Evening star., 1909-02-14
VALLEY OF VIRGINIA
News Items of Interest in the
Winchester Section.
GOOD ROADS MOVE GAINS
Pike Now a Favorite Highway for
Automobiles.
FARMERS FIGHTING PLAGUE
Ferrets Used in Effort to Extermi-
nate Army of Rodents Infest-
ing Clarke County.
FARMERS FIGHTING PLAGUE
Special Correspondence Of The Star

Interest has been Quickened in the
Shenandoah valley in the good roads
movement a result of the formation
| this week in Richmond of the Virginia
Good Roads Association, and many coun.
! ties are falling in line and pledging ap-
preparations to meet the state aid and
! thereby obtain additional funds with
which to improve present highways and
construct others. Since the famous Valley
pike has become .favorite route FOL
automobilists to and from the south by
way of Washington, the counties having
awakened to the necessities of having
model highways, and according to pres
ent indications many improvements will
be made between now and the late spring
The state has made liberal appropriations
for good roads and any county making ar
appropriation can obtain a similar sum
from the state. At meeting of the
directors Of the Valley Turnpike Com
pany, held this week in Staunton, satisfac-
tory reports were made by the road SUI
perintendents. and plans were mapped
out for many important improvements
The birthday of Charles Broadway
ROuss, the blind New York millionaire
celebrated on an elaborate scale here
Thursday night by the Charley Rouss
Fire Company with a banquet Covers
were laid for about 30 guests. Judge
William II. Mann, democratic candidate
for governor. was the principal speaker
were Rev. DR.. j. IL. Lacy, Col. Robert
T. Barton and City Solicitor r. Gray
Williams. Col. Robert l.. Gray was
toaStmaSter.
of White Post Clarke county, is being
urged by the democrats of that section
to become candidate for election to the
Virginia house of delegates from Clarke
and Warren counties.
Edward P. Brown and Miss Leila Heir
ontnus, daughter of James Heironimus
were married at the home of the bride on
Thursday night by Rev. p. j. Lawrence
They will live on the grooms farm In
Frederick county.
Capt. ]. Harry Bean of Company G
LIST regiment. District of Columbia Ma
tional Guard, has perfected plans fol-
the annual practice march of his men
through. portions of Virginia, West Vir-
ginia and Maryland. The troop will leave
Washington on May % and will proceed
to Frederick, Nd. thence to MartinsburS
w. Va. and arrive in Winchester in time
to go into camp and participate in the
Confederate memorial exercises on June {
in Stonewall cemetery. The command will
return to Washington by way Of Charles
Town and Harpers Ferry. Twelve days
will be consumed on the trip and the
length Of the march will be 800 miles
Jacob Il. Custer and Miss Lydia VIII
son. daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. John L.
Wilson. members of old Berkeley county
| families, were married at Inwood Thurs
day afternoon at the United Brethren
Church parsonage by Rev. f. II. Neff.
The remains of Lester Mckee Johns
home Of his parents. Mr.. and Mrs. Viii
liam &. Johns, In Washington. were
brought to Winchester Thursday and
buried in Mount Hebron cemetery.
Mrs. Katherine Baker. wife of c. A.
Baker, a well known Frederick county
farmer. died this week at her home near
Winchester, after an Illness of tuberculo-
sis. aged twenty-five years. She was a
daughter Of James r. CoontZ. and leaves
her parents. husband. two children and
two brothers.
The centennial anniversary Of the birth
of Cyrus II. Mccormick. inventor of the
harvesting machine bearing his name
falls on next Monday. the 18th instant
and arrangements have been perfected for
an appropriate celebration OF the day at
Washington and Lee University. Lexing-
ton. Va, of which institution the inve ntor
was a benefactor. Mr.. Mccormick Is
claimed by both Rockbridge and Augusta
counties, but the fact is he was born at
Midway, in Rockbridge county. only a
short distance from the Augusta lire. His
first demonstrations with the reaper were
made nearly seventy-five years ago in Au-
gusta county. Mr.. Mccormick endowed
| the department of physics at the universe
! ty with $4,000. and remembered it in his
will with a second $4,000. He was a
trustee of the university from 1869 to the
| time of his death. May IL. 1854. His cen
university Speeches will be made by
President George II. Denny. Prof. John
Latane, Prof. Stevens and others.
After living together for more than thir-
ty years. Mrs. Elizabeth Martin of Main.
this county has instituted q suit for an
I. Martin, III the circuit court Of Fred
erick county. Mrs Martins bill was filed
on statutory grounds. She is seventyfive
years old, and her husband is several
in part by Judge 7. w. Harrison. and an
order has been entered requiring Mr. Mar
tin to pay his wife counsel fees and tenn
porary alimony.
Prominent expert agricu!tur;stz will ad-
dress the Frederick County Farmers In
stitute, which is to be held in the city
hall auditorium February 25 and 26.
Among the speakers will be Prof. II. P.
Gould Of the Department of Agriculture
at Washington and DR. RaWles of the
dairy division of the same department
will also deliver an address. Another
| sneaker will be Secretary j. B. Huyett of
the West Virginia Sheep Breeders and
Wool Growers Association.
| Inc new DrlOSe across the fOtO1lldI
river from Keyser W. Va, to McCoole
| Md, was opened for traffic few days
| go. and the first persons to pay to go on
the structure were the members Of a we'd
| ding party. Stationins himself In the cen
| ter of the new bridge, Rev. j. G. Hawk
married Claude 3. Six of near Piedmont
| w. Va. and Miss Marguerite Ann Gordon
of ST. Luke, Md.
The dry goods establishment of Stephen
| d. Timberlake at Staunton was damaged
to the extent of $2O.OO this week during
| fire which broke out in the millinery de-
partment on the second floor. 1t is stated
that the most of the damage was caused
| by water and that the fire could have
| been easily extinguished by chemical
| engine, which had been left at one of the
| engine houses.
A large number of ferrets have been
| bought and leased by people living in
| Clarke county and Berryville in an effort
to exterminate a scourge of rats which
! has lately broken out. Many farmers
| who had grain and corn stored over Win
| ter have suffered serious losses as the re-
suit of inroads made by large armies OF
rodents which now infest the county. and
| the situation has become alarming in
many localities.
James A. Burgess, jr.. formerly of this
city, who has been connected with the
Hotel Guerrant in Richmond for some
time past as chief clerk. has leased the
| Geary Hotel in Woodstock. and has as
sumed the management of that hostelry.
Announcement has been made of the
| forthcoming marriage of Miss Grace Wal
lace. daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. George
Wallace of Middletown. this county. to
| bytertan Church of Strasburg, Va, which
is m take Mace at the Wallace home at