OIAHON, Witt.
! victims Qf»neh
:c‘d their
■’ir nanio, fo open
class of <luoKBCg.ijinUtSS?"
nco pratif. to «U
their condition,
I in caws of
ic«nr Jrrt of i^T&Vu/
“I"? command,
■n! "^OiHhtUomort^g^ 1
■'■"•'•! in tbeirjUiiiiiUUrn ,
cxpreegthhi^ r ?
h. ban attended th« ißfr
" 'ii lrc of S “lWfflttonW
Ounaorrhcea, QW a®’
r‘7l‘,T ljUS ?> , &c -> tad^e? y ;
'• i vh»* ciiouing year, *
it lac ] fiasurad ti,**
i. .y. i \ v,-(Ui
< .■ <iv?;iiscd causo. **•*>
-^WRaS
;■ ■•••'.'Stoutly
ion. untl will
nvdKs and metliXof tr^
t»saa3ffS
o.
[*><*■ My.
TJS7. JK
ms i
kM
Rpi
iVTIVJ
SMENTIN COOK-
■}'l D GAS JJfD s^vafe
M&S£SS'^>
A which isdoetlntMl to ta
i'-SS BOM.
:i ;V*y» qnlckjy and regular
4’.. ot gM uIM from this
a consumed era license
■ .moke os that unpleasant
is also consumed insids ol
y 'lfljjgcr Of flue* or chlm.
ov or the mortar loosened by
stoves .are invited to callst
Mnaoiilc Temple, and«x-
JOUX BUOEMAKKrT ;
Agent far Blair Cbunty.
, Parlor Cooking and E<k
: [Aug. 12, MM/
TOE GAZETTE
Crimean* Criminals 1* hi
i lily circulated throughout
the Great Trials, Criminal
.Ison the some,together with
t> rs, not toho&nndlnany
-■'in: $1 tar alxmentha, t»
!-• should write tholr name*
where they reside plainly d
>' • MAT3ia,L*OO,
•w York PollceGuette,
JVcuk Tork City.
Lane’s
ATED v-.
EFUGE
fD
PILLS.
to dll the atlen-
T rade, and more
lysicians .of the
t the most popu
b.efojji
ne’» Celebrated '
idXiver Fills.
ommend as
Sjj but simgly for
purports, -^,. ;
IMIFTOE,
forms from the
It has also been
the most .satis
various Aniihak
KR PlliliSj
V ER CoMPtArNTS,
ftNGEM£?s|*3 IC,C
In caap of
SR A.G.U-Ej
after taking Q UI '.
: invariably make
nanent 'cure. j
jr the
icy are
j to fail when M
cordancO Wth thd
dented po,pu^ ar^
n oprietQTS,
Brothers;
RGH, Pa. , J
nr Drug busincsj
r' j been success
/the last^Twentj
r •;]( Viowgive thcs
a lid attention *J
And being
)r. M’Lane’s -CcK
•C and Liver
o occupy ti l6 11
w hold among
of die day, tpj
spare neither tinj
procuring the"!
a serial, and co j
■he most thoroug
ass all orders to
LOS. Pittsburgh
ordering ( r 0
Li! to write
'■J.Jv*, rßf|' r^ y give m
those w T,‘ l ',^yps rta l
lint, post pota. to fl
Pills for twelve t fl
Venntfonu for ffj£%nroP*i
*’ **•
McCRUM & DBRN,
YOli- 4;
TUB ALTOONA TRIBUNE.
SlcCaOM * DBttN, Pnblbhen add Proprietors.
per annum,
{payable invariably in advance,) f 1,60
ill paper* «l)»cenUoiiad at the expiration ef the time
l B * ll **' ' cuuu w xnTnnmro.
14.3 do. S do.
four lines or JeW, $ 26 $ 87a £0
oe..lu«e,<BUaM,l 60 ViT 1 100
T*o “ G« “ > i OO 1 » 200
three " (*» “ ) '**> .2 00 260
Over three weolw and ten than three months, 36cents per
i*]usre for esch insertiop,
8 months. 0 months. 1 year,
tlx Uuoa or l«s, $1 60 $3 00 $5OO
One square, ++, 260 ■ 4.00 700
two “ ' f *OO 600 10 00
Three ' +6 00 BOp 12 00
Poor ‘1 " • -«00 10 00 14 00
U4f»ceVttmn, 10 00 14 00 20 00
l4 00 - 26 00 40 00
/ irotors had Executors Notices, . i
Hiithjnta adrorthingbyths year, thrso squares,
with liberty to change, 10 00
Pichwloonl or ; business Cards, net; exceeding 8
in , with paper,-pM- year, ft 00
. Ci>im. hiiicatians of a political character or individual in-
Icre+t will be charged according to the shove Kites.
Ad+ei tisements not marked with the number of insertions
dtiued, will bo continuodUll forbid and chaffed according
to tiro aloe* terms. ’ 1
Jtu«lae«s notleua fira cents per llneforoTery insertion.
Obituary notice expending ton lines, fifty Cents-a square.
c. r. soon, «c.». j. x ananu, *. p.
Elis. GOOD & GEMMILL HAY-
U.G entered into Partnership in the Practice of
Jne, respectfully tender.their aerrlcas to the Public
ta the several branches of their Profession.
Calls will be answered either day or night at their office
—which is the aaniß aa heretofore occupied by Srs. Hirst
a Good, —or at the I»igau House.
April 21st, ISSSSm
w. M. LLOYD & GO,
ALTOONA, PA.,
JOHNSTON. JACK & CO,
{Late ll <Bell t Johmton, Jack $ Co.’’)
TA RAFTS ON THE PRINCIPAL
JL / Cities, and SUrer and Gold for sals. Collections
msdr. Honeys received on deposite, payable on demand,
jrltlinat Interestj'or upon time, with interest at lair rates.
Peb. 3d, 1859. ,
[ ANUS !; LANDS I! LANDS!! !•
JLj The undersigned is prepared to locate LAND HVAR
RAN TS In tbe Omaha and Nebraska City Land Offices.—
ileeil selections can now. be made near the large stream*'
»n' settlement*. The Lauda of this Territory, now in
Market, are of the best quality. \
tfS. Selections carefully made. Letter* of inquiry re
lated. ALHX. F. McKINNKY,
Ouarous, Cats County, K. Ter.
July li, XW9.-»f
kipbsbxoii:
k«v. A. B. Class, Alteona,' Pa.
Wm. M. Liotd A Co., Banker*, Altoona, Pa.
UoCsqm A Diem, Rflltors, “
Tboi; A. Scotr, Supt. P. R. R, “
B. McUranux, Esq, Huntingdon, Pa.
T D. LEET, ATTORNEY AT IIAW
tl a ALTOONA, BLAIR Co, Pa,
Wl|l practice law la,the several Courts of Blair, Cambria*
JTnntWgdon, ClekrtWfl,: Centro and adjoining counties.—
Also Ip.ths District Count of the United fltqtes.
Collections of fllalms promptly attended to. Agent for
tli* sale of Real Relate, Bouncy Laud Warrants, and all
kuiuMi pertaining to conveyancing and the law.
Rirxsxscxs
Hon. Wilson McCandlos and Andrew Burke, Esq., Pitts
burgh; lion. Samuel A. Gilmore, Pres. Judes of Payette
Jadlclal District;: lion. Chenard Clemons, of Wheeling,
■si Henry D. Foster, Oreensburg; Hon. John W.Kiliinger,
Lebanon; Hon. flfm. A. Porter, Philadelphia; and Hon.
George P. Hamelton, Pittsburg. June 1G,1859-ly.
TvENTISTRY.—DR. S. KIMMELL,
AJ OPERATIVE <t MECHANICAL DENTIST.
Teeth inserted, .from one to a fail set, on Gobi or Silver
Plate.
Teeth filled with Gold, and warranted for ton years.
Teeth Extracted by tho Electro Magnetic Machine with
st Psin. |
All operations and work done cheaper than anywhere
•Ue In the county, and a deduction made, of the railroad
• xpenses from Altoona to Hollidaysbnrg, frbm all opera
tises amounting Id five dollars and orer. /*
„*a- Office on Montgomery street, opposite the Exchange
Hotel, nollidaysbdrg, Pa. [bee. Id, 1858-Iy 6
WR. BOYERS,
• ATTORNEY <t COUNSELLOR AT LA H;
ALTOONA, BLAIR CODNTY, PA.
Will practice in ihe several Courts of Blair, Ca&bria,
Huntingdon and Indiana counties.
