Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-24
VALLEY OF VIRGINIA
ASSURANCE GIVEN OF RAILWAY
FxTENs1oN-GENERAL NEWS.
Special correspoaaenee Of The star.

| lay.,d conservation of the Baltimore and
| Ohio railroad extension from Lexington,
va. to that point will begin at no distant
/. date and that it will be done by the Penn
| syIyar1ia and Norfolk and Western systems
| and not by the Baltimore and Ohio. Presi-
dent A. J. Cassatt of the Pennsylvania and
| A. c. Needles and N d. Maher of the Nor
| folk and Western railway made close
Inspection of the surveyed and partly built
| roadbed this week. and the engineer corps
were also in the vicinity.
The authorities of Winchester and Fred
erick county are making every effort to as
certain the whereabouts of middle-aged
white man who assaulted United states
Commissioner Alvin j. Tavenner of VIM
chester in his Office a few days ago anu
then fled. Commissioner Tavenner, 1t Is
stated was working at his desk when, WITH
out warning, the man jenkins came In anu
with an oath, exclaimed: Il am on my way
home, but before i go L m going 10 XIII
you!''
He sprang at the commissioner, who
knocked off an intended blow. and the in
truder was thrown to the floor. Commits
sioner Tavenner was in the act of striking
again. when he remembered that he was
United States officer. and refrained AS
soon as the intruder regained his feet ne
seemed to realize the gravity of his offense
and hurriedly left town. Commissioner
Tavenner stated that he was unable to ac-
count for the attack made upon him.
Encouraged by the tremendous apple crop
of 1865 and the preparations of the United
States Agricultural Department to estab-
| lish its model orchard near Winchester,
three large stock companies have already
been formed for the purpose of engaging In
| the fruit business on an extensive scale
In some instances land has been bought
outright, while in others it has been leased
| for long terms. The North Mountain Or
chard Company of Berkeley county, w. Va,
has 80 acres of land. and has large force
of experienced men at work planting 14,0o0
apple trees Another company has about
| LOCO acres, and preparations are being
made to plant great orchard. Prominent
fruit men state that money is being invest
ed in apples in this immediate section at
the rate of at least 100000 each year, and
the prospects are that it will increase Won
derfully.
Violation of Game Law.
City and county officers have discovered
that great quantities Of game birds are
still being shipped to Washington; Balti-
more and other markets, notwithstanding
the fact that the season has closed In the
majority of cases the game is shipped in
deceptive packages, such as oyster buckets,
travelling bags and small trunks but the
other day county game warden found
some quail. pheasants and wild turkeys
ready for shipment without any covering.
At Capon Bridge. Hampshire county, w.
Va, game warden from Huntington
caused the arrest of a man who had a
quantity of game in his possession, but the
state could not prove that he intended to
ship it, All the important highways are
Being watched by the wardens day and
night to prevent the smuggling of game.
Cashier Russell of the Bank of Romney
I Remney, w. Va, has enlisted the services
of the Post Office Department in an effort
TO find letter worth $1,000 that has been
lost for a month. Strict search has been
made, but up until this time no trace of the
valuable letter has been discovered. 1t was
mailed to Baltimore bank and contained
checks and two pension drafts. the total
value of the papers being about S20o0
Circular letters have been received here
and, IN fact, all over the state, from Gen
c. Irvine Walker, soliciting funds for the
proposed monument to the memory of the
women of the south who were loyal to the
lost cause during the civil war. IT is not
stated where the monument is to be erected
or what It is to cost, but 1t Is understood
that Richmond win probably be selected
plan was recently Endorsed by the Grand
Camp of Confederate Veterans of vir-
ginia.
Reports received today from many Sec
tons of the valley of Virginia are practi-
cally unanimous in stating that the Christ
mas trade has far exceeded that of last
year. The farmers had good crops this
year and obtained high prices for their farm
Pi oudStS. II was dlSO an excellent fruit
year, with the exception of peaches, in
low-lying regions.
Want Mandatory.
A committee representing the town coun-
ell Of Dayton, Va. has been here several
times this week in an effort to induce the
Lewis Jones Knitting Company of VIM
chester to locate its new branch mill at
that place. Mass meetings have been held
4
opened. Most of the stock has been SUBJ
scribed. and it Is practically settled that
the new mill will be situated in that town.
c. e. Kelly. formerly of Brooklyn, N.
T., has been assigned to succeed DIR. F. +.
Sharon as post Office inspector Of this dis
trict. Mr. Kelly arrived this week and has
opened his office in the United States court
house at Harrdsonburg.
Many persons living along the turnpike
between Winchester and Bluemont, Lou
doun county, are dissatisfied with the rural
free delivery, and petitions arc being circu-
lated requesting the Post Office Department
to discontinue the service and restore the
old stage coach route. which, they claim,
gives them mail sooner and is more con-
venient.
DR.. Joseph 8. DeJarnette of Rappahan-
mock county. who has for many years been
assistant physician at the Western State
Hospital for the Insane at Staunton. Is q
candidate to succeed the late superfntend-
emit, DR.. Benjamin Blackboard, whose death
occurred lew Gays ago.
According to an official announcement Just
made the public schools Of Virginia will
have 1892, 90 out Of the commonwealth
for the year 1905, which is an increase over
last year of nearly $4,000. The amounts
are divided among the schools according to
the ratio of population.
The first assessment of telephone and te1e-
graph properties In Virginia under the new
constitution will mean that the state Is
about to receive total of $32 2a8. az. Of
which $26.o97.2 20 Is from license taxes and
20. l89. % from the property tax. Under the
old constitution In 1902 the receipts were
$50, 124.32s but the tax was 40 cents on the
500 value. and now 1t Is 35 cents.
A party of high officials of the BaItfunora
and Ohio railroad this week made detailed
tour of inspection OF all the company,s
property on the Shenandoah valley division
between Harper's Ferry and Lexingfon.
with view of making. extensive improve
ments.
Not in Stephens City.
An outbreak OF diphtheria that threatened
to become an epidemic in the southern part
OF Frederick county Is now well in hand
and no further trouble Is anticipated. A
widely circulated report that many cases
had been discovered at Stephens City was