The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-04-26
ssThe Contest :,

ssThe Contest"
If Col. O'Ferrall's contest for seat iii
the next Congress rests upon such evidence
rs that adduced in Augusta county, it may
he safely concluded that the most partimn
Committee will never, report in favor of
his claim. The net result of about three
months of tiresome investigation has been
to establish the fact that some five or six
illegal coalition votes were cast in the
county, and over one hundred illegal DEM
ocratic votes. In addition to this q large
proportion of the registration of one dis
trict, South River, a democratic strong
hold, was proven to be illegal, the regis
trar, Mr.. Alexander, having subscribed his
own name to the oath instead of requiring
the signature of the party registering
1t will be remembered that great hue
and cry was raised about blank tickets hay
ing been issued, and it was stated that Mr..
Albert Roller had captured some of these
tickets and turned them over to the at
torney for the Commonwealth Every
word of this was proven to be false. Not
q single untitled ticket could be produced :;
not a ticket was issued by either Collector
Curtis or Cease which had not been paid
for before the day of election; nor could
the least irregularity be found in their is
suance of the tickets. And SO the demo-
cratic charge of fraud" which was
shrieked most yehemently, failed utterly
of establishment. On the other hand. as
stated, over one hundred illegal democratic
votes were proven, besides those i'm South
River mentioned above
We suppose if the gallant Colonel had
known what investigation in Augusta
would reveal. he would not have been so
keen to drag the farmers away from their
home duties to spend two OF three days in
travelling and on the witness stand. This
farce will not cost the people less than
| $20 900, counting the time lost and other
expenses. There never was anything in
| it from the first, and the further the inyes-
tigation went, the more palpable it became
that nothing but reliance onthe most reck-
! less partiZanism could ever have suggested
| a contest.
| The basic process for the manufacture
OF steel is attracting more attention in
| England than in this country. Recently
Percy G. Gilchrist, informed the Wolver-
hampton, England, correspondent of the
Pittsburg american Manufacturer that the
North Eastern Steel Company's large
works, which have been erected in
eighteen months, will commence work
early in May. They have four lotion con-
verters with Il capacity Of 1000 tons of
steel per week. They will make rails,
blooms, slabs, billets, etc. The Stafford
shire Steel and Ingot Company will have
three 5-tOn conyerters, and will produce
500 tons per week, being able to produce
very much more if desirable. The Duke
of Sutherland has satisfied himself that the
pigs which he is making at certain of his
lized in the making of steel by the basic
process. He was present at experiments
by Mr.. Glchrist with his dephosphorizing
process and was gratified at the success
which attended them. While this interest is
being manifested in England in this i'm
pOrtant invention to utilize the phospho-
retic ores in the manufacture of steel, an
effort is being made in this country to
destroy it's usefulness through the Besse-
mer Steel Company in their contest With
Mr.. Jacob Reese, to which attention was
directedin ourlast issue. Virginia is largely
interested in the introduction of this pro-
cess. Her immense beds Of phosphoretic
ores can only be made available by its APP
plicatiOn, and every movement and opera
ton which proves its success, OF has a
tendency to remove restriction upon it's
use, is interesting and important to the
State.
The following table showing the electoral
vote of each state in 1884, will be interest,"
ing to those politically inclined and be use
full for reference: