Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1915-10-29
ST. 100000 To Be
Paid Winchester

wv UutuAut jill
Winchester, Va, Oct. 25.-
The city of Winchester, a COM
muuity of 1000 people, will in a
short tirue come into possession
of approximately 81, 100000 for
educational purposes, the fund
representing the accumulated es-
tate of Judge John Handley, an
eccentric millionaire, of Scran-
ton, Pa, who died in 1895 with
out heirs and left the bulk of his
property to be delivered to this
historic place 20 years after his
death. Judge Handley also lett
another sum of $25O,OOO to VIM
chester for the erection and
equipment of a library, which
has been completed.
The circumstances surround
ing these requests, the reasons
why Winchester instead of the
dead mans own community was
favored for the benefaction, and
how the heart and affection of
this stern Pennsylvania lawyer.
maligued at his home for his
Southern sympathies, were drawn
to Virginia by his admiration
and thirst for knowledge of Geu.
Robert E. Lee and Gen. Stone
wall Jackson, and then complete
ly won by the warm-hearted hos.
pitality and courtesy of the Val
ley people, are unusua: and dra-
matte in the extreme.
The Handley property, to
which Winchester falls heir for
the erection of schoolhouses for
the education of the poor," is
now located in the business heart
of Scranton. 1t consists princi-
pally of department store build.
ings, bank buildings and other
real estate, valued at $3.50, 900,
the gross income from this prop
erty, however, being only
100000. The estate includes
$225, 900 in loans on real estate
in Scranton and about $3.50, 900
in cash. The executors, in their
2O-year administration of the ed
ucational funds. have rebuilt and
remodeled much Of the original
Handley property, thereby in
crea sing largely the original
amount intrusted to their hands.
During all these years Judge
Handley did not hesitate to ex-
press his admiration for the
Southern chieftains. An illus.
tration Of his loye for Lee and
Jackson was strikingly shown
when he placed over the entrance
to his dwelling apartments life.
sized portraits of the two Con-
sederate leaders, and whenever
citizen of Scranton entered the
portals of his home he had to
bow obeisance to the two South
erners, or not enter. The late
Major Holmes Conrad, in touch
ing upon this fact, said in a re.
port to the Winchester Common
Council
1t was a quaint conceit, but
one formed and enforced of set
purpose. 1t gratified the pardon.
able resentment of the man, who
had been suspected by these peo-
pie of being rebel spy What
was the significance of these
portraits What did they stand
for to John Handley =? If he had
any political preferences, he
never disclosed them. That he
did admire the traits of charac.
ter-the standards of life-the
habits, the customs ami the man.
rers of the Virginia people, and
that he did not admire those os
the people among whom he lived
he did often declare. If he ever
worshiped idols-and who does
not ?-they were the great cap
tains whose portraits hung in his
entrance chamber, and to whom
he exacted obeisance of all who
gained admittance to his private
apartments. OF these two men
the pre-eminent excellence was
accorded to Stonewall Jackson.
Two ChlIdren Had Croup.
The two children OF ]. w. Nix.
Cleveland, Ca, had Group. Hell
Htifaa. sR0lh got Al nhoLad IN H..