Particular attention given to tho collection of Claims,
ssd prompt remittances mado.
He speaks the Ocarman language fluently.
Office, for the present, with J. M. Cherry, Esq., op
posite Kessler's Drag Store.
Altoona, Aqgnst it, 1889.—tf
WM. 8. BITTNER,
SURGEON DENTIST.
AFFICE IN THE MASONIC TEM
PLJC, Teeth’extracted without pain by the Electro
Magnetic Machine ‘ [Dec. 23, !58.-tf
ASh A Student wanted; •
Dr. WM.:r, FINLEY RE- >
SPECTTHTiLY offers his professional
•erricas to the people of Altoona and the
outing country.
He may be found at the office heretofore oc
snpied by .Hr, 9. D. Thomas.
Altoona, Sept. 30| 18S8.-tf
T> F. ROYER, M. D.,
tt^ o ”eWty P . rofe * ,lonal ,BrTicM ‘othecitUensof
°{,” ,ferenca » “n be given if required.
CD< £ °^ Bnnch »treet, East Altoona, three
«ws above Conrad’|i Stprc. April 28 'M-ly.
n YES! ' P YES! —GENTLEMEN
draw nich smdhear. JOSEPH P. TROUT snnonn
!***°. tho PH-ilc, ttfat he Is ready to discharge his duty
wan Auctioneer whenever called npon. fjaa. 2 ’6B
j. e. adlum;
Sj®aaiaf*sr DPaalbaac& a
ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNT!', PA.
UO at aUtimeebe found at the (tore of J. B. HUeman.
Altoona, October 1, 1857.-ly
Bfto Book gtorf.
The subscriber has lately
ICL° pe " e<, a J?OpK STORE next-door to 'LjstsiLL
l «cornerof PhyM* and Anmt MlSti*.
»k«emaybe t<mi : ,
*nd Standard Author?, NevYiihiUeatibna,
Lx Q MlAUraiur 'it, P eriodicab and Staple and
Stationery in large parietia.
Planing Mill & sash manu
ffiuu /would announce tin*
* >la *»Uig BUtt md Saab Manoitac*
/ t\-4toiyy.
frtU eontlnne to fill or
fclch. «ttfrnttefi to him, Trithdeo
-1 %*£:£:': -w a^aar
SKSSjg*
BOLLIDATSBUBG, PA.,
pi
■tq
m,
IWtett |pfldrg.
THE HYING YEAH.
Vbmfa a wall on the *eet wind’s breath,
A wail of the dying year; •
As It rattleathe russet leaves,
from roof-treejmd sheltered eaves.
And a pallfromitaplentiful harvest waves
For the stately bisr.
There's a sighlninanyahcart,
A sigh for the dying year;
For beauty that patsefh away,.
For pleasures that quickly decay.
For hopes tbataro withered too briefly, ere they
Have been realised here.
Thore’s a sigh on the west wind’s breath,
A song of gladness and cheer;
As it rattles on the russet leaves,
And a tapestried blanket it weaves,
To cover tho gnin for the reaper's sheaves,
la a coming year.
Uay the melody'born in the heart.
When sorrow and darkness be near,
Be rich in the promise and love it brings,
Sweejit as the spell the wild wind flings,
As it) sweeps o’er the trembling, quivering strings
Of the flying yefr.
THE VKIOL
nr a. w. toxaraitow.
Sail on, 0 Union, strong and great,
Humanity, with all its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
I* hanging breathless on thy Kite!
We know what Master laid thy keel,
What workman wrought thy ribs of steel ;
Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,
■Whjit anvils rang, what hammers beat,
In what a forge and what a beat ,
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope I
Pear not each sudden sound and shock.
'Xia of the wave and not tho rock;
1 ’Ti* but the flapping of the sail,
• And notia rent mode l)y the gale!
)n spite of rock and tempest’s roar,
n spite of (also lights on the shore,
S oil on, nor fear to breast the seal
pur hearts, our bopep, are all with thee.
op I NEVER FURT, GIRLS J
Oh 1 never, never flirt, girls!
Don’t play with human hearts I
You say yon meant in fun, girls.
To wound with Cupid’s darts.
But they are cruel wounds, girls.
Wounds thatlfor life may hurt;
Then heed a wise old counsellor— <#.
