The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-07
CANDIDATE FOR
 CIRCUIT JUDGE Gen. E. N. Scudder Is Now
 After the Place AN ABLE MILITARY MAN Scudder Appears to Have Inside Track as He and Governor Noel Were Best of Friends and His
 Record Is Good.
AN ABLE MILITARY MAN

Jackson. Miss, September 6-(special) Gen. E. N. Scudder, chief of the ordnance, department of the National Guard of Mississippi came to the front today as a candidate for the circuit judgeship in the yicksburg, or Ninth judicial district. and there are those here who are ready to bank on him as winner of the plum that is going to drop in very few days. General Scudder was not thought of in this connection till quite recently. It has been understood all along that there would be but two real candidates for the Vicksburg district judgeship, but here of late General Scudder has forged to the front, and many of the forecasters about the state capitol are ready to be- lieve that his chances are very good first-class in fact, because of the elose- ness of the contest between Judge John Bush, the present incumbent, whose home is at Vicksburg and Hon. D. H. Noun ger of Port Gibson. General Scudder Is one of the highest military men In the state. He served the National Guard as judge advocate general during the ad- ministration of Governor Vardaman. and made quite a reputation as holder of the scales of justice. As chief of the ordnance department during the present administration, and during the late state encampment of the National Guard in this city, he filled the bill to the entire satisfaction of the guardsmen, as we'll as the state and the public generally. It Is stated that General Scudder stands very close to Governor Noel. and there need be no surprise in the event he Is appointed to fill the place now held by Judge Bush. The latter is very decidedly the favorite with the people of the city of Jackson and of Hinds county, being a native of shis county and one of its most distinguished as well as one of the best looking from a physical standpoint. Judge Bush looks like a judge, and he has proven that he Is jurist of fine parts
 In the meantime the governor is still wrestling with the judgeship in the Gulf port, or Second district, and which is promised for today or tomorrow. It would have been made today but for the visit of very large and powerful dele gaton in the interest of General Scud- der, who took up all the time of the governor during the morning hours. and he had no opportunity to get through with the records in the Second district case.
 The contempt proceedings instituted against the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City Railroad company by the state of Mississippi are due to come on for hear ing at Pontotoc Monday before Chan cellor Robbins, and Attorney General Stirling expects to be there in person to look after the interests of the state.
 The state the railroad commission and the supreme courts have ordered that into the town of Pontotoc but 1t is claimed that has never been done, a spur track still serving the purpose of a real railroad into the business part of the community, and 1t Is to compel com pliance with this order that the attorney general has once more donned his fight ing clothes.
 F. W. Stewart, <member of the legisla- ture from Wayne county, spent the day in Jackson, and was among the visitors to the capitol, calling on Governor Noel in the interest of Judge Hardy, who Is an applicant for reappointment as circuit judge of the Second district.
 MT. Stewart was preceded to the office of the governor by Mrs. Hardy and son of the judge, who also urged the appointment of the husband and father to the place he now occupies. Governor Noel did not, however, give them one particle of encouragement, and the same may be said of all other applicants and their friends who have been to Jackson.
 A report became current in Biloxi dur ing the day that Governor Noel has named Hon. E. M. Barber as circuit judge as successor to Judge Hardy, but there was not a word of truth in the report, and the governor Is at a loss to under stand how it could have gotten out A citizen of the town telephoned here that if was current on the streets of Biloxi and that he understood MT. Barber had received a number of congratulatory tel egrams conf1rmatory of the story Gov ernor Noel Is still laboring on the propo- sition. He expected to make the ap- pointment today, but he has been be- sieged with friends and delegations in the interest of tho several applicants and has not had time to read over the in- dorsement yet. If the plum does not drop tonight it will tomorrow, sure.
 A Kemper county attorney, who was in the city today reports that the Sa- moody Valley railroad, covering the dis tance between Sucarnooche. station on the Mobile and Ohio railroad. and De- Kalb the capital of Kemper county, about 12 miles, is practically completed, and that there is considerable talk of push ing the new road on across the country, directly west about 25 miles, to Phila- delphia, Neshoba county, a station on the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City rail- road. In the event that should be done, 1t will open up one of the finest pieces of timber region in the state, as well as one of the most prosperous farming regions. It will also connect the Mobile and Ohio with the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City railroad, and save a great aaai In tha way of transportation