mm w 13 TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, AND MWEQS: nt:D SGIIAniGS IF NOT PAID WITHIN T1IC YEAR," I $2 50 WILL 13U CIIAKUED. HALF-YEARLY IN ADVANCE : REGISTER. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SAMUEL J. R OWy SOMERSET, SOMERSET COUNTY, PA. New Series. TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1847, Vol. 5.-NO. 40 SUMMER EVENING MUSINGS. BY "THEODORIC. The pearly, dew ef evening . Had decked the herbs and flowers, That shone with radiance lovely, . In the forest's sylvan bowers. " The birds their songs were warbling, -'Their songs of joy and praise; They welcomed in the evening, ," In hopes of brighter days. The sun was sinking slowly Behind the western sky; And as lie vanished from my sight, . II is last rays burst on high. His beams are always brightest . When he bids the world good-bye; The silvery swan sings sweetest " When he folds his wings to die. Thus thought I, sadly musing, And gazing on this scene; So mournful, yet so lovely, So sad, yet so serene. "When death has sent his summons - To bid the wanderer come, Let gentle breezes waft me Thus swcetlyto my home. I will not pine and sorrow When he calls my soul away, I'll look to a glad morrow , A better, brighter day. 1 Speculation in Whiskers; Or, Shaving In a Rrokcr's Office. BY SOL. SMITH. There lived in Milledgeville, in 1832, a dandified individual, whom we will call Jcnks. This individual had a tolerably favorable opinion of his personal appear ance. His fingers were hooped with rings, and his shirt bosom was decked with a magnificent breast-pin; coat, hat, vest and boots, were made exactly to fit; he wore kid gloves of remarkable whiteness, his hair was oiled and dressed in the latest and best style and to complete his kil ling appearance, he sported an enormous pair of Heal Whiskers! Of these whis kers Jcnks was as proud as a young cat is f her tail, when she first discovers she has one. . .1 Was sitting one day in a broker's of fice, when. Jcnks came in to inquire the price of exchange on New York. He was invited to sit down, and a cigar was offered. Conversation turning on the subject of buying and selling stocks, a re mark was made by a gentleman present, that he thought no person should sell out stock in such-and-such a bank at that time, as it must get belter in a few days. "I will sell any thing Fve got, if I can make anything on it," remarked Jcnks. "Oh, no," replied one, "not any thing: you would not sell your whiskers." A loud laugh followed this chance re mark. Jenks immediately answered: "I would butr who would want them? Any person making the purchase would lose money by the operation, I'm think ing "Well," I observed, "I would be wil ling to take the speculation, if the price coold be made reasonable." ' "Oh, I'll sell 'cm cheap," answered Jenks winking at the gentlemen present. "What do you call cheap!" I inqui red. "I'll sell 'em for fifty dollars," Jenks answered, puffing forth a cloud of smoke across the countermand repeating the wish. ... "Well, that is cheap; and you'll sell your whiskers for fiftv dollars ?" "I will." . . "B0U1 of them?" "Both of them." "I'll take them! When can I have them?" "Any time you choose to call for lhcm." Very well they're mine, I think I shall double my money orii them, at least." I took a bill of sale, as follows: "Received of Sol. Smith, fifty dol lars in full for my crop of whiskers, to be worn and taken care of by me, and de livered to him when called for. J. Jenks." The sum of fifty dollars was paid, and Jcnks left the broker's office in high glee, flourishing his five Central Bank X's, and telling ali bis acquaintances of the great bargain he had made in the sale of his whiskers. The broker and his friends laughed at me for being taken in so nicclv. ''Ne ver mind,"- said I, "let those laugh that win; I'll make a profit out of those whis kers, depend upon it." For a month after this, whenever I met Jenks, he asked mc when I intended to call for my whiskers. :.' "I'll let you know when I want them," w.is jil ways my answer. "Take care of r.m oil them occasionally; I . shall call t :- iiirm one f these davs." "A splendid bull was to be given to the members of the Legislature. I ascertain ed that Jenks was one of the managers he being a great ladies man, (on ac count of his whiskers, I suppose,) and it occurred to me that before the ball took place, I might as well call for my whis kers. .. " . f ' " One morning I met Jenks in a barber shop. He was adornizing before a large mirror, and combing up my whiskers at a devil of a rate. "Ah ! there you are, old lellow said he, speaking to my reflection in the glass. "Come for your whiskers, I suppose ?" " "Oh, no hurry," I replied, as I sat down for a shave. ; "Always ready, yon know," he answer ed, giving a final tie to his cravat. "Come to think of it," I said, musing ly, as the barber began to put the lather on my face, "perhaps now would be as good a time as another, you may sit down and let the barber try his hand at the whiskers." "You could'nt wait till to-morrow, could you?" he asked hesitatingly. "There's a ball to-night, you know " "To be sure there is, and I think you ought to go with a clean face; at all events I don' see any reason why' you should expect to wear my whiskers to that ball; so sit down." He rather sulkily obeyed, and in a few moments his checks were in a perfect foam of lather. The barber flourished his razor, and was about, to commence operations, when I suddenly changed my mind ! .. "Stop, Mr.Barber," I said; "you needn't shave off those whiskers just yet." So he quietly put up his razor, while Jenks started up from the chair in something re sembling a passion, "This is trilling!" 'he exclaimed. "You have claimed your whiskers take them." . "I believe a man has a right to do as he pleases with his own property," Ire marked, and left Jenks washing his face. .At dinner that day, the conversation turned upon the whisker affair. It seems the whole town had got wind of it, and Jenks could not walk the streets without the remark being continually made by the boys "There goes the man with old Sol's Whiskers I" And they had grown to an immense size, for he dared not trim them. In short, I became convinced Jenks was waiting very impatiently for me to assert my rights in the property.- It happened that several of the party were sitting opposite to me at dinner who were present when the singular bargain was made, and they all urged me to take the whiskers that very day, and thus compel Jcnks to go to the ball whiskerlcss, or stay at home. I agreed with them that it was about time to reap my crop, and pro mised that if they wonld all meet mc at the broker's shop where the purchase had been made, I would make a call on Jenks that evening, after he had dressed for the ball. All promised to- be present at the proposed shaving operation in the bro ker's office, and I sent for Jenks and the barber. On the appearance of Jcnks it was evident he was much vexed at the sud den call upon him, and this vexation was certainly not lessoned when he saw the broker's office filled to overflowing by spectators anxious to behold the barbarous proceeding. . . r : 4 . f "Come, be in a hurry,": he said.as he took his seat, and leaned his head against the counter for support, "I cn't stay here long; several ladies are waiting for mc to escort them to the ball." "True, very true you're one of the managers I recollect. - Mr. Barberdon't detain the gentleman go ..to. work, at ,, .-,,.-... i once. . : The lathering. was soon oyer, and with about three strokes, of the razor,, one side of his face was deprived of its orna ment. ' : "Come, come," said Jenks, "push a head there is no time to he lost--let the gentleman have his whiskers -he is im patient." " '.. . ; ... - "Not at all," I replied coolly, "I'm in no sort of a hurry, myself and now I think of it, as your time must be precious at this particular lime; several ladies be ing in waiting for you to escort them to the ball, I believe I'll not take the o-, THER WHISKER TO-NIGHT." , ' . j A loud laugh from the bye-standers and a glance in the mirror, caused Jenks to open his eyes to the ludicrous appearance he cut with his single whisker, and he in sisted upon my taking the whole of my property ! , But all would'nt do. I had a right to take it when . I chose I was NOT OBLIGED TO TAKK. IT ALL AT ONCE; I and I chose to take but half, at that par ticular period indeed I intimated to him ! very plainly that I was not going to be a very hard creditor; and that, "if he behav ed himself," perhaps I should never call lor the balance of what he owed mc i ,. . . l When Jenks. became convinced I was determined not to take the remaining whisker,- he began, amidst the loudly ex pressed mirth of the crowd, to propose the terms of compromise first offering mc ten dollars, then twenty, thirty, forty, fifty ! to take off the remaining whisker. I said firmly, "My dear . sir, there is no use talking; I insist on your wearing that whisker for me for a. month or two." , "What will vou take for the whiskers ?MV he at length asked. "Won't you sell them back to me ?" "Ah," replied I, ,"now you begin to talk as a business man should. Yes, I bought them on speculation- I'll sell them if I can obtain a good price." "What is your price?" 