The Potter Journal AXD NEWS ITEM. COUDERSPORT, PA.. Jan. 10. 1873 DISASTER. There seems to have been an unin terrupted stream of accidents during the recent very cold weather. Ac counts of railroad disasters come by every mail with shocking accessories of burning of passengers. On Christ mas evening a Baptist church in Wil liamsport. in which the Sunday school had assembled to celebrate the day, gave way by the supports to the floor and precipitated the congregation to the floor below, by which fourteen •were killed and forty or fifty wound ed. The building caught fire several limes from the lamps but these fires were quickly extinguished. This is one of the most distressing of fatal disasters, since it took little children in the midst of their festive enjoy ment. The third burning of Barn urn's Museum brings up again the ques tion whether it is right to keep wild animals in confinement merely for ex hibition. They must either lie burn ed in their cages or, if possible for them to escape, be dreadful passen gers in the streets. Cannot science be sufficiently illustrated by speci mens prepared after death? There have been several great fires in New York and in Philadelphia— many lives lost and many thousands endangered. An evening-school building in .Jersey City took lire du ring the session of the school, but happily all were enabled to escape. Then there are losses on the Ohio | and Mississippi from rise of the wa ter and the breaking away of great i masses of ice which had accumulated at various points, and it really seems to have been such a harvest of calam-! ity as should serve to make us all re newedly thankful to whose firesides no terrible visitant has come. Disasters at sea—destruction by fire, by flood, by breaking of walls and crushing of houses; will all these things make us learn to take care and pains? Is it not the rush and hurry of the present age that brings so ma ny lives and limbs to such horrible massacre ? THE NEW RAILROAD. 7 They had a grand time celebrating the opening of the Buffalo, N. Y. A Philadelphia Railroad on Saturday, the 28th of December, and of course all our people are very much inte rested therein. The excursion started with two engines, named Keat ing and Machias, and five passenger cars, named for towns a little distant from the road, among which were Smeth port and Coudersport. At Liberty Station, at the foot of Keating Sum mit, another engine was added. Every tiling seems to have been weli arranged and to have proceeded pleasantly. ''lt is said that the cars from Port Allegany have been tilled with pas sengers ever since they began to run. It is surprising to see the amount of business and travel that seems to await every outlet. No sooner is any new line opened than it is fully occu pied. \Ve hope ere long to hear in Cou dersport the "unearthly shrieks of the locomotive," and to see the bur dened trains streaming past, bring ing to our doors the good, and the evil, that they must carry with them. And speaking of shrieks, we won der whether there must always be POTTER JOURNAL & NEWS ITEM. these agonizing sounds wherever the railroad runs. It would he a grand thing for somebody to invent a mu sical steam whistle. / The Buffalo Express closes its ac count of the opening thus: The result of the trip on Saturday was most gratifying in every particular. The excursionists were unanimous in their manifestations of admiration, and the only wonder expressed was that so much had Iteen accomplished in such a com paratively short period. Since the 15th of May, at which time the Directors as sumed charge of all the work, the track was laid from Arcade to Emporium, a distance of So miles. In Pennsylvania since the 15th of May the following works have Ijeen finished: lib bridges, 7(HMi feet of trestle-work, culverts, -l~ miles of stumping, 5 miles changing highways, 950, (MH) yards of excavation. 40 miles of track. Since the commencement of work in the spring tlie Company have dis bursed about S-.-00,000. The work has all been in charge of Col. Alberger, and its successful and satisfactory comple tion speak louder than words in his praise, and is in itself a sufficient evi dence of his ability and integrity. As a matter of historical record we append the following table of incidents: July 15, lso" —First work commenced. Oct. I*. ISG7—First rail laid. .Tuny. 23. 1808 —First train to East Aurora, 18 mil' s. rVii. 2c, i xii—Opened I'm business to Aurora. Sept. 15, IS70 —Work commenced by ('ompauy at A m ora. < -t. 17.1 '■7o—Finished to South Wales 14 so-ltMi miles') and opened for business. Sept. 1, ls7o —Work commenced by contractor at South Wales. Jan. 31, IS71 —Oi>eiied to Holland, 4 29-1 CO miles. A urc. 2. 1 871—Opened to Protection, 2 99-100 miles. < )et. no. 1 Hi I—Openedl—Opened to Arcade, 6 43- 100 miles. May 15, 1872—Company relieved con tractor from further prosecution of the of the work from Arcade to Olean. June 1. 