The Altoona tribune., October 21, 1863, Image 2

tribunr.
ALTOONA, PA
MSmWAY, OCT. 21, 1863.
800.000 Volunteers y
In another column mil be found the
Proclamation of the president calling for
300,000 volunteers to fill up the old regi
mentfr—the draft having foiled, partially
in aodbmpluhing that result. There were
many who opposed the draft, urging that
the volunteer system was the quickest
and the most patriotic way to fill up the
army, while others contend that there
was nothing dishonorable or unpatriotic
in a draft, and that it. was the most equi
table manner of raising an army, as it
would give men a chance to pay who
would not fight. The President seems
disposed to accomodate both parties, and
it is to be hoped that between the two
the full quote of men will be furnished.—
We have not seen a statement of the
bounties to be given those who enlist un
der the last rail, but presume it will be
published in a few days.
Gooey’s Lady’s Book. —This most ex
cellent monthly for November, as usual,
is ahead of all other magazines. It should
be in the house, of every family, as it is
always filled with useful recipes, choice
'reading matter, beautiful . engravings and
patterns of every description. Terms
$B,OO per year or two copies for 6 55.00.
L. A. Godey, Philadelphia.
| PEW AND BCISSOBB
Never slander an acquaintance.
OT" Wood is selling in Louisville at 8 dollars
per cord.
0” The Eastern railroads are homing wood in
consequence of the high price of coal.
•r* is not true that Hooper, the barber, has
increased his price for shaving Woodward men.
OT*One man in New Hampshire has sent
thirty-thousand wild pigeons to market this sea
son.
OT” The great eastern steamship, when launched,
was doomed to misfortune, and she is now to be
sold at auction.
OT’ A mpn offers to famish sour trout to the
army. Another wishes to buy the privilege of
psdfiog.iip all the rags.
OT"The Stevodores of Boston are striking for
fifty oeot» on hour, which will make their wages
only fire dollars a day.
Jeff Davis lately ordered Geo. Bragg not
to shoot so many of bis men. We wish somebody
would order him not to shoot so many of ours.
Mobile Register doubts whether the
nteh ought to make even exchanges of prisoners.
Nodonbt the rebels ate in sore need of something
to£n**
IMF* The Richmond JFWy beasts that the Con
fedetacy is giving bed 'and board to a good many
Union prisoners. It might add that the bed is all
one.
'MF Canada seems to be afraid of annexation to
the United States. A poor and ugly girl might
well be afraid of being mailed to a rich,
handsome, and worthy; gentleman.
jtrA drygoods clerk, of a medical turn of
Wishes to know if young ladies with a ma
nia,6* “sharping** but no particular predilection
fqr,l>qyiHg, may npt properly be considered coun
ter imbtots?
WAnexclumgc comes to os with the notice
that “Ttadh” is crowded out of this issue. This
is abnostas bad as the up country editor who said:
“Forthe evil effects of intoxicating drinks, see
oar inside.”
MT A fellow whs kicked out of an editorial
raisn tSe i odmr day for impudently stating that in
Gennany be bad seen a fiddle so large that it re
qnind 'two bosses to draw the bow across the
strings, which would continue to sound six weeks.
•me Oswego Times wants to know if a man
who V* tortsccilia anchylesys of the radius, par
alynUkm of tfaelaver labli superiorosis aliquiniasi,
and, borides don’t feel very well Himself, would be
exen|«fjrom thedraft. Will somebody tell ?
49*“The recognition of the Sooth is, we must
acknowledge, the logical consequence of our Mexi
can eot<!T}wise.” This is what a writer in a French
journal jmjs. Xethim ask himself what trill be
conseqnence of the recognition of the
Stupi,.
J 8T 1 John T. C. McCaffrey, from Knoxville
served three months under Gen.qTackson,
UUxty-two months in the Mexican war, twelve
months-in the present war, and sent eleven sons
to the (Jnl&n army, four of whom were killed be
foseViefcsbarg. ■- ' - •
Blaoclin almost killed himseif in Seville,
Spain/recently. White on his rope daring an
whiMtiosi fai tfaat eity, with fireworks on bis head,
** e himaetf banting, and in trying to relieve
hitsasif hie aiipped and fell,bat luckily caught one
foot on the rcpe, add with the utmost grace saved
hisfaraiaa froai being dashed out.
.itestjoopg man, prtnrning elated from
spied a portly figure shlver-
lm»e darasel^n
tinging the roimd-headed cast-iron “ pillar pbst"
erected there the provides day.
