The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-12-15

/ RvEs's HEAITH-A TRIBUTE TO CAPT LUR-
Ty o. 5. DISTRICT ATTORNEY
| Correspondence of the vIEGINIAN.l
DANvIIIE, VA, Dec g. 1881
Editors ValSey Fuyaaaan.
Perhaps an occasional letter from this town,
/ the centre of the great tobacco growing region
may Interest your readers. The great reputa-
ton which Danyille has acquired in the last
| few years has made her the envy OF many less
| prosperous communities and inspired her own
| people with a perceptble feeling OF local
pride. Such growth in population and wealth
as she has displayed is astonishing to every
| visitor ana hardly realized by residents. Huge
rows of splendid brick tobacco factories and
warehouses in some portions of the town and
elegant residences in others have sprung up
| as if by maggie and the population has nearly
doubled during the last decade. These facts
! speak moro than columns could of her notable
prosperity And withal the appearance of
the town, the busy busting character of the
! people are more like the mushroom element
of the western frontier than an old Virginia
town founded way back yonder in 1172. Like
| the western frontier settlements, too, the
whole energies of the population are expended
upon one single interest In the frontier towns
it is generallyamining; here it is tobacco And
| While am nof,prophet of evil | cannot sup
| press the prediction that this town will suffer
the fate OF ala communities which haye no
diversity OF interests, retrograde as soon as
| the single interest which supports it fails In
deed, the failure of the tobacco crop of the
| present year has ALREADY produced a percept
BILE decrease OF the towns prosperity and
number OF her business men have already
pulled up stakesp and gone to more inviting
! fields some to Richmond and some to the Far
! West,
! There is, however, an enterprise just getting
on its feet here which promises to rescue the
town from its theatened decadence. 1t is
large cotton factory which Messrs. Z. l.. and
A. Gerst have built land into which they are
| now putting the requisite machinery. The
factory will have fAy horse motor power and
will be run by watersbut is also provided with
! steam power to supply the place OF the water
| power in case OF floods or drought. The num-
Der of spindles will be 2100 and all the ma
chinery is OF the best character and lates; i'm
proyements. The factory will go into opera
ton at the opening of he new year and affords !
employment for a large number of deserving
operatives.
The Fall Term Of the L. S. District Court
closed here last week after laborious session
of about ten days. His Honor Judge Rves
having recovered from the, attack of illness
from which he suffered some months since |
appeared and presided with his accustomed |
grace and fairness His appearance still shows |
some of the lingering eTiects of his illness but
his general health seems good and his many
friends hope that his recovery is permanent
and that il promises many wears longer OF his |
useful life in the public service A consider
able portion of the term OF the court was taken |
up with civil business, none ot much interest !
to the general public except perhaps suit by |
Mr.. Millner against certain hardware mer- |
chants of this town for infringing his patent
right to an invention for curing tobacco by |
means of flues. This suit has been on trial for
about four days ana terminated by a hung
jury" so that it will have to be tried again at
the next term of the court. On the criminal
docket there were a large number of cases but
nearly all of them for violations of the internal
revenue laws. Many ofthem were disposed Of by
the court in an expeditions manner. The par
ties indited were permitted to plead guilty and |
the court suspended their sentences during
good behavior. But the cases thus disposed of |
were invariably those OF comparatively trivial
importance, as for instance where an ignorant
rustic had sold neighbor a half pint of bran
dy without license: and the court in every
case ascertained that the otfense charged was
the only one ever committed by the defendant
and demanded pledge that the offense should
never be repeated on pain of suffering the SEN
tence now suspended. His Honor, Judge
Rives has pursued this benignant course to-
wards the rustic vioators ofthe revenue laws
for year or so past and the effect has been
highly gratifying in the large reduction OF
the number of cases brought before him.
Whilst on this subject reference to the
course which Capt. Warren S. Lurty, the u
5. District Attorney for this district, has pur-
sued is but a just tribute to that gentleman [
have carefully observed his conduct as the
prosecuting officer of this court here for some
years past and it is no eXaggeration to say
that have never known any District Attor-
ney who performed the laborous duties OF that
position more faithfully, more fairly or with
greater zeal, vigor and ability. And the force
of this remark will the better appear when |
add that my observation has included the SER
vices of Aylett, Beach, and Hughes, of any OF
whom consider Capt Lurty the professional
peer in the particulars ! have indicated. AS a
man and gentleman he stands above re-
proach in every particular and while it may be
true that he is not very popular among the
bar Of Danville (all of whom are Democrats) |
am in position to know, and do know that
he is quite as popular with them as any other
Republican would be- and that his great zeal
and righteousness as Il prosecuting officer are
fully admitted by them all In the cases of
minor otfenses above mentioned happen to
know that the action of the court has been in
consonance with Capt. Lurtys wishes and of
his judgment of what would best sub
serve the public interests although at heavy
loss to him in the dimnuton OF his fees
while, on the other hand in every grave case
he has invariably prosecuted with such zeal
and ability that the jurys verdict Of guilty
was the speedy and certain result of the trial
But have written you a longer letter than
| set out to write and will close it without
further words. LEN