Evening star., 1913-12-28
Report of important Extension
for the Baltimore and
Ohio.
SCHOOLS OF WINCHESTER
ARE AGAIN OVERCROWDED
Virginia Legislature May Be Asked
for Authority to Issue School
Bonds.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
WINCHESTER, Va, December -. 1918.
Additional surveys have been made re-
Gently by a corps OF engineers of the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad in the West
Virginia counties just west of this state,
and member of the party is authority for
the statement that the railroad company
IS at work on plans for an extension
of the Hampshire Southern railroad
from Petersburg, W. Va. to a southern
point. where connections will be made
with the Virginia railroad, by which
the Baltimore and Ohio will obtain a di-
rect route to tidewater.
Preliminary surveys were made more
than a year ago. and the work which
has been done recently was for the
purpose of making more detailed maps
and fixing the grades. 1t was stated by
the engineer In charge of the corps that
operations were expected to be begun
early next spring.
The Hampshire Southern railroad. ex-
tending from Romney, Hampshire
county, V. Va, to Petersburg Grant
county, that state, was built few years
ago by Frank Vanderlip of New York
and the Allies interests of Washington
along with other capitalists. and 1t con-
meets at Romney with the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad. Mneralogists who have
made exhaustive Investigations declare
that the country to be penetrated by a
new spur of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad is very rich Much of the land
is already owned by capitalists, and they
and the people In general will welcome
the new road.
Chased by Dead" Bear.
j. G. DuIa, chief forest guard on the
Shenandoah area of the government s
forest reserve in the Shenandoah valley,
and a number of his assistants and
friends were given the scare of their
lives few days ago when large black
bear. supposed to have been killed by a
shot from Mr. Du as shotgun, suddenly
showed signs of life and actually sprane
up. after being carried down the noun
tain side for dead.
The men had chased the bear at in
tervals an entire day and finally shot
him. When the beast rose on all fours
and snorted, the members of the party
beat hasty retreat, but summoned
courage to go back and fire the fatal
shot The bear weighed nearly $50
pounds.
Directors of the Valley Turnpike Com.
pany. which manages the historic high
way between Winchester and Staunton
met In Harrisonburg and discussed plans
Tor reSurfacing the remaining twenty five
miles of the pike, about seventy five
miles having already been treated with
six different kinds of asphalt binder at a
cost of between $4,000 and $60.OCO The
directors will make a critical inspection
of the pike in the near future to deter
mine which binder is giving the best serv.
ice, and that will then be used exclusively
in the future.
The large amount of automobile travel
demands the most improved surface. and
the directors say they intend to keep the
valley roadway in prime condition at all
times. 1t is the intention of the turnpike
company TO maintain at least two all
night tollgates between the two towns.
When the Winchester public schools re-
open Monday, January 5, after being
closed during the holidays, the school Of
ficials will be at their wits ends to find
room for large number of children who
have passed examinations emitting them
to enroll Only few years ago the ca
pacity of the schools was doubled, and
still more recently another building had
to be rented. 1t is expected that an addi-
tional issue of school bonds will be neces-
sary, and bill authorizing the city oi
Winchester to issue such bonds Is likely
to be presented in the general assembly
next month.
Winchester Theater Opened.
The New Empire Theater, Winchester
latest and most modern place of amuse.
ment. was opened to the public on Christ
mas day, and large audiences ATTENDED
the afternoon and evening shows The
new temple of the drama takes the place
of one destroyed by fire last spring 1t /.
about as near fireproof as building car
be made. and no expense was spared IL
making il safe and attractive II is one
of the largest and most beautifully fres
coed buildings of the kind in the stat.
and was built largely through the gener
osity Of W. H. Baker Of Winchester.
Prof. X. c. Montague. a member of tn,
old and prominent Virginia family o.
that name. who has been superintendent
OF the West Virginia School for the Dea
and Blind at Romney. will be succeeded
about January 1 by Farley Deberry O
Terra Alta, Preston county, the latte
having been appointed this week by Gov
Hatfield. Prof. Montague was named b,
Gov. Glasscock in 1910.
The town of Strasburg, Shenandoah
county. which for several years con
tfnued 10 agitate the matter Of inducinl
the Southern railway to build a moderi
passenger station, witnessed the forma
opening OF the new depot a few days ago
but the people are not by any means sat
fsfied. as the building was erected hal
a mile outside the corporate limits. Tn
railway company rennodeled an old pot
terry works. in which IL was Interested
to the extent of several thousand dol
lars. When the town authorities pro
tested against the station being erecte,
so far from the heart Of the town. tn
railway people retaliated by threatenin,
TO move the large freight yards to Stras
burg junction. in which event the tow
would have been deprived OF much reve
nue. in the form of monthly wages
Members OF the town council finally with
drew their opposition. and now the peopl
have to walk twice as far to the depot
or pay cabman to haul them to an,
from il.
Fire Destroys Grist Mill.
Fire of an unknown origin destroye
a Large grisr mill nd hal