mr.. B. F. Grove, of
Rockingham, killed crane, measuring
from tip to tip six feet, and four feet ten
inches from toe to end of beak. and was
in the act of eating fish ten inches
long in the pond of the Big Spring near
Naked Creek church.
The Bridgewater Enterprise says that
Eugene Miller, in company with two
Miss Messersmith's returning in bug
gy from Pleasant Hill en- Tuesday night
last, drove off Of an embankment and
captized, but fortunately with no injury,
ovoopt IN tho hucuv
The Page Courier says Jos. BlOsser,
living near Alma, had his stable burned
one night last week.-He lost two hor
ses and all his provender, gear and
tools. The fire occurred about o'clock,
and was evidently the work of an in
cendiary.
The suit of Wall VS.. Cason, which
has been pending in the Circuit Court
of Frederick county for some years, and
which involved the title to about 10000
acres of land, nine miles west of Win
chester, was decided in the Circuit
Court last week, confirming Mr.. WIS
rights to one-half of the land.
The revival meetings at the M. E.
Church South in Harrisonburg closed
on Monday night last. On Sunday the
first quarterly meeting for Harrisonburg
Station was held, Rev. John S. Martin,
the new Presiding Elder of this district
preached both morning and night, to
large and appreciative congregations.
During the revival at this Church there
were 120 conversions and IS accessions.
Tile Old Commonwealth.
The Page Courier says Henry Guy.
negro doctor from Rockingham, is
working wonders in the upper end Of
that county, in the neighborhood of
Newport and Grove Hill. He is very
religious and claims to be commissioned
from heaven to cure all maladies that
flesh is heir to; especially epileptic fits,
rheumatism, and many other things
which he attributes to 'spells" put upon
the person afflicted by witches. Strange
to say he numbers among his patients
some of the white citizens of that neigh
borhood, some Of whom have paid him
in advance as much as SIS, upon his
assurance of cure.
From the Old Commonwealth we learn
that the prospect for the building of the
w. G, and St. L. r. r., (narrow-gauge,)
seems to brighten with each succeeding
week, and President Borst is confident
of his ability to have the road completed
to Luray in time to bring visitors to the
Cave this summer; to Harrisonburg by
next spring, and to Monterey, in High
land county, by the fall of 1880. 1t
farther states that Mr.. Borst has re-
signed the Presidency, in order to take
the contract for the construction of the
entire road. and will be succeeded by B.
F. Grayson, Esq, of Luray, as Presi-
dent. The track laying between Wash
ington and Falls Church is now pro-
crossing.
Page county possesses other wonders
besides the great Luray Cave, as will be
seen by the following item, taken from
the Page Courier .:-"David Gander,
Esq, brought to our Office, on last Mon
day, piece of burned clay, found on
Gander's island, short distance above
the White House, with flint intermixed,
and ornamented on the outside appa-
rently by rolling an ear of corn over it
when in soft state, which is evidently
a piece of some cooking utensil used by
the Indians. A portion of this island
had about two feet of the surface washed
off by the flood of 1870, and about the
same by the flood of 1877, exposing nu-
merous hearths made of round sand
stones nicely laid down. This piece
of vessel was found near one of the
hearths. In a gully washed about
three feet deeper than the surrounding
surface was found human skeleton,
supposed to be that of an Indian. All
of which goes to show that this island
was inhabited at some day by the red
man of the forest.''
We learn from the Shenandoah Valley
that the Shenandoah Valley Mill, own
ed by Benz. Hoover. ESQ.,. located near
Timberville, Rockingham county, Va,
was burned on last Wednesday mora
ing The fire, which was caused by the
! friction OF the water wheel gudgeon-
Turbine-was discovered about25 o'clock
in the morning by Capt T. W. Trus-
sell, who had the mill rented. The loss
in wheat, corn, flour, barrels, offal, &C.,
is estimated at some $l40o. This loss
will fall mostly on the customers who
had stored their wheat there for their
own family use. Capt Trussell will
sustain very considerable damage.
The loss of the mill and mill property is
estimated at $600o There was an insu
rance on the mill of $3.50. The dwell
| ing-house of G. A. White, located near
the mill, took fire from it and was also
consumed. Most of the househol pro-
perty was saved. There was no insu-
rance on it. The loss is reckoned at
$1,000.