Don’t flirt, my girls, don't flirt 1
say that men are hardy, girls,
And really never feel;
But many an old bachelor
His secret could reveal,
And tell of happy days gone by,
Of false girls, feelings hurt—
And now condemn all womankind;
, Don’t flirt, thengirls, don’t flirt
There is no real pleasure, girls
In striving to excel
I n such an act as flirting, girls;
Though you may do it well.
Then if you love, love truly, girls;
But love not to your hurt;
Choose wisely, well, and sensibly:
But, girls, oh! never flirth
“ Six of One and Haif Dozen of
tbe Other.”
“Now, dearest Fred,” she softly said
“ You must abandon smoking;
It spoils your looks—andthen your breath—
Indeed it’s most provoking.
Bid God jdecroe that man should be
A chimney-line regarded ?
Then, darling Fred,let it bo said,
Tobacco you’ve discarded.”
“ How well, >ny dear,” said Frod,“ I fear
That will, not be so easy;
But, like a mao, I’ll try a plan,
And do the best to please ye.
Bid God intend that’woman’s mind
Such Wondrous things should brow, love,
As Bustles, Bloomers, Crinolines,
Or Hoops-de-dobden-do, love?
“But really, if”—whif, whii; whif—
“ And mind yon I’m not joking,
If you’ll abandon Crinoline,
By Jove 11—i’ll give up smoking.”
patter.
ALTOONA GAS AND WATERWORKS.
Some four or five yean since, applica
tion was made tp the Legislature for a
charter of incorporation fay the "Altoona
Gas land Water Company.” The charter
was granted, but the formation of the com
pany proving a failure,it was not lifted.—•
In the spring of 1858, when Altoona had
reached a population of 4,000, a number
of. our citizens feeling the want ofasuffi.
cient supply of water, as well for the pro
tection, of property in ease of fire as for
parposra of house use; agita
ted the formation of a; company to lift the
ohfrtor and bring the water into • town.—
The project, for spmC reason, it was hard
to tell what, met witii .considerable oppo-
and it apparently dropped
Ugmn for the time being, only, however,
to he started afresh and wiQ» muoh more
determination, some nine months later.
h r T T? l l 8 of store, bn
the 24t1i.0f February last, when the ne
cessity of a large supply of water in such
cases was seen and felt.
A meeting of the citizens , of the place
was called about a weekafterwards, to talk
the matter oyer, get up a company)' and
have some slight amendments made to the
original charter. At previous meetings
water alone had been talked about, but at
this meeting the gas question was brought
afid the practicability of connecting
the two amprov ements was so clearly de
monstrated that all who know anything
about such matters at once agreed to it,
and a committee was appointed to amend
the old charter and see to having it again
passed through the Legislature. Notwith
standing the benefits the town would de
rive- from these improvements, and the
handsome per centage an investment in the
such a company would yield, all
of which was fully demonstrated, there
were some who laughed at the idea of ha
ving gas in Altoona; but those who had
taken the matter in hand knew where they
stood, and proceeded without delay to the I
formation of the Company.
The amendments to the charter were
passed through the Legislature, and about
the middle of May last, the commissioners
appointed opened the books of the Compa
ny for subscriptions to the capital stock,
which was limited to §40,000, with the
privilege of increasing to §60,000. Stock
to % amount of §3o,ooo—in shares of
taken by parties directly inter
ested in the improvement and prosperity of
the town, and a loan of §lO,OOO contract
ed. The amount deemed necessary for
the completion of the works having been
secured, the stockholders proceeded to the |
election of officers and the following per
sons were; chosen ; ,
President, W. H. Wilson, (also Resi
dent Engineer of P. R. R.); Treasurer,
W. M, Lloyd; Secretary, B. F. Rose ;
Managers, John Shoemaker, A. B. Clark
C. J. Maun, Gr. B. Cramer, E. M. Jones;
Engineer and Superintendent, Thomas'S.
Francis.