'One hundred dollars must double my money." "Nothing less?" "Not a farthing less and I am not an xious to sell them even at that price." . "Well,, I'll take them," he groaned, "there is your money; and here, barber, shave off this dd infernal whisker in less than no time I shall be late at the ball." ; .: : - ; The barber accomplished his work, and poor Jcnks was whiskerless ! . Jenks went to the ball, but before the night was over, he wished he hadn t St. Louis Kcveille. The Wind Car. The Independence Expositor says: "Our enterprizing fel low citizen, Mr. Wm. Thomas, has just returned from a trip of twelve days on the prairies, with his wind ship, and says it works well, and he is now willing to make a tour to the buffalo country if a sufficient number of passengers can be raised to justify him in making the expe dition. He takes one six pounder, a beautiful stand of colors, tents, &c. He will start in a few d.ys if ho can be suc cessful in getting a company. Mr. Thom as will take with him four large horses, that in case of a calm there will be no de tention. It is now a beautiful season of the year for a buffalo hunt." Seasonable Hints. The Boston Journal says: "If your constitution is delicate, wear flannel next the skin during the summer season, nd be particularly careful that your young children wear it also. We have heard an eminent phy sician, now residing in this city, say that a very large proportion of the deatfis by cholera infantum, which annually take place in this city and vicinity, could have been prevented by thisusimple precaution. It is tiie sudden changes of the weather, the ordinary effects of which may be in a great measure warded off by wearing flan nel next the skin, which produces these fatal diseases, and which are generally ascribed to too great an indulgence in summer fruits. Narrow Escape.- This (Saturday) afternoon, as the" steamboat train of cars from Hartford was entering the citv, and had reached this side of the railroad bridge the cow-catcher picked up a little girl a bout ten years old, and carried her about twenty-five rods. ' As soon as the brakes could be brought to bear, the train was stopped, and the child jumped off and ran. She was walking on the track, and a curve in the road, our informant states, prevented her being seen in season to a void the collission. We did not learn to what extent she, was injured, or her name but presume she could not have been very seriously hurt, from the fact of her being able to leave without assistance. New Haven Herald. . : v i ,' A Touching Incident. A little boy, named William Hunter, had been for some months ill, at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and his mother was with. him. On Thursday evening he sent for the " supcrintendant, and asked him to pray by his bedside. Then, after many thanks for his kindness, he said, "1 shall die to-morrow morning, and I am not afraid to die; but Oh! do pray for my mother." During the night, he made re peated inquiries, as with earnest longings for the approach of day., .Morning came and the child sunk into the deep, sweet sleep, from which he never woke on earth. Boston lour. Rochester Edge Tools in England. Some time since,: says the Scientific American, a Mr. Ash, an extensive manu facturer of mechanics tools at Sheffield, England, sent to this country for patterns of the latesi improvements, and amongst the rest, ordered a variety from Messrs. Barton & Belden, of Rochester, which were promptly forwarded. On their ar rival there, it seems that their make gi ves such universal satisfaction, they were im mediately copied, and. the fact that they came from this couutry made prominent by stamping upon them Rochester Pattern."- ltoch. Dem. . , From the Philadelphia North. American. The "Killers." Scarcely a night now passes without the perpetration of some outrage by lhi3 gang of Moyameh sing desperadoes. Brutal assaults, rob bery, stabbing and murder, help to make up tlic catalogue of their crimes crimes which they commit under the very eye of tho police authorities of the district. The police officers,' indeed, either openly, wink at the lawless "acts of these young villians,or stand ofTand confess themselves afraid to da their duty. ' r INDIAN 'POLITICS. Considerable excitement exists in the Cherokee Nation in rprrard to the election for chieftain in August. Mr. Coodey and Mr. Ross are the candidates for the office.- ; - -. 