Letter from “ Augustus Sontag.”
A Cataract Dimer—Gaauj Bourn on “Goat Inland''
— u Blossoms" Surprise os Viewing the Sapids —
India* Tati Gates—Bird Made on Ike Island •—
Sontag Playing Guide—Going up on Terrapin
Tester, See., frc. ■
* Niagara Falls, October, 1863.
Our last tetter left us contemplating the gran
deur of the “Upper Rapids” from the balcony
of the Cataract House, where, from this elevation,
we viewed the rush of the mad waters—hemmed
.in by tall cedars and towering oak, that stud the
banks upon each shore—sweep on to the great
falls. After a sumptuous dinner—one that would
do honor even to our “ Continental” in Philadel
phia, or the “ Logan House” in your city—we sal
lied out,, accompanied by oar twto inseparables,
wending oaf way towards Goat Island.” “ Sun
shine’s” bright eyes open wide, for the wonder of
her life is coming. Pause, though, for a moment,
before going down to the esplanade over the rapids,
and see what is the invocation that “Gipsy Minnie’’
sends thrilling along one of the iron rails between
the Hndson and the Lakes. “ I can hear,” says
that enthusiastic lover of nature, “ I can hear, if I
listen, though far away the roar of those glorious
waters, see the sunlight sparkling and flashing on
the rapids as they dash so wildly on—live it nil
over again, in fact, in my busy mind. Think of
me as with you in spirit, and breathe a dear wel
come to‘My Niagara’ forme. Whisper to that
flood of green waters that one Iff its worshippers
sends it fond greeting from afar, and gather np
and bring back some portion of the spirit of the
Great Cataract, to shower over ris in an invoca
tion.” And it is with this implorntion ringing l in
her ears and:finding echo in her heart, 1 that “Sun
shine” goes down and stands grasping the protect
ing arm of Sontag, that wonld be so powerless to
protect her, in the event of the giving way of stone
and timber, pn that rash walk over the American
rapids.
“ And these are the rapids!" says the soft voice
of little “ Blossom in a tone which may be one
of disappointment. ■ l4 And do they disappoint
yon ?” asks Sontag, with a voice as anxious as if
he was the proprietor oflhe “wonder of nature” to
which he is temporarily playing showman. n Dis
appointed? Oh no! I’m bewildered—terrified!!”
is the reply. “ Pray keep hold of me, and do not
let me stand too near that comer, for fate and
death are bdth rolling down upon ns, and I know
that I should leap over and take my last bath in
the wild rash of those mad waters, if left here alone
for a moment!” So, we pass on to the bridge,
leaving the ‘‘ white buffaloes, with their wild eyes
and sea-green manes,” still plunging down—pov
toll once more at the Indian curiosity depot, where
brilliant agates alternate with feather fens, bead
work and birched canoes—and pass on over to
Goat Island—over the green carpet of sward, and
under-the tall trees whose stately trunks and um
brageous shade, are matchless for many a hundred
miles—where so many feet have trodden and so
many lovers whispered, by sunlight or moonlight,
vows that were to be carefully kept or ruthlessly
broken. “ Hark!” says “Sunshine,” as we stroll
over towards the Canada side, and the great spec
tacle. “Listen to the subdued thunder of the fell
and feel the creeping shudder with which the whole
earth seems trembling under the shock. Is there
not something terrible in it?" “YesC” says “Blos
som” ; but at that moment her eye marks the flash
of the sun through the tall trees on the velvet
greensward, and her ear catches a soupd that has
been unnoticed by our grosser and duller sense.—
“No, hark!” she says in her turn, “there cannot
be anything terrible where the little birds dare sing
and be happy. They know the protecting hand of
God better than we,” and cigar and distinct, at the
moment, over the dull ramble of the fells and the
murmur of voices in the distance, breaks out a
strain of bird-music, tinkling like running water,
dripping like liquid silver from the tree-tops, and
filling the air; and foliage with a very gush of mel
ody. Henceforth we know that the birds are
guardian spirits watching Niagara, and bearing in
a single gush from . their melodious throats a les
son of the gtjntle watch-care of the Father, which
even the thunder of the cataract may fail to con
vey. And sb we stoll on slowly, very slowly, to
wards the Canada side and the Terrapin Tower
too slowly, it would seem, for by and by little “ Sun
shine” says, impatiently. “But where are the Falls ?