On the 15th of July last, Mr. Francis
contracted to build the Works, and the
next day gave out the contracts for the
different parts of tho work, as follows :
John Campbell, of this place, excavation,
masonry abd stonewark; W. H. Bell, of
Harrisburg, brickwork; Thomas Burchi
nell, of Hollidaysburg, furnished the brick;
the brickwork and cement of tank and
reservoir was-done by employees of the
railroad company, under the superinten
dence of Stephen McAuley, who has the
charge of the stone and brickwork on the
eastern division of the railroad; the car
penter work was by J. L. Rcifsnider, of this
place; slating by Mr. Arnold, of Ptits
burg j castings by Mitchell, Herron & Co.,
of Pittsburg; sheet-iron work, holder and
steam boiler, by & Co., Pittsburg
wrought-iron work by Marshall & Bro°,
Pittsburg; fire brick from A. J. Hawes,
of Johnstown ; fire brick woi-k by Elwood
Matthews ,of Johnstown; street main
by A. 5. Long, of Lewistown ; fire-plugs,
stop-cocks, &c., by Mr. Stillman, of Phila
delphia.
The plans and specifications were made
by Mr, Francis; the and the
works-were erected under his immediate
superintendence. Their speedy comple
tion is owing to the assistance, at all times
cheerfully tendered, of the building com
mittee, consisting of the President of the
Company and Managers Shoemaker and
Clark.
, •^ ie Wsuh building of the gas works is
eighty-four feet long and thirty feet deep,
with a twenty feet projection on Virginia
street. It is pno story, twenty-one feet
high, and is divided into four rooms. The
style of the front is new, and'will compare
favorably with any of the handsome dwel
lings in town.
, retort Toorn is thirty feet square
with three arches for retorts. Two benches
are complete, and but one in use at pres
ent. The retorts are of fire clay, of Eng
m J“* nu % ture / and were furnished by
T. W. Parmelee, agent, New Tori. This
room is,complete in all its arrangements.
The poiler room and workshop is twen
ty by twenty-four feet, fifteen feet high,
containing washers, the combined ar
rangement jof sprinkler and box Rasher,
and a steam-boiler, of Barnhill & Co.’s
manufacture, for heating the purifying
room, and to prevent the tank from free£
ing up. The boiler is a neat affair, and
admirably answers its purpose.
The office; is twenty by twenty-four feet.
In the centre is placed a forty inch station
m ®tcr. In |his room also is one of Code,
Hopper & (Jratz’s patent rotary valve dry
test meters, s By means of glass coverings
the interior yrorks can be seen, showing a
complicated; yet most complete arrange
ment. These meters Were patented in
1858, a&d are fast coming into use, it be
ing claimed; that they are much superior
to wet meteip, the use of water and alco
hpl being dispensed with, thus removing
thie liability |o freeze.
. ® en ®®th tb® two rooms last mentioned
is a • collar, id which the conden
sers are placed on Umbers, *6n an inclina
tion froth horizontal. The syphons and
appartenjanees thereto are selftacting, re-,
quiring hut Httle attention.
-The purifying room, adjoining the office
and" boiler room, is thirty feet square, con
taining four- cast-iron purifying boxes,
each five feet square, holding font? courses
of lime each. ~ln the center of the room is
the centre seal. The castings of these are
heavy and put together very, substantially
The wroughtaron work of the centre seal
was very neatly done by Barnhill & Co.,
The arum was made in
Philadelphia.! This room is well .ventila
ted, an essential necessity, owing to the
[independent in everything.]
ALTOONA, PA., THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1860.
unpleasant work necessary to be performed
there.
The gas-holder is forty feet in diameter
and sixteen feet high. Tho tank pit is
sunk levgl with the ground, rendering it
more secure than were it banked up. The
holder is the most complete ever made
anywhere. Its superiority is in tightness,
the quality of Iron used, and the peculiar
framing of tho interior. The iron was
prepared at the works of Barnhill & Co.,
in Pittsburg, and put together here, Wm.
Barnhill, Sr., superintending and assisting
in the work. The works are so arranged,
that, without any additional construction,
fifteen thousand cubic feet of gas can be
supplied per day. j
The water reservoir is situated on the
upper or north side of the borough, at a
sufficient elevation for all present pur
poses. It is fifty feet in diameter and four
teen feet deep, and is sunk in tho side of
the.hill. The outer wall is of stone, three
feet thick, and lined with a brick wall four
inches thick, laid in llosendale cement,
with a concrete bottom twelve inches deep.
The work on the reservoir and the tank at
the gas works is done in a very superior
manner.