1 THE TWO VOICES. BY II. M. KLAPP. Father, earth's a pleasant place, Sweet sweet to me ! There is freshness on her face ! Music on her sea ! Boy ! death is on her face ! Death within her waves ! Call you earth a pleasant place, Green green with graves ! ' Father ! life's a pleasant thing ! Mortal lot is fair ! E'en the birds above us sim; "Joy lives in air !" Woe, betimes, the heart shall ring, . Frailty faith impair; Call you life a pleasant thing, Full full of care! FROM MEXICO. Interesting News. The New Orleans mail which was due las night having failed, we extract from the Charleston Courier the subjoined in teresting intelligence from Vera Cruz, which we. find transferred to that paper from the New Orleans Times of the 30th ultimo. It is important, as putting at rest, for the present, all prospect of effecting a peace through the medium of negotiation. General Scott was to have marched on the capital on the 15th ultimo, and we shall, doubtless, in a few days be in re ceipt of intelligence of exciting interest. FROM THE N. O. TIMES OF JULY 30. The steamphip Massachusetts arrived here yesterday, from Vera Cruz the 23d instant, bringing us files of the Sol de Auahuac and our regular correspondence up to ihc time ot her departure. Prospects of Peace. No intelligence direct Irom the city of Mexico, or even from Puebla, traceable to any authentic source, had reached Vera Cruz since the date of our last advices. It will be recol lected that all was then in a state of doubt and suspense. Information in an unof ficial form had arrived there , intimating that Santa Anna had taken the initiative in the question of the constitutionality of opening a negotiation with Mr. 'Prist, which had lain between him and the Con gress, and had appointed . three Commis sioners to , meet, the American Envoy at San Martin Tesmclucaii, on an appointed day. In reference to this vital subject, the Sol de Anahuac of the 22d instaut states that rumors were in circulation quite unfavorable to the success of Mr. 'Frist's mission. Indeed, from letters which had come to hand from Puebla, it was certain that the commission had not been installed, and "consequently that the hopes of peace which had been founded thereon had completely vanished." It adds, on the other hand, that from the continued inaction of Gen. Scott's army, the only datum on which 'can possibly rest the probability of a commission for the settlement of difficulties, and the total absence of news for some time from the interior, it may be that the Commander-in-Chief is waiting the arrival of fresh in structions from Washington. The immediate-nomination of Commissioners, and the designation of the place of meet ing, would seem to indicate a sincere de sire on the part of the Mexicans for some kind of a pacific arrangement. Difficul ties of an accidental nature, delays, fcc, may have intervened to obstruct the con summation of a treaty: Engli h media tion, it was slated, had been preferred and accepted, which had progressed so far as to have the Secretary of Legation of the British Embassy to the headquarters of Gen. Scott at Puebla. In allusion to this last means to which the Mexicans had had recourse, thp Sol de Anahuac expres ses its dissent from any foreign inter ference, as being always costly, and some times most 'fatal in its results. In re viewing all the news, however, which has reached us by this arrival, we arc bound to confess that every thing seems in statu quo, as at the last receipt of in telligence. Nothing definite is known; either of the sentiments of the Congress, of whose meeting not a wol is said, or of the mode of acting of the Mexican gov ernment. Gen. Scott had not left Puebla when the last accounts were received at Vera Cruz from that citv. .. ." '- - , Approaciung Battle. In opposition to the foregoing speculations, however, we find that a letter of the 17th, which has not come to hand as yet, a circum stance we much regret, is alluded to by our regular cosrespondent, in which, as we glean from his remarks on the 20th relating thereto, he , states that all hopes of peace are entirely crushed and that Gen. Scott was to march on the capital on the 15th instant. Santa Anna, at the head of a large army, supposed to be : 22,000 strong intended to give him battle at some point between Puebla and Mexico. " ' General Pierce. This officer left with his train on the clay indicated in our last advices.' During his" advance firing had been heard along the road, by which it seems he must have met with some ob stacles from guerrillas, His force, how ever, was so overwhelming strong three thousand men, with one hr.ndrcd and fifty wagons that he no doubt brush cd away these predatory bands with ease. In reference to tins, we learn that two hundred men, who set forth from Vera Cruz after the train whichlefia few days before were attacked a short distance from Santa Fe. The Mexicans had a strong force, but were defeated. Burning of Santa Fe. Lieut. Fitz gerald had been sent on an expedition with twenty-five men. They went to Santa Fe, took away some provisions be longing to the army, and set fire to that town, a place of refuge to guerrillas. - Vomito. This disease, the terror of foreigners in Vera Cruz, still continues its ravages, but it is quite certain that the health of the city has immensely improved in comparison with that during the past years, through the enlightened measures introduced by the Americans. The Board of Health are unceasing in their labors and mitigate the ravages of this horrid scourge. Gov. Wilson. We are sorry to learn that the Governor of Vera Cruz was ta ken suddenly and alarmingly ill on the morning of the 22d instant. We trust that he has recovered before this. Tabasco. Commodore Perry has a gain left Anton Lizardo, for Tabasco, and it is reported that the further occupation of that place is to be, for the present, a bandoncd. Correspondence o the Com. Times. Vera Cruz, July 20, 1 8 17. In my, hurried note of the 17th I in formed you of the destruction of our hopes with regard to peace, and of the report that General Scott had fixed upon the 15th instant for his march upon the capi tal. It is to be expected that our next express will bring us intelligence of his being on the road. I have seen one letter to-day from an officer of the staff at Pue bla, which slates that from the best infor mation he can obtain he forms the opin ion that Santa Anna has a force of twenty-two thousand men, most of which will probably meet General Scott's army on its way, and afford another Cerro Gordo laurel to each of our brave fellows. I believe it is true, however, that Al varez has gone south without having re deemed a single promise made to Santa Anna, or having accomplished one of his dread intentions declared against the "Yankics." All his Indians, of course, went with him. Alvaiez is a sovereign in his own district, and as absolute as Nicholas, or Mahmoud, and it is no won der that his pride revolted at the idea of serving under a creature so contemptible as Vvunahzo. A quarrel on the subject of rank has al so arisen in our army, but I presume the consequences will not be very serious. The Commander-in-Chief has made a very sensible decision on the subject, and the matter lies in a proper shape, pending an appeal. Vera Cruz is quiet enough just now, and I sec no great reason to apprehend an early disturbance, but there are idle and foolish spirits at work which may produce damage to themselves, harmless as the. issue may be to us. Two French gentlemen arrived hero yesterday from Jalapa, and inform us that Gen. Pierce will meet with serious oppo sition from the guerrillas and others at al most everv sten on his march. To im- pede his advance as much as nosstble, two bridges on the road have been destroyed one at fcSan Juan, twenty miles from here, and tho other at El Plan, near Cerro Gordo. Tho latter was a fine structure. There is timber, however, in the neigh borhood, with which I suppose another bridge can be built, to answer a temporary purpose, but much delay must necessarily be suffered. The bridirc at San Juan is of less consequence, but as the rainy season has set in, the river has swollen to an extent that must render it3 passage a must difficult matter. Of course Gen. ! Pierce has no ponton train, and I do not ' know that even Gen. Scott has one. I I treat my information as correct, as I . have no shadow of reason to doubt the , authority from which I received it, and ! must add that the Mexicans are greater dolts than I have ever considered them, if j it be not correi-t. And who is .to blame : for this .and the other difficulties which line the road to Jalapa ? Is it General ! Scoit, or higher authority, or both ? Oiie thousand men, stationed between Jab pa and Santa Fc, a distance less than seventy , miles, would have saved not only these bridges, but many valuable lives and much property. Such a guard would have af forded ample protection to travellers, and, by preventing depredations, would so have discouraged the guerrillas that half their bands would ere this have been bro ken, and scattered over the country, to prey upon Mexican instead of American property." The foreign residents and the well disposed Mexicans complain seriously of the recent orders, Nos. 21 and 25, issued by Governor -Wilson, ix; which he says the castle will fire upon the town in case cf an attack. I can- hardly suppose that he seriously contemplates such a measure ' as its effect would be to aid the express object of the gucirillas, or robbers, com posing the' assailants. Their design, , would be to destroy as much property as possible, and