The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-05-18
tor the afternoon service.
cURLETT A FARMER.

| Is utnb llhAAp RONhNF>
of an acre of land attached. Here Our
lett keeps bachelors hall. His compan-
ions are seven cats. two hens, with
broods Of young chickens, and an old
rooster, called "Gatling Gan. " seven
teen years old.
On our return from Wheaton Sunday
evening we called at the cottage, but
could not gain admittance Curlett had
retired. A voice from an upper room
told us TO come next morning We did
so, and were shown the interior of tie
cottage and the plantation. His arse
nal is we'll worth looking at Guns,
pistols and other weapons are there, but
the most conspicuous article IN 1t Is his
uniform. which President Mckinley
would not give him chance to wear
in the late war with Spain. His lib-
rary is for the benefit Of the citizens of
Lancaster, and fills the floor Of room
in the cottage. His larder Is bountl-
fully supplied with the good things OF
life, but his garden Is his special pet.
On leaving him he said Il have found
nv vocation at last-farmlng As
the steamer left the wharf, en- route for
Baltimore, we waved our hat inparting,
and he only stopped chopping the
stump in his yard with an axe long
,nough to answer our salute. Splccr
Curlett farmer, and out Of politics I!
Who would have thought II;
LANCASTER POLITICS
Up to two years ago there was not
happier family in Virginia than the
Democrats of Lancaster they marched
in solid phalaux to the polls, led by
that veteran, Uncle jim Saunders
and that younger but no less Jealous
Democrat. DR.. Frank Lewis There
was not a ripple on the surface Of the
waters. and divisions were not known.
But there crept into this family a thing
called &" local option. The church
people thought the morals OF the young
were being injured by the sale of in'ox'
icating liquors from the numerous es-
adjustments, which were springing mp
all over the county. Some good men
deplored the evil, but did not believe
the ends could be reached for the aboll-
ton of the evil by the adoption Of
local option =" Hence the fight which
the readers of The Free Lance are IA
miliar with, resulted in local option 10y
a majority Of many hundreds. This
fight created bad blood between Demo
Gratis. who had stood shoulder To shoul.
der with each other in many hard
battle, and threats were loud and deep
that when the opportunity came some
body's scalp would fall w Mcdonald
Lee. of Irvington. led the 'drys, -
while DIR. Frank Lewis and others led
| the - vets "
1t had become Lee and Lewis fight
Last Summer the first opportunity pre-
sented itself, aud an effort was made
TO take Lee 3 scalp. Lee was chairman
OF the party, and the "wets put up
Judge Ewell against him, as he was
considered the most popular man in the
party. but the drys stood by Leo,
and he won out by q majority. The
next opportunity was the county cleo
ton of officers The Lewis faction
wanted the scalp Of Commissioner Of
Revenue T. s. Brent, who was an ard
ent dry. -" and large number OF the
Lee faction wanted Commonwealth &
Attorney I. ]. Downing's scalp, who
was "wet " The result was two con
yentions. each calling the other boilers
and two sets of candidates Some mem
beers of each faction. after the conyen-
tion put on their thinking caps and
began to consider the results OF the
widening of the split in the party, and
q compromise was suggested. This at
first was not entertained by many OF
either faction, but it was persisted IN
and Chairman Lee called mass-meet-
ing for Monday to consider the existing
conditions. There was good crowd
present. but 1t looked at one time as II
the mass.meeting would not be held.
Strong words were used by prominent
men and a personal encounter in one
instance was narrowly averted. At last
better judgment prevailed, and the
crowd entered the Courthouse.