1872 —Opened to Machias, 6 92-100 miles. .June 10, ls72 —Opened to Franklin ville, 0 00-100 miles. July 3. Is72 —Opened to Olean, 19 87- 100 miles. Aug. 15. IS72 —Opened to Portville, 0 70-100 milts. May 15, 1 s 72 —Company commenced work in Pennsylvania. Nov. 10, 1872—Opened to Port Alle gany, 20 81-100 miles. Dec. 24. 1872 —Last rail laid and first train through to Emporium. Jam . 1. 1873—Opened for business to EmiHirium. Miles. Total completed since May 15, 1872 78.66 Sidetracks 4.42 Track front junction to new depot 77 Tracks on Blackwcll Canal 51 Total 84.36 New Year's Hospitalities. The President and his Cabinet Min isters will receive the plaudits of all true temperance reformers for the no ble example which they set on New Year's day in declining to furnish any wines or spirituous liquors for their guests. It needs 110 argument at this time to show that the custom of ex changing congratulations over the wine cup, which has hitherto so extensively prevailed, lias lieen fraught with evil I consequences. Fashion, the imperious tyrant that woman is too much inclined to oliey, has held it to lie the duty of every hostess to invite her New Year's guests to partake from her well-stored sideboard. Guests, whether impelled by appetite or not, do not feel like declining such courteous hospitality, and the effect of repeated indulgence through an extended iist of calls can readilv be imagined. This custom is one which is compara tively within the control of woman. If she can summon the courage to take a stand against it, in spite of public opin ion which she must encounter, she can render it unpopular and may even abol ish it. It is cheering to note in many cities that the practice is year by year falling into disuse. "Last year," says the X. Y. u 'riLuru, "the best houses in New York. Philadelphia and Washing ton excluded liquor from their offered refreshments." The same was true of this and other cities, and we judge from reports already made that there was less of this kind of tippling this year than last. Public opinion is strongly setting against the whole system, and the praiseworthy example of Washing ton dignitaries will give the reform such an iinix tus as will do much towards es tablishing its popularity. Tin TO is every reason why the ladies should urge this reform. As a general thing they do not make use of these 1 leverages, hut they are made the suf ferers by its use in as large a degree as the male sex. There is not a drunkard in the land who is n>>t a torment and a burden to some woman. Wiiy, then, should they l>e expected to place the in ebriating bowl before their gentlemen friends, thereby approving a practice that is caiable of bringing so much mis cry upon them? We are very glad to note the evident signs of improvement in this matter, and to see that the press of the country has spoken approvingly of the efforts the ladies are making in the reform. — lJajfhlo Expm ss. We are very glad and thankful to see that so good an example is set before the whole country. No better work could inaugurate the new year, and it will cause a thrill of joy in thousands of homes where the per nicious custom of fashionable drink ing lias been hitherto allowed. Six years ago, when Gov. Geary was inaugurated, lie and his wife set a noble example in dispensing with wine at all their entertainments, and thus gave an impetus to the temper ance work that will be long l'elt. Whatever else may be said of his administration, this one noble work should never be forgotten, and if the incoming Governor should fall be hind him in tills it would be a great calamity. But Gen. llartranft is also a temperance man, we believe, and will help by his influence to perpet uate tiie reform. At Church. On Sunday our minister, speaking of the churches, said: '"They are not peo ple gatheo'd together into mutual admi ration societies, to speak of each other's piety or good works, but bands of real workers for the good of each other and the world.'' This reminds us of some expressions often used, that show mistaken ideas of the common motives of people in seeking church fellowship. One says, •"They profess to be better than other people." Do they? or do they only pro fess to wish to be better than they are, and to believe in the influence of the church as one means of becoming so? One said/*I never thought I was good enougli to join any church." Did you ever think you were learned enough to go to school ? We belong to a reading or literary so ciety, not because we are literary, but in order to become so; or at least to be come a little less ignorant thairwe are, and any display of want of understand ing is projier there since it is manifested only to lie put off. •'See there! lie is a member of the church and has been for years, and lie is miserable and worthless." True, and here is one who, living under a literal government with free education, busi ness and social privileges, is still nar row, grasping and bigoted. The Declaration of Independence nev er has made every one who profess to believe