Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-01-05

severe, but just, and even Klno' tnous'
ihe sentenced and hung more criminal
during his % years service on tn
bench than any judge ever known. VI
to 1889. the first year Of President Har
rison IS administration, there was NJ
fappeal from bis court. He sentercet
to death largely over 200 persons, O.
whom eighty-seven were hung on one
gallows in the Jail yard at Fort Smith
Some died in prison and some appealed
after 1889, but the large number men
toned met their fate on the historic
old gallows.
In 1897 the distric6 was abolished
and it was strange coincidence thai
in the same year Judge Parker died
and the clerk of his court throughout
his whole term, old Stephen Wheeler
was killed. Some enterprising parties
sought to purchase the gallows fol
exhibition, but it was burned by order
of the authorities, rather than pander
to the morbid sentiment that would
make public spectacle OF such a hide
GUS instrument.
ORCHARDS, APPLES AND BRANDY.
Arkansas is generally thought OF
among us of the east as strictly a cot
ton and corn producing state. IT'S true
l never saw finer cotton and better
corn than on the broad, rich bottoms
of the Mississippi, White, Arkansas
and Red rivers and their tributaries
and they are the crops. especially cot
ton in the greater part of the State,
but up here in the north west across
the Boston mountains, where l have
reached at Bentonville, as great an
altitude as we have at Staunton, 1 find
fine fields of wheat and grass and more
apple trees, apple brandy aud d1stil-
leries, more hogs and fewer negroes
than l ever saw anywhere. Whole
farms seem to be in apple trees. The
Ben Davis, prolific winter apple, is
mostly grown and as soon as they be-
gin to fall they haul and ship them to
the brandy distilleries and then the
specked apples and bruised ones go
there later and hundreds of picked
ones are sent to the city markets. Last
year was not a good apple year, but 400
carloads have been shipped from Ben
ton county. At Bentonviile is the
largest brandy distillery in the world,
certainly the largest in the United
States as shown by the revenue officials
reports. Macon & Carson's distillery is
known at Washington as always at the
head of the list for taxpayers ON apple
brandy. The long string of apple
wagons, waiting their turn in the ap
pie season, is great curiosity. It
beats the wheat wagons at the White
Star Mills in Staunton. They have
to wait often two days and camp out on
the road while standing in line over
night but not pint of the brandy can
be bought in the town. 1t is dry.
They ship their ''pisan'' away.
RAILROAD PLANT ORCHARDS.
The P. g. railroad, an enterprising
new road extending from Kansas City
Mo-, to Port Arthur. Texas on the
Gulf, has caught the apple rage and
bought many thousand acres of fruit
land in this county and Mcdowell
county adjoining in Missouri and
planted apple trees, now from two to
three years old. For miles and miles
you see nothing but young apple trees
on both sides of the road. In five years
they will be in good bearing and it is
proposed to sell out to individuals ir
40 acre orchards and big profit is an
ticipated.
NO DARKEYS WANTED.
I missed the howdy boys about ths
hotels and depots and asked where they
were while stopping in the flourishinl
town of Garrett, near the Missouri ant
Illinois lines. None here" was told
1--WE don't allow them to stay arount
here, if they stop we warn 'em off an'
they pass on, they know better thai
to stay" Not a negro is in Mcdowell
county, and only three families il
! Madison county. In Southwest, a Mis-
fsouri town of 1900 inhabitants, not 6
negro and in Hume, Mo-, never wa
one. These are western and northern
people, but have drawn the color lin
a little too close for my fancy. Lik
most Virginians, your correspondent
likes the negro in his place and few ca
fill that place as well as he.
In this State, as we'll as South Care
lima and Georgia, there is wise dis
elimination by the railroads which Sc
lapart separate cars and separate wal
ing rooms for the colored people. Th
law works we'll and smoothly and it
to be hoped that Virginia will f0Ilo'
suit.
Il HOME FOLKS DOWN HERE.
1t has been pleasant surprise t
find so many Virginians in Arkansas
The first saw was Lewis Bumgardne
Mcclure from right at home. He
la Dunsmore graduate. is assistan
cashier of the bank at Russellville, a
elder in the Presbyterian church,
man Of family, lives at home and is
valuable citizens of that good town.
| The Rowan Brothers, Clinton ani
William, from near SpOttswOod, il
Augusta, run the largest grocery IL
Russellville, and help run the Associ
ate Reformed Presbyterian church
They have pretty homes on the pretti
est street in the city and are leadin
citizens.
| Among the old Virginia teachers
I find Prof T. g. Sands, of Washing
ton county, an influential member o
the school board of Howard county
| Prof. Maxwell, OF Alhemarle, in Sebas
i tian county. DR.. Buchanan, late O
i Emory ami Henry college, presiden
OF the University at Fayetteville, AM
/ Pref. Doyng, 9f Farn;vi4e, State Su
u1r nbanaeus cl schools ut Little Rock