The supply of water is obtained from
pipes laid by the railroad company, from
Pottagrove Mills, two and a half miles from
the borough. The water, which is of an
excellent quality, comes from a stream in
a gorge of the mountain's, called, from its
peculiar formation, the “Kettle." The
railroad company have a reservoir at Potts
grove’s Mills, which has heretofore an
swered its purposes. The construction of
this reservoir, together with pipe laid—
about three miles —cost, we believe,
about forty thousand dollars. The pipe
commences with ten inch and reduces to
six. The use of this pipe and supply of
water is given to the gas and water com
pany, the railroad company having, as a
consideration, the advantage of four feet
bead, its supply pipe being laid that much
lower ip the connection to the, new reser
voir than the connection of the gas and
[ s water uompany. The pipes laid for sup
plying the town commence at eight inch
and reduce to six, four and three inch.'—
Previous to the making of the new reser
voir, the head of water at the connections
then existing was reduced while the en
gines were being supplied, but now the ad
ditional reservoir counteracts, the|head of
water remaining uniform. *
The pipe-laying was done by Mr. A. B.
Long, of Lewistown. The gas and water
pipes were laid in one trench, in the cen
tre of the streets, the latter five feet deep
and the former three. Fifteen fire plugs
have been placed in different parts of the
borough, and the total amount of pipe laid
is upwards of five miles.
That no accident or drawback of any
kind has occurred in the rather speedy
completion of the gas and water arrange
ments, is owing to the fact that the pipes
and gas fitting were rigidly inspected and
thoroughly tested before being used.
As almost everybody in the country is
aware, the completion of these, improve
ments was celebrated on the 15th of De
cember last, (just five months from the
time the contract for building them was
given) by a grand parade during the day
and a brilliant illumination in the even
ing. Previous to the dismissal of the pro
cession in the afternoon, Col. L. W. Hall
delivered an address, from the portico in
front of the Logan House, the following
extracts from which we find in the Phila
delphia Inquirer, of the 31st ult:—
We have .reached an era in the history
of our town.' Since the great steam horse
first frightened the startled echoes of the
Tuckahoe Valley till they fled shrieking
up the hollows of yonder mountain gorges,
the spot we stand upon has not witnessed
an occasion so grand—so joyous—so
worthy of celebration. Not alone do I
say this because of the comfort, conveni
ence, healthfulneas, and bappinass this
r water and gas will bring to os directly
I and immediately, but Rooking to the fu
ture, to the benefits subsequent genera
tions of Altoona’s citizens will enjoy from
the works we this day inaugurate—look
ing to the position and character such an
undertaking prosecuted to successful com
petition giVes to our town abroad—look
ing to the results these improvements
must have in inducing persons to move
into pur midst, charmed with the progres
sive spirit of you all—looking to the ef
fect upon the minds of the tens of thou-
sands of strangers-upon that great central
line of travel, which cuts your town in
two, as whirled through the passes of the
Alleghenies, they come upon our new
built town, cheerful and brilliant with its
gas/ and clear and bright with its water,
like the rosy, laughing face of the fresh
j washed morning schoolboy. \
Yet it was no boy’s play to build these.
It was tim work for men. Abroad patent
our oitizeos have spmd before the world/
showing title to energy,, perseveraiijoe, and
a generous manhood. To have been ac
tive and efficient in such public works as
j these may well give any inatt a pleasura
| We pride. I kiaow of ho f hand
ones name uoto to .posterity- more oom
mendable—with - less' ofitolSshhessabout
it. 7 , : •' ''''■ ' ;;
I It is a trite remark that • &». is «n age
1 *.'■
of progress—so threadbare from use that
it fails almost to stir the mind to thought
fulness. In feet, it is very difficult to
realize the full extent of our onward
strides. Tell the sturdy ; axeman to fell
yonder oak—the sharp stokes ring out
clear on the frosty air, ard in an hour his
arm undoes forever what Nature, with
patient toil, haa been a century or more in
rearing, and the monarch of the forest,*
with a groan, expires. Count the concen
tric circles of its yearly growth, that tell
you, with infallible certainty with which
Nature always speaks when read aright,
the year it was an acorn. Ah ! the for
est trees Ijhat tower around you have wit
nessed mighty changes, not. only in this
valley, but in-all this broad land. They
will take you back, the oldest of them, to
the time when no white man’s foot had
pressed upon the soil of what is now our
noble Commonwealth.
But I might be wearisome to you and
foreign to the occasion to!enter upon so
vast a theme, and I propose rather to re
mark upon the discovery snd use of illu
minating gases. • Imagine New York,
Philadelphia, or Baltimore ; without, street
lights. How crime and pollution would
hold high revelry beneath! night’s dusky
veil. How Bowery Boys, Killers, and
Plug Uglies would riot in security—
burglars and thieves issuing from their
dens at nightfall, to steal with impunity
and chuckle at the impotent police. And
yet 175 years ago London;.with a popula
tion of a half a million, was destitute of
street lamps. Macauly in his History
decribes the city as it was then. -When
the evening closed the difficulty and dan
ger of walking about was felt by every
one. Falls, bruises, and; brokeh limbs
were of common occurrence. Robbers
and thieves plied their traces in security,
and dissolute young men swaggered about
the town, breaking windows, upsetting
sedans, beating quiet men, and offering
rude caresses to pretty women. When we
become as large as London we will have
the advantages of light at all events —and
I think' all will agree that with plenty of j
gas in our streets at with our
own policeman, Joe Ely —the quiet of our
city will be preserved.
. In 1684, the last year of the reign of
Charles the Second, an ingenious projec
tor named Edward Hemming obtained
letters patent, conveying to him the ex
clusive right of lighting London for a
term of years. From Gto 12 o’clock of
moonless nights, from Michaelmas to Lady
day, he placed a light before every tenth
door. Those who now see the great Eng
lish capital all the year round, from dusk
to dawn, blazing with a-splendor com
pared with which the illuminations for La
Hogue and Blenheim would have looked
pale, may smile to think ; of Hemming’s
Lanterns glimmering feebly before one
house in ten during one night in three.—
But such was not the |eeling of his cotem
poraries. Eis scheme'was enthusiastically
applauded and furiously attacked. The
friends of improvement extolled his as the
greatest of benefactors. But’tbe cause of
darkness was hot left undefended. There
were fools in that age who oposed the in
troduction of what was called a new light,
! 38 strenuously as fools in jour age have
apposed the introduction Wtf vaccination
and railroads; as strenuously ,as the fools
of an age anterior to the dawn of history,
doubtless opposed the introduction of the
plough, and of alphabetical Writing. Many
years after the date of Hemming’s patent,
there were extensive districts in London
in which ?no lamps were It was
not until the early part of the present
centiiry that that city was. illuminated by
gas lights. In 1737 Dr. Clayton demon
strated by experiment that bituminous
coal subjected in retorts to a! red heat fur-'
nished an air which burned -with a bright
flame. It does not appear ffaat this spe
cies of air was ever produced from coal
for the purposes of illumination until
1/92, when Wm. Murdoch,'« mining en
gineer, employed coal gas foi lighting his
house and office in Cornwall, The first
application of this light on £ large scale,
was made in Manchester itt-180£ when
the groat cotton mills of 3?|ilips & Lee
were fitted up under the directions of Mr.
Murfoch, and a quantity of light equal to
3000 candles was introduced ahddistribu
ted through the lwl Sample
was speedily followed, and gas was
soon after inbroduped Into of the lar
ger cities of Europe &od America.
Previous to 1766, hydrogen had been
confounded other combustible gases
several of which had Tong been knpwn.£r
thftt yew it was first described as a dis
tinct gas by 'the/English chemist, Caven
dish, and was called hy! him inflammable
air. But in bar search alter light, we
.must not overlook the benefits derived
from tbe admirable manner with which
our town is supplied with an abundant
supply of water. Whilst the ancients
knew nothing of illumination by gas, some
of their cities Were bountifully supplied
with water conducted through hills and
over valleys for miles-—stupendous works
erepted at immense remains
of which extant, exciting the won
der and admiration of the traveller It
requires no eulogy to be paslcd hn pure,
cold, spariding wato? yit requires no I&-
guago to be employed to tell the peo^laof
V'il •'*
this town the benefits thet but* derive,
Intellectually, morally, and socially, from
its introduction. And here allow ine to
remark for the benefit of our Town Coun
cil, that I think it would be iur admirable
Outlay of moneys and one j. Which I think
they would be sustained in doing by etefy
citizen of the town,to erect a public bath
house. Every town of this use sbottld
have one at least—there is no greater pro
moter of health than such establishments;
if used. The value of water in Sh town
like ours, in case of fibre would be invalua
ble—-water as we have it now in abun
dance and brought to our doors.,
The manner in which our American
Republic has sprung np bn thia Western
Continent seems almost fr miraele, and
clearly shows that we are indeed circled
by the hand of God, The past of our
country’s history seems as a dreatfr-~-tbO
dettiny of America, no man could scarce
oven guess at.
What a marvellous Change, In the ptofi
few years, has come over th| whole Coun
try that wo love so justly and so well.—■
All areas of latitude and longitude
shrunk into their chords, and American
language, laws, religion, and authority,
once confined to the Atlantic Coast, U6w
prevail from the Northern Lakes to the
Southern Gulf, and from tfae.stormy East
ern Sea to the tranquil Western Ocean.—
Onward we have marched with rapid
strides, and onward we are destined ,to
march, spreading liberty through all the
world. The Union of these American
States will never fail. All are connected
together as beautiful links in one ohain—•
its strength increasing with the daily mul
tiplication of its bonds. The steam en
gine and electric telegraph, both newer
than the Union/ have obliterated State
lines, unless in the minds of a few crazy
fanatics, and forged the links of that chain j
if still more closely together;
In no way can this change in bur land
be bettor exemplified, than by a reference
to the past of Altoona, this town of less
than ten years’ growth, now numbering
over five thousand inhabitants. Less than
that time ago, not the vAstige of anything 1
was to be seen here, except the" old farm
house, the picture of which graces the
printed town jplots. Then, where are
now seen your mechanical shops, fkthooa
for their substantial character, size,- and
neatness, wherever railroads have pierded,
your hotels, stores, and private residences,
would have been seed a very pbor farm,
that scarce repaid the worthy husbaddmau
for his labor bestowed on it, with V small
log house as the owner’s residence. Could
a fitter illustration be made of the energy
and indomitable perseverance of the peo
ple of this boasted land of freedom ?
Time will not allow me to sketch the rise
and progress of our town, and in Tact did
it, I would not know how to do it better
than to say, ten years ago not one .of alb
these houses and places of business were 1
here; and the present five thousand per
sons living here have been brought hither
from all points of the Stetes-r-now quietly
enjoying life, a busy, active, and happy
people.
Powers op ik 1
a man in St. Lohis, named Meredith’ Hol
land, said to be a perfect prodigy in
arcs. The Republican says be wilt an
swer the most abstruse arithiheticalqttbs
tion with astonishing promptness' And ac
curacy; will calculate interest, simple and
compound, for any lime, amount and rate,
and for, this alone would bo at* iqvaluablb
acquisition to a counting-house. He in
totally unable to explain now he rrrives at
the results, and it said that philosophers
have studied him in yain. His is a natu
ral gift that the most acute observe can
not wrest from him. His mind iit Incom
prehensible, and its mode of operation is
unfathomable. . -h
We will only give one or two instances
of his powers of calculation. A:. random
question was asked him —“How nfciiy in,
ches in 419 miles I” In less ,than one
quarter of a minute he answered, 20,547,
840, which is correct. Another question
was, “How many bricks 9 inches long and
4 inches will he required to pave a yard
10 feet square V’ s His answer was 1,600
also correct. These examples will suffice.
They are of that character which place the
possession of a great gift beyond dddbt.
B»y8; : Nioe4enfhs
of the miseries and vices of manhood pro-'
ceed from idleness; with men of quick
mind, to whom it is especially pernicous,
this habit is commonly the fruit of many
disappointments, and schemes often baf
fled ; and men fail in their schemes, notap
much for want of strength, as the ill di
rection of it. The weakest living creature
by concentrating bis powers on single ob*
ject, can accomplish something j the
strongest, by dispersing his oyer many,
may fail to accomplish anything. The
drop, by continued falling, bores it passage'
through the hardest rook—the hasty tor
rent' rushes over it with hideous uproar
and leaves no orifice behind.
iOT*“ Oh, Jacob/’ said a mwteifltd Mi
apprentice boy, “it iswohderfolto see
what a quantity yon can “ft*,.
master,” <f T’ye been practising was
a child.’’ ‘ ■; * w “ ~
EDITORS and PROPRIETORS.
f » ,
StO* 48,