The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-02-18
srAUNToN NOTES.

off in Staunton in May, promises to be
an exciting event. A movement has been
inaugurated to defeat four members of
the present City Council, because they
are recognized us not sufficiently identi-
fed with the temperance interests to suit
the extreme prohibitionist L les e
members are John McQuade, j D. Crowle,
w. f. Summerson and Julius c. Schaf
fer. The present Council is a very eff
cient legislative body for Staunton, and
has done much to improve the city in
every way. No fault can in reason be
ties are involved. The complaint is that
the members selected for the knife are
obnoxious to the prohibitionists. Capt.
McQuade, as!chairinan of the street COM
mittee, has been exceptionally useful
and the public judgment is that he is
one of hesmcst efficient members OF the
Council. The other gentlemen, while
probably not so active Or intimately
identified with improvement schemes,
have discharged their official duties WE'LL
and on that score are not subject to un-
favorable criticism.
Mayor Fultz is a candidate for re>elec>
ton. He will be opposed by Heber ker,
and the contest will be animated and
close.
A. c. Gord3n, the present Common
wealths attorney, will not be candi-
date for reelection it is stated. This
leaves the field open, and already several
names are mentioned, viz : Lewis Bum
gardner, T. c. Kinney, Roger A. Atkin-
son and probably others. These young
men each has host of friends, and if
they all stay in the field it would be diff
ficult to point out the winner, until the
ballots are cast.
Eugene Keys, the messenger of the U.
s. Express Company, who was charged
with taking package containing $500
in National Valley Bank notes, sent to
the Bank from the Treasury Departs
ment, was found guilty and sentenced to
two years in the penitentiary. 1t was a
stubbornly contested case. Keys had
always sustained a good reputation, and
there were very few, if any, who were
not reluctant to believe that he had sto-
len the money. 1t was found in his
house, on the information of Percy Wha-
len, another colored man, who had been
with Keys. a great deal, after his dis
charge from the Company. The accused
was Represented by W. E. Craig. James
Bumgardner, jr., and 7. c. Kinney, and
the Commonwealth by A. G. Gordon,
Commonwealth attorney for the city,
and Meade F. White, employed by the
Express Company. There has rarely
been a case at the Staunton bar which
brought ont the forensic talent and legal
accumen of counsel more fully than did
this one. 1t was fought for days; large
number Of witnesses were examined, and
able speeches delivered. Indeed it was
from start to finish, and attracted large
crowds every day, SO much SO that ] Judge
Grattan who presided with impartiality
and ability, ordered the doors to be clos
ed each day to prevent a suffocating
crowd. It was determined to apply fol
a new trial and Monday was set for the
argument, but at the last moment the
prisoners counsel withdrew the applica-
ton and the accused was remanded fol
sentence.
The survivors of the Democratic Con
vention held in Staunton in 1856. and
which nominated Henry A. Wise fol
Governor, will recall the fragile and
rather unique figure of DR.. Thomas
Dunn English, who represented Logar
county, W. Va. Chen in Virginia) as g
delegate. Attention was drawn to him
from several brilliant extempore speech
es he delivered; and for the further fac
that he was known as the author of thai
touching and beautiful song Ben Bolt.
He was an ardent admiter and supporter
of the great Tribune of the People, an6
went almost wild with delight when hi
favorite was nominated. He wasa genial
rollicking young man, who always had {
witticism or pleasant repartee at hi
tongues end. Everybody who made hi
acquaintance became his friend anC
wherever he went he met cordial greet
ing. Years afterward he removed t(
New Jersey his eyes became defective
and several years ago we noticed in 6
| paper that he was almost blind. But il
seems that he recovered from his Attic
tion, and is now a member of Congress
from the Newark district at the age o.
70. A very interesting sketch of his life
appeared in the Wsshin gton Post OF the
18th, which in reading, recalled the
scenes of 1855, and Thomas Dunn Eng
been busy writer since then, but of al
works none has touched the popular
heart so enduringly as did the song,
Don't you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt
| Sweet Alice. whose hair so brown:
Sweet Alice who wept with delight when you
gave her smile,
And trembled with fear at you frown %
Doctor, lawyer, poet, politician and au
thor, with honors and distinctions mod
= estly worn, as we know they are, we
venture to say that he will revert to the
eventful period of 1855, with emotions OF
pleasure yelling up in his soul, that the
flight of years has not dulled nor the
tooth of time consumed.
Here's to you Ben Bolt; may your
shadow never grow less and may you
live long and prosper.
How swift the days have passed since
then! What tragic scenes and events
crowd upon the memory, as we span the
years that intervene. and live over again
in thought the pleasures and sorrows
that punctuate each rolling season, and
accentuate the ebbing sands of life !
Young and refined in taste and senti-
ment, we trust he is, as when DR.. Eng
lish threw into measure the deep and
tender pathos of Ben Bolt, and ernphasi-
zed the delicate fiber of his nature, in his
description of his ideal of a beautiful
woman in 1.-The Drama of Three
THE clear, creamy tint Of her neckand her
| shoulders
The sensitive nostri]s; the curved dimpled