Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
I'm THE OLD DOMINION
Pending Elections to the State
Senate Create Interest.
RAILROADS AND THE PEOPLE
Ancient Masonic Building Has Been
Restored.
VIRGINIA DEBT BEING REDUCED
Remarkable Career of Negro Woman
Fagin-Her Method and Some
of Her Dupes.

! of Caroline and Senator Henry T
Nickham of Hanover, and that be
tween Judge William l.. Mann of Not
taway and e. p. Wallace of Lunenberf
| have bobbed up with renewed interest with
In the last few days Senator Wickham
and Judge Mann are both members of the
senate at this time their terms expiring the
day their successors are sworn in. Sena.
tor Wickham is general counsel for the
Chesapeake and Ohio, and Judge Mann Is
division counsel for the Norfolk and West
ern Following the federal court decision
in the railroad cases the people began to
discuss the fact that there are railroad
attorneys In the general assembly, and as
these two gentlemen are among the best
known In the state the voters are begin
ming to pay attention to their presence in
the senate. The claim is being made that
the gentlemen cannot represent the peo-
pie and the corporations in the legislature,
and it is said that many of their former
supporters have come to the conclusion
that the interests of the people of the state
are paramount to the interests of the rail-
roads, which are doing so much to have
the rights of the people nullitied. the
campaign is hot in Senator Wickham's dis
trict, and DR.. Gravatt is making a c.ose
campaign. 1t is said that he IS retired
naval officer, receives the pay of such an
officer and that he is ineligible this
point there is a disagreement. and 1t Is
contended that he is no more than a PEN
sioher and as such is eligible.
New Material in Senate.
Eleven nominations have been made for
senators, and Of this number only four are
old men. One Of the men nominated has
served term in the senate, but he is classed
as a new man. having defeated the incum
bent. The old men are B. T. Gunter of the
thirty-seventh district, F. w. Sims of the
thirteenth, Saxon w. Holt of the thirty
sixth and Arthur c. Hartman OF the thirty
eighth. The new men are r. S. Parks of the
twelfth, n. B. Early of the seventeenth, r.
NJ Ward of the tenth. E. E. Holland of the
thirtieth. E. c. Folkes of the thirty
eighth (this Is Richmond city, which has
two senators); j. d. Elan of the twenty
fifth and Don P. Halsey of the twentieth.
Thus it can be seen that the people of Vir-
ginia are not averse to making changes
when they see At to do So
Thirty-two nominations have been made
for the lower house Of the general assem-
bly,. of which nineteen are old men. One
of these. Howell c. Featherston of Lynch
burg, won over Eugene Ould by five ma
jority Mr.. Ould had already served three
terms in the house and was candidate for
reelection. At this time 1t looks as though
the new members will be in a position to
have a say in the organization of both
branches of the general assembly. From
what is known here, however, there seems
to be almost unanimity among the members
for Richard E. Byrd of Winchester for the
speakership. That is really the biggest
prize in either branch.
To Raise 100000.
The Baptists of the state are to raise
$500, 600 for a new woman's college In this
city. The fund is to be an endowment for
the college and will be used in connection
with Richmond College. The Woman's Col
q hliShed
owns valuable property and has outgrown
its quarters. 1t is believed that the old
property could be sold for enough to go
long way to the construction of new build
ings and that the two schools could be Op
Grated at an annual saving of many thou
sands of dollars and the course of study in
each much enlarged To this end meet
ing of the prominent Baptists of the state
was held here day or two ago and plans
set on foot to raise the necessary money to
carry out the project.
Woman's Seven Husbands.
The will Of Mrs. Madeline Koch was pro-
bated in the. circuit court of Henrico some.
time ago. She had been married seven
times. There are several sets of children
in the family, and they are now engaged
In conteSting her will. She left an estate
valued at about $4,000. The contention is
that the property is unequally divided
among her heirs. and for that reason the
effort is being made to have the will set
aside and to have new distribution.
Old Masonic Hall Restored.
The Masonic Hall in East Franklin street,
which was built considerably more than a
century ago. and which was badly damaged
by fire last winter, has been restored and
is again being used as the meeting place
for Richmond Randolph Lodge, A. F. and
A. NJ. The building is of frame, and is
said to be the oldest, save one, in America
devoted exclusively to Masonic purposes
In the hall are records showing that it
was visited by Gen. George Washington
Gen. Lafayette and other notables of the
same period. 1t has a large membership
and is In splendid financial condition Soon
after the war party Of Federal soldiers
on duty In the city paid fraternal visit
to the lodge. and one of the officers left
In the ante-room cavalry saber, inscribed
with his name Repeatedly the officers of
the lodge have tried to locate the members
OF the family Of the officer, but without
success. The saber is now safely put away
and Is treasured as one Of the relics Of
the lodge, of which there are great num-
Der. Grand Master Quinn was at the re-
distinguished officers of the Grand Lodge.
Paying Off State Debt.
Virginia has already begun paying off the
state debt, which is not due and payable
for several years to come. The state is
DuylnS up neT DOuOS ana canoeing them.
the interest being paid each year into the
sinking fund and used to make further
purchases. The state has already paid
more than 100000 of the debt, and each
year hereafter certain proportion of the
states revenues are to be set aside for the
purchase and retirement of the bonds. The
state Is In better financial condition than
at any time since the war, and long before
the expiration of the time the debt will be
entirely wiped out and the states taxes re-
duced to less than half Of the present rate
Of 50 cents on the 500 Of property. Then.
too in the course Of fifteen years the pen
sion list will be a thing of the past, and
the 100000 annually devoted to that pur-
pose will be turned to the liquidation of
the debt.
Negro Woman a Fagin.
Alice Scruggs Is a negro woman who has
been operating q school for criminals in
this city for some time. She worked a
shrewd game She is an intelligent woman
and it was her business to buy each of the
papers of the city and to scan the want
adj columns In this way she managed to
select her victims She would import coun-
try girls into the city and have them at her
home ready to take positions-after she had
sufficiently schooled them. me girls Woulo
go accept places and work like beavers
for several days, presenting recommenda-