they would thank the Gov ernor for his valuable assistance in its de struction; and who would protect the poor foreigners, huddled together, old men, j women, and children, in such a place as ' that appointed for their shelter, or ren dezvous; for shelter it is not in any senso of the word! I sincerely hope that bet , ter counsels, or rather authority, will in i ducc a further amendment of his orders, . before an attack takes place. The effect ; of the orders has been to destroy, in a great measure, the confidence reposed in our promises of protection; and I do not know how any good could be expected to result from them. I have to-day received five or six pack ages of your paper, the first that have? come to hand in a month. Where they have been I know not; and I only men tion their delay to account for nt having noticed some extracts in the earlier dates from sundry papers, and particularly from the Washington Union, the statements of which conflict with those made by ma on several occasions. It is now too lato to trouble your readers with the details to prove the correctness of my statements, and I will only crave room to ask tho editor of the Union, first, If, in his opinion Gen. Scott now has twelve thousand men in his division of the army? Second, where he obtained the information, a month ago, that half a million of dollars in specie had been collected for duties in Vera Cruz? And, third, upon what system of arithmetic he based the calcu lation that fiftccrt millions of dollars of revenue would be yielded by the tariff now in foice on the Mexican coasts? Five millions might have been secured by the establishment of a common-sense rata of duties, and reasonable facilities of pay ment and trade; but I can assure you that, under those adopted, not one million including all duties received, and all bond ed, will be realized within one year from the date of opening the ports. Vera Cruz, July 22, 18 17 After all the delay which occurred in getting off the train and escort under Gen, Pierce, many of the wagons were in an unprepared state, and became detached, from the main body. An escort of a hun-' dred and fifty or two hundred troops wa3 detailed to remain with the stragglers and guard them until they could rejoin tho train, while the main body mved for-: ward. The detachment had, however,, advanced only a few miles beyond Santa Fe, when it was attacked by a large party of guerrillas, which kept it engaged for a bout four hours, at the end of which timo ' the Mexicans were well "U3ed up," and the Americans moved forward. A gen- ' tlcman who passed along the road yester day morning says that he saw several dead bodies in the vicinity all Mexicans and has no doubt that the guerrillas met with a considerable loss. No wound ed have arrived here from our troops, and it is to be presumed that their loss has; ; been small. It is strange that no messen ger has been dispatched to the Governor - w:th the intelligence. The firing was ' plainly heard by our sick, which had been left behind at Santa Fe. The detach- -mcnt which 1 mentioned in my last as having been sent out to Santa Fe, has re turned, and report the entire destruction -of the place, in conformity with the Gov- ' ernor's orders. The measure of destroy ing that place is a good one, and it is to be hoped will be followed up with that of the destruction of all the hamlet3 within ' ten miles of the city. The preservation of life and public property requires such a step, and, even if we have to pay for the property destroyed, it is yet the poli- cy of true economy. Steam Hod Carrier. The contract ors on the Bay State mills now hoist their brick and mortar by steam. A small ; engine is stationed in he lower story of the raijl, to which is appended and end- less chain running from the engine to the ' floor upon which the workmen are en gaged. To the chain the hods of brick and mortar are fastened by a hook which . is firmly affixed to the hod. On arriving at the lop the tenders take the hod3 from the chains and carry them to any desired part of the building. A man stands near the engine to take off" the empty hods as they approacli the floor by the downward side of the chain. The labor of about twenty-five men is saved by this inge nious invention, which was first adopted to this purpose, we understand at Lowell last summer. Lawrence Cour A Bank' Officer Defaulted. The Richmond Enquirer learns that one of the officers of the Branch Bank of Virginia, at Lynchburg, has absconded, carrying off some 13.G00 dollars of the funds of the bank. He is said to be a manc-f hijrh standing in the community, and has hith erto borne an irreproachable: character. II