in it conscious of bis own or of | others' natural and unalienable rights, but perhaps every one is some tetter for : living in a land where these rights are 1 more acknowledged. Some liberty-loving persons coming 1 from despotic governments to this land |of the free are chagrined and aston i ished, tii find so many very little better than the masses in the country they had i left. We are placed in families, neighter lioods, towns, for our mutual benefit. We form schools, societies, churches, in which to work more effectually for what ever good we desire, and the more close ly we draw together in sympathy the more we shall be able to accomplish. It is always cheering to see a drinking man join a temperance society; it is asking and engaging t he whole moral power of the organization to assist him in his struggle against temptation, to strength en the good in him, and to help remove him from the associations that injure and wrong him. So we ask the church to receive us. and to help us. against whatsoever be sets us from within or without, and the more weak and helpless we are. the more should we seek such help. 11 hi; k are some excellent resolutions by a baptist Association. When churches speak in this manner, there will he no need of other people saying it for them: Tie. bridgewater baptist Association, at its s. ssioii in Montrose last August, gave its views in favor of some active Temperance efforts, as follows : /b.v'Jco/. 1.4, That the Temperance cause rightfully demands the wisest counsels, and the most earnest and un tiring efforts of all Christians and Phi lanthropists. lit .so/n<l, 2,7. That churches, organ ized after the New Testament plan, are Christ's reformative bodies, most wisely adapted to and etlieh lit in every good work. liesohnl, 3d, That churches which are not practical as well as theoretical Tem perance organizations, are not worthy to be called < hristian. ■Uh, That churches which turn the Temperance reform work over to conglomerate workers outside, wlieth t r public or secret, are recreant to legiti mate duty. 'tlh. That all church mem bers ought unhesitatingly to engage with outsiders in this, as well as every gtiud word anil work, just so far as they can without compromising Christian principle. /,'• .v.'iv ■/'. nth. That the Association reeomuu nds all the churches which it represents t<> come up more fully to the New Testament idea of churches on the subject of Temperance, as well as every other reform subject, making them selves reformative powers in the land — living Christians—organized deniers of oft-repeated assertions that other organ izations are tetter than tlie churches. A. J.. POST, I A. A. MAKYOTT, 'Committee. B. T. 1)A VIES, ) The memters of the Baptist churches and congregations will be found as gen erally voting for **No License,"as those of any other persuasion, judging of the future by the past. Co. WORKER. NEW YEAR'S. New Year's lias been celebrated with great splendor, in our own and in various : foreign capitols. The l'ri.m lias a letter dated WASHINGTON, Jan. 1,1873. j Despite the unpleasant weather over- j head and under foot, the time-honored custom of making New Year's calls was thoroughly observed here to-day. Pursuant to ancient usage, the cere- i mony of receiving callers was inaugu rated by the official formalities at the Executive .Mansion, officials and citizens generally receiving from about noon. ' after many of them had paid their re spects to the President of the United States. The reception at the White House commenced at 11 o'clock, at which hour the President, heralded by the j strains of " Hail to the Chief," entered tiie Blue Parlor, accompanied by Mrs. Grant, General and Mrs. Babcock, and at once the ceremonies were opened. The parlors through which the guests passed on their way to the East Room, after extending the courtesies of the seasons to the President, were resplen dent with brilliant jets of gas and redo lent with the perfumes of the choicest flowers in the conservatory. The recep tion took place in the Blue Parlor, Secretary Fish presenting in due and I usual form the members of the diplo matic corps, many of whom were ac companied by the ladies of their fami lies. Prominent among the throng were sir Edward Thornton and Mrs. Thorn ton; Henry Howard, Esq., and Mrs. Howard, of the English Legation : Baron Lederer, of Austria; Colonel Ireye. of Peru; Count Corti, of Italy; Mr. Kura von Schlozer, of Germany; the Marquis de Noaillesand Madame la Marquise de Noailles, of France, with many other gentlemen of distinction in diplomatic ranks, and their wives. At the same time there were present the various representatives of the Cabi net. and Messrs. Bout well, Robeson, Belknap, Cowan, and Williams, with the ladies of their households, assisted the President and Mrs. Grant in respond ing to the courtesies of the diplomatic corps. Postmaster General C'reswell was not present, because of the illness of Mrs. Creswell. After enumerating a great many dig nitaries, it adds: At one o'clock the gates were thrown open, and the general public were ad mitted to pay their respects to the Presi dent. the ceremonies closing at two o'clock. Nearly all the members of the Cabi net held receptions, as well as a very large number of private citizens. Offi cers of the army thronged the house of Gen. Sherman, where Mrs. Sherman dispensed the hospitalities of the season. The festivities of the day have teen aim • universally observed, and in the midst ot t! ie £( ncral observance them l as ln-i>n a noteworthy exhibition of ipintude anil decorum throughout the city. Till: PAY IN NEW YOKE.—' The gen eral suspension -of business and the bright and genial atmosphere gave an opportunity, which was availed of, to observe New Year's in the time-honored way—making calls upon friends and officials. The streets were thronged with pedestrians from early morning until late at night, and carriages and sleighs tilled with merry parties making the rounds were numerous. Compara tively few cases of intoxication were noticeable. iVu and Scissors;. I NATOI* NATIONS. —Governor Pix, of New York, Gov. Washburn, of Mas sachusetts, and Gov. ( 'aid well, of North Carolina, were inaugurated on New Year's day, with subordinate officers. A great change takes place in the gov ernment of New York, with the open ing year, city as well as state. Mil. BEKCHEII'S church proposes to raise a fund of fifty thousand dollars, to lie called the"Plymouth Mission Fund," for the endowment of the two missions under the care of the church. This fund will serve as the memorial of the Silver Wedding. THE Boston Advertiser says that the Bay State Brick Company, of that city, had fifteen millions on hand at the time of the tire, but did not raise the price, and sold only to regular customers, who will take all the stock. A difference of three dollars advance as lietween that and the old price would be $45,000. This the Treasurer considers as the Company's subscription to the relief fund. THE FLIGHT OF THE METEOKS.— New Turk, Jan. 1. —Ship U. C. TPtu th("/, from Antwerp, reports Nov. I'7. latitude 34 13' north, longitude 17 19' west. Madeira Islands bearing smith half east, distant 100 miles, had ,i Me teoric shower, commencing at dnrkxwb lasting two and a half hours. The first hour, as near as could be judged, there were from 900 to 1-00, the second hour from 400 to 000, and in the last half hour were gradually disappearing.— Alnuit four-fifths of the meteors ap peared like small balls of fire moving through the air leisurely, but others moved with great velocity, leaving in their track a trail of fire resembling that in the wake of an army rocket. CHANGE OK OWNERS. —Cony, Pa., Jan. 1. —The Buffalo, Cony & Pitts burg Railroad, upon which occurred the fearful disaster at Prosjiect station, has l>een purchased by Col. Phillips, of Pittsburg, President of the Alleghany Railroad and Oil Creek and Allegliain River Railroad, thus making a contin uous working line of road from Pitts burg to Brockton, on the Lake Short road. THE LOCAL OPTION LAW.—TLI first election under the Local Option Act of last session of the Legislature took place in Clearfield county, on the 20th of December. At the nnuiiciiia. and township elections held there on that day a majority of upwards of 6Ut votes was cast against liquor license This result in the strong Democratic county of Clearfield maybe taken as: fair indication of what will be the de cision when the question shall come uj in the several counties and cities next March. CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY.- | Toronto, Dec. 31. —The Leader of to-day \ says that a body of English capitalists are ready to subscribe the necessary capital to build the Canadian Pact I Railway on the terms of the act of Par liament of last session, in case the other arrangements are not carried out. A COLLEGE of Science, to cost I>- 000. is proposed at Leeds. England, is to lie hoped that so noble and valvw an idea will not remain simply a i ter of pleased or jiompous talk, very proposition is a streak of (lawn. THE body of a man was found in "' canal near Rochester, recently, anfl was decided t hat while walking on t ' tow-path he iiad a lit and fell in.' evidence of the fit lieing a bottle whiskey in his pocket. IN KAKLY times in CalifornianiiF ry titles as handles to the name very common. John Pluenix tclF story that he was one day leaving * Francisco hy the steamer. Every! l else was taking leave of friends, but did not know a soul in the cn iW Ashamed of his loneliness, as the F sheered off, he called out in a loud v' : "(Jood-bye, C olonel!" and, to his delight, every man 011 the wharf t ,p off Ins hat and shouted: 14 Colonel, g<* bye!" CNDEK the last apportionment t lower House of Congress will COBF 29:2 members, of which the Coal-; have elected 89, with New and Connecticut still to elect. K ;U ! a poor show for the Reformers.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers