The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-13

| military affairS. IL Is spieiiuii ti'"t'
for every community to have one or more
we'll disciplined military companies, made
| up of patriotic men. and the State gov
eminent should do everything In It's
| power to encourage enlistrnents.
=----==-=-=-
It Is illogical to argue as some gentle-
men do, that the penitentiary is very
healthy resort because the death rate
there Is no larger than 1t is In some
parts Of this city, There is all the differ
ence in the world In the character OF the
two populations. In the one case 1t con-
sists almost exclusively Of meil-of young
men; In the other are comprised men,
women and children. And, as is well
known, the mortality among infant chill
tlren Is high in all cities-yes, In all COM
rnunlties. Tho only fair way to calculate,
prison mortality Is by comparing the
death rates ,of whites In one prison win
the death rate of whites in other prisons;
and so. too, with the blacks.
While this is the best method. 1t ID not
trfalible, because in some prisons II is
the practice to pardon convicts VINO arc
tncurably Ill. In other prisons 1t IS not.
AS "a matter Of fact, considering the farm
as a part Of tho penitentiary-it is largely
"a sick ward"-there Is always u great
deal Of sickness in the penitentlary.
-----===-31===
The Virginia House here. which col
lapsed a few days ngo-happily, without
injury to life-has been described as the
Oldest house occupied as home in Rich
mond. 1t was certainly very DID, out
whether 1t was older than the st. Claire
or not, we do not know. That hotel was
first called the Washington Tavern and
was erected In the early post-ReVolu-
tionary period Later on. 1t camo to be
known MS the Monument Hotel. because
of It's proximity to the Washington monu.
ment; then 1t was known as the Capitol
Hotel. It had had some other names; the
ST. Claire being the last; and the ground
that 1t occupied Is now being cleared for
Mrs. Atknsons new hotel. The corner
building Of the st. Claire antedates that
part higher up Ninth Street. Tho Clifton
House In the rear Of the old Ballard
House, Is also an old structure, Vying
in that respect, possibly, with the Old
Stone House. The Capitol and the penl-
Tertiary here, too, are old old buildings.
=--===--==-=
It seems that Indian corn, or maize,
is a native of Mexico. So says A. d.
Shamel, of the Illinois experiment sta
ton, in an article in the Cosmopolitan,
entitled. 1.-THE Marvels Of Corn Culture"
That corn had, long been t'tdomiclled' in
Virginia when tho English came Is con-
cedcd by him. Indeed, some Of our early
records show as many as three thou
sand acres Of growing corn were within
sight of Hampton Roads.
The object of Mr.. shamel's article is to
for farmers to buy the best Of seed corn
He contends that they ought to buy 1t on
the ear and use only grains taken from
the large well-shaped and well-nlled ears.
He presents the results of experiments,
showing that by this course. ones crop
may be largely increased without any ad-
ditional expenditure Of time or labor.
-=--z------
The New York Herald prints inter-
views with members of the National Dem
ocratic Committee on the proposition to
nominate Mr.. Cleveland for the presi-
dency. Only three of them expressed
their preference for Mr.. Cleveland, while
seventeen are opposed and eight refused
to commit themselves one way or
another Among the three in favor of
Cleveland is Norman D. Mack, national
committeeman from New York. who says
that Mr. Cleveland made the best Presl-
dent the country ever had. and he is Of
opinion that he would make a strong can
didate If he should be nominated. On the
other hand, however, very strong oppos-
ton is expressed by some of the others.
Among those In opposition are several
from the South.
Richmond is soon to begin the con-
struction of several tall office buildings.
These buildings are greatly needed here.
and 1t may seem surprising to outsiders
that the need has remained for SO long
unsupplled. But the fact Is that Rich
mond money has been 50 largely occupied
in active trade and industry that there
has been little to spare for expensive
buildings. Our capital has greatly in
creased, however, within the past several
years. and now we have enough money
for the activities of trade and surplus
for building purposes. First class office
buildings in Richmond Will pay, and as
the start has now been made we expect
to see at least a dozen such buildings
within the next few years.
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Cole Younger, tho notorious western
bandit. has Just emerged from prison
cell. and is showing marked ability as
press agent for himself. posing In the
Chicago newspapers as a philosopher.
We are told that his conversation Is
now not only polished with quotations
from the classics, but from the Scriptures.
Shakespeare. Emerson. Indian legends.
etc"