The Falls?” Says Sontag “ why did you not see
Siam yonder, and cross thorn ? what more /alls are
you looking for?” “And is that .all!" says the
gentle “Sunshine”’ while a tear creeps into the
clear eye that would disarm anything less than a
brute. “Is there no broad sheet of water coming
down out of the sky and felling into a great gulph
beneath? If Mot is all I am_ sorry that I came,
and I could sit down and cry ns if I had bnried
some dear friend.” “ Come then,” savs cruel Son
tag, “and see whether there is anything more
worth your attention.” The clear eyes look tip,
and the curved lip curls into an expression of min
gled doubt and contempt that would be painful to
witness if thejamidote lay more distant. It is re
markable with what ingenuity the self-sufficient
guide. Sontag, conducts the neophyte through-paths
that have only partial glimpses of the water, and
only allowing jthe while glimmer of the Observato
ry on Benson’s Island, to be seen through the trees,
until he brings her suddenly out to the verge in
front of the dilapidated pavilion standing over the
bead of the stairs leading to the Terrapin Tower,
and seats her pn the little bench at the edge, and
says, “Sunshine’s” Niagara! From this point wc
view the Terrapin Tower, lurched insecurely on its
rocks—the “ Horse Shoe Falls,” bending its proud
neck to the inevitable—the “ English Eapids” rol
ling down—the dark cliffs rising up from the churn
ing foam below—the bruised tide crawling away
exhausted, after the plunge, towards the ferry—
the houses clustering over “Table Bock,” and the
Clifton Housej with its long 1 range of white col
umns, lying in the distance—the dark woods, with
autumn sward, sweeping to the Canadian hills.—
The same old scene is here, so often seen and so
often described, so impossible to describe again:
without a repetition, and yet fresh and new to-day,
because.pleasure is enjoyable through sympathy,
and the young eyes, nndimmed and undazzled by
too ranch contact with the world, arc looking for
die first time upon the white glory of the North
western continent. After half an hour of almost
silent contemplation of the scene, we descended
the.steps towards the Terrapin Tower, and the lit
tle hand is felt to qniver. “ Do the bridge and
the tower look: unsafe, and have you some doubts
of the propriety of trusting yourself upon them ?”
“No,” answers the young voice, not without a
shadow’ of indignation is the tone, that fear could i
be supposed a component part of her nature.—
“ No, it is not jfear. I am shnddering at man’s
audacity, in the face of the great works of tiature.
How dan he throw rickety bridges and build rough
caste little Ught-honses over these rapids, on the
very verge of that fall? How dart hef What
business has] the little and the insignificant beside
the terrible and the eternal ? I shquld think that
the hand of the first man who attempted to throw :
that .bridge over the rapids would have become pal- ;
•led, and his limbs given way, long before he had
succeeded in his effort, when he remembered icAcre |
he was building and how he was throwing up a |
mote reck less defiance than was shown bv the
builders of the tow*- of Babel! ” “ True,” laughs
Sontag, “ bjtt if this is audacious, and the stair
cases leading down below the falls yonder on the
Canadian side and hereon “Goat Island" seem
like so many cobwebs spun over the very nose of
the inevitable, what have you to say of the mills :
built beside the rapids • over yonder on the other
side of “ Goat Island,” and jxirts of the rapids ac
tually fenced oft and (iriven in to do the dradgerv i
of turning mill wheels.” What a stream to turn a■.
mill! “That is not only audacity, but desecra
tion,” says little “ Blossom”—a carrying ont of the
sublime ideas of that tailor, who long ago, they
say, standing in the spray of the foil, made this
note ; “Oh what a place to sponge a coat!” and I ’
felt as 1 passed them, though 1 did not say so, verv !
much like parodying Morris ’ very bad poem of i
“Woodman, sparq that tree,” with a worse, and I
making the first lines read: I
Vandal, spare that fall! i
Don’t let it turn a mill;
‘Twasn’t made for that at all, i
And mustn't be so still. * !
“■ About as good poetry ns the original” says
“ Sunshine,” and quite ns good common sense;
and yet neither amount tflfjknything in the way Pf
checking human audacity. Don't you remember
that they serve dinners 'at a dollar each on the
peak ot mount Washington, and that they talk
of supplying the deficiency of ice next season by
sending off a few steamings to the frigid zone to
tow some icebergs into our harbors. But think of
Blondin, down below yonder—l will show you the
place directly—using the height of these banks
and the rush of these waters to enhance the dan
ger of his rope-walking feat and bring in the half
dollars a little faster.” “I wish he had tumbled
in,’ interpolates “Sunshine” with a cute pout
upon her lip—“and then think whether some day
there will not be an immense mill np yonder on
the Canada bank and another on “Goat Island”
or “ FrospecjjPoint,’, with two big wheels stand
ing ont in the stream and turned by the Horse
Shoe and the American falls.” Long before this
childish philosophy has been . discussed we have
passed once more over the rickety bridge to the
Tower and began to ascend that remarkable
structure whicli displays the toad-stool and bar
ricle propensity of humanity a little more than
any other erectidu on the continent. Vender, at
the little pavillion we have jqst left. Smith,
■Brown, Jones and Thompson, hate all immortal
ized themselves, in fancy, by writing their names
on the floor in big letters so that it. is impossible
to look ont on nature in its highest glory without
perceiving a sediment of “ high art” a: the bottom ;
scribbling names in every variety of knife and
pencil, work from the listless dash of a mere pencil
scribbler to the determined effort of the laborious
man who will be immortal whether or no. They
say that every foot of .the earths surface has been
planted over and over again, during the past ages,
with graves a dozen or two deep. How many
deep, is it likely, some of, these hoards of the
“Terrapin Tower” are planted witli the dead
names that have penciled and chiseled there, and
then cut away to make room’ for new comers ?
But while we have been moralizing, ••Sunshine”
has been taking that marvellous view sweeping
Irom the upper rapids on the one hand, with the
diiupirated schooner of the Chippewa frolic of the
last year yet hanging in fragments to the rocks,
to tlie Horse ¥llO6 fa I* in front of the American
fail below tlie whale course of the river, to the
■• Suspension Bridge"—that structure of fain
beauty itself making a mock connection between
two countries just now widely enough dissevered
in foeling. She has seen the little barges darting
across the rapids from one side of tlie ferry to the
other; she has looked so far down into the great
cauldron below the falls os is possible for human
eyes. She has caught glimpses of the rainbow
which coyly forms itself in segments of a circle, in
the mist, for a moment, and then as coyly disap
pears. “Let us go down,” says “Blossom,”
everything is growing unreal and unstable around
me, and I feel as if you, this tower, the rapids,
the fails, everything—was gliding away beneath
my feet—and I should in a moment find myself
sinking down into the water and going over the
precipice.’ Sontag heard the warning, and after
reprobating and ridiculing the practice of scrib
bling and carving names on the boards, then
making mysterious dives into his pockets and dis
covering, imprimis, that he has no pencil, seamdo,
that he is too lazy and the blade of his pocket
knife too dull to produce any effect in the way of
carving, so he signals a descent from the tower,
and the twain are soon again on the level of
“ Goat Island. ” “ And are you disappoimed now ?”
asked the cruel guide, after many minutes of un
broken silence. There is no reply, but the face
that merry “Sunshine" turns is merry no longer.
Tears are trembling in the bright eyes, but finding
channels down the rounded cheeks, and the
breath comes up short and labored from the chest.
“ Sunshine” and “ Blossom” have drank in the
true feeling of the time and place, and the spray
of Niagara falls lias already baptized them with a
new perception of the glorious and the eternal.
Yours truly, .
AUGUSTUS SONTAG.
Baid on the Memphis and Charleston
Bail Boad.
Memphis, .Oct. 12.—Ail day the city has been
filled with rumors of a battle "oh the line of the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad, between this
city and Corinth. Prom an unqnestionable source
I am able to give a reliable statement of what has
really occurred.
Saturday morning a train left this place for Co
rinth at die regular hour,, passing through all
right. A couple of hours later a special train,
having on board General Sherman and staff, and
three hundred of the Thirteenth Regulars, started,
and on coming to Collieivillej eighteen miles
from here, was fired into with artillery and mus
ketry. Two cannon balls went through the loco
motive and tender, emptying the water cud break
ing die lever used tor reversing the engine. The
train was stopped and the Care evacuated, for the
stockade at the station.
Previously the pickets of Col. Anthony, of the
Sixty-sixth Indiana, who* holds; Collierville, had
l>een driven in. General Sherman had scaiceiy
time to form his men and the 900 Indiana boys,
before the force was attacked by Chalmers. His
force was composed of seven regiments—one regi
ment of Arkansas trooi>s, two of Texas (Ben Me
| Collough’s men), and the balance Mississippians,
i numbering in all nearly three thousand,
i After fighting near five hours, and after some
I fine maneuvering by the. General, the Confeder-
I ates were completely routed. At one time die
Rebels had [wssession of the train, and set fire to
the beautiful car of General Webster, which he
had loaned to General Sherman, but it was re
taken and the fire extinguished. The Rebels
I burned three trestle-work bridges, but since then
they'have been repaired.
Telegraphic communication was cut, hut it aud
die road are now in working order.
In the fight the Thirteenth Regulars lost nine
killed, twenty-seven wounded and seven missing
Col. Anthony’s loss was about the same.
My informant could not tell <tbe Confederate
loss, but as they were in an open field and our
men behind a stockade, it is supposed to be much
larger.
The General now lias plenty of men at his com
j maud, and has determined to annihilate Chal
| mere. Yon need not be surprised to hear that, it
I has been done in the course of a day.
Ka.ii.road Conductors Arrested.—Quite a
sensation was created in Harrisburg, on Tuesday
last, by the a nest of several of the conductors on
the Lebanon Valley and the Heading and Philodel- ‘
phia railroads, charged with having, at several*
periods, while running their trains, embezzled I
large sums of money. Other arrests were made ;
at different points on the road, including baggage- I
masters and conductors, who arc all implicated in
the same charge. It appears that the company
have hud in their employ a number of detectives,
who have been traveling on the different trams, ;
incog, noting the'number of passengers, the distance I
which they traveled, &c., and from the returns i
mode by these officers, as compared with the re
turns mode by the conductors themselves, the evi
dence of embezzlement is derived.
The Deep Distress of the Southern
People.
Judging by the tone of the dUduuond news
papers the domestic a flairs of the Bebels mart be
in a deplorable condition. They have all eschewed
the jaunty, jolly, rollicking air which they whilom
affected, and hare taken to
— l —“ Loathed melancholy.
Of Orberns and blackest midnight born,
Id Stygaio c«ve forlorn. ' w - ,;
Muitgst horrid stupes and shriek* and sigh* unholy.”
There is not an exception to this remark
among the papers received in our last files. The
Sentinel is unhappy concerning the “ Croakers and
grumblers" who assail Jeff. Davis, and in another
article pours out its grief over the “ Sufferings of
the people.'' The Dispatch mourns the “ Distress
from high prices” in one column, and renews the
subject in another, where it seeks to enforce the
idea that said high prices are “ The greatest dan
ger to the Confederacy.” The Whig bewails the
sad condition of the “Currency the Examiner
enlarges on the “ High prices,” and the Sentinel,
in addition to what is above stated, deals in some
very sharp.remarks on the new “Conscription.”
Referring to the “croakers and grumblers,” the
Sentinel denounces them as the authors of the de
preciation of the currency, and as misebiefmakers
who “ have but one other work to perform in or
der to effect our (Hebei) ruin,”and “they seem
to be laboring diligently for that.” They hive but
“ to introduce their sentiment (distrust of Davis)
among the soldiers, and it needs no jirophet to tell
what will inevitably and speedily follow .” So says
the Sentinel, and the statement is remarkable as
being the confession of Davis’ personal organ.
In the same lujubrious tone the Sentinel com
plains of the operation of the conscription laws
which “ have been executed with more severity in
Virginia than anywhere else,” “ draining the State
of its labor," which results are now to be followed
up by the sweeping militia act contemplated by
the “demagogues of the Legislature.”
But "its most melancholy and truly distresstful
strain is under the head'of “Sufferings of the
People.” It relates “ the tale of sorrow of two
ladies of Goochland county, widows of soldiers,
who have been striving to live on the mockery
of an allowance made by the County Court, but
who, being threatened by starvation, procured a
passage on a canal boat to Richmond, in search of
needlework, to enable tltfm to get food fqr their
children. But they cannot earn enough to pay
even for a passage on the boat. In the meantime
winter is coming on, their orphan children are
without clothing, and they look to the future
with dread and alarm. All they ask is work
enough to earn bread." After this recital the
Sentinel fears that “ the curse of Heaven will be
up° n the land if these widows and their children
are allowccPto cry for bread in vain."
This is, in truth, a sad story. Yet those two
ladies and their children arc but units among the
millions of like cases in the South, all of whom
have been reduced to the depths of distress by the
wanton and wicked proceedings of just such scoun
drels as they who control and give inspiration to
the Sentinel. It will lie wonderful, indeed, if
” the curse of Heaven" does not fall upon, hot the
land or the people, but the great criminals vfho in
stigate the Rebellion,- which is tlie cause of all this
woe. We hear a great deal about this “ wicked
war” from the spokesmen unite organs of the
Notheru malcontents, but they fail to apply the
wicked"epithet where it proper!v belongs!,' viz:
To the unutterable “ wickpd” Secessionists and
conspirators who brought the dire calamity upon
the country.
Following all this, the Ncntine/ calls upon'Davis
to “ tax the people high,” and to “ suppress high
prices by law.” And it demands of the people to
pay their taxes cheerfully (as if it were possible
for people in such distress! to pay taxes at all,
much less cheerfully), and give all to the Govern
ment. '
Thus I'ar the Sentinel. Let us next hear the
Dispatch on the subject o( distress:—
“The rapid advance in .all necessaries of cloth
ing and subsistence threatens us with great dis
tress. There is no disguising the fact. We can
not see how unemployed persons, ’ and how those
"'bo live on incomes and salaries, are to get along,
especially at the inclement season of the year now
rapidly approaching. How are they to buv shoes
and clothing at the present rates? Nay, how
long are these rates to prevail ? A great auction
may in a day or two run them all up fifty per
cent! An unction thus has become to be re
garded by the people with as much dread as a*
battle! A defeat on the battle-field could hardlv
bring more suffering upon them. These question’s
are growing daily more and more important.—
Something must be done. Produce must be dis
tributed, prices, must be reduced, gains must be
disgorged, or there will be suffering intense, and
intense suffering will beget, what? Think if it.”
And in another article, the same journal speaks
of the distress resulting from these high prices as
the greatest danger of the Confederacy at the
present moment.” The Dispatch then goes on to
deplore the inevitable augmentation of these suf
ferings if rnorq men are drafted into the army.—
“Already,” it says, “we ate beginning to feel
the want of labor in those employments that are
indispensable coexistence. What are the people
to do this winter for clothing, fuel and for other
prime necessities of life, if the few producers who
are left are turned into consumers by being drafted
into the army. Our most pressing danger .is the
immense privation and suffering our people' must
endure if the producing power is anv further di
minished.
It was our purpose to produce the more pointed
passages from all these articles, but space fails.
What we have given presents a fair average of the
existing gloom which darkens every page of every
newspaper in Richmond. ,Wc ‘lay before the
Nothern people what is above recited, not in anv
spirit of exultation over the suffering people of
the Southern country, but in a sad and sorrowing
spirit that such things should be. The authors of
such dire clamity, brought needlessly upon a
happy and prosperous people, should be subjected
to the united execration of all Christiandom, and
above a) I .the people of the Loyal States should be"
as one man in their condemnation of the conspi
rators and perpetrators of suchan enormous crime.
Oh ! that our armies, scattered over the far south
west, were once consolidated to strike a sure
death-blow at the head of the despotism which
perpetuates this fearful distress, and that the suf
fering people of the South might bo delivered.—
Philadelphia Inquirer.
A Splendid Railroad Bridge.— The railroad
bridge which is to be erected over the Ohio 1 at
Steubenville will be one of the most substantial
structures in the country. The bridge will be en
tirely of iron. It will consist of eight spans, four
of two hundred and twenty-five feet, three of two
hundred and ten feet, and one of three hundred
and twenty feCt, making a total length of 1,600
feet. The channel span, which is the longest, will
have an elevation of ninety feet above the water.
The width of the bridge from edge to edge will ho
sixteen feet six inches, while the height from the
miisonary to the top will bo twenty-three, feet.
It is estimated, that the weight of the bridge will
be one ton and a half per toot, making an aggregate
weight «f 2,835 tons, or 5,070,000 pounds. The
contractors are Messrs. Ti|icr & Shilfler, of Pitts
burgh, who are pushing the work forward as rap
idly ns possible. The work of erection will bo
commenced about the last of this month, and it
is expected that the first span will be cempleted
during the present season.
We copy the above from tlio Pittsburgh Com
mercial, of the 17th inst. One of the contractors
mentioned is Capt. John L. Piper, formerly of this
place. The channel span—32o feet long was
cast at the foundty of the Penn’a R. B. Co., in
this place.
A. Kkvengk.—Col. Dan McCook,
of the 5-d Ohm regiment, has destroyed the homo
of the murderer of his brother. Brigadier General
McCook, who .was butchered while lytng wonnded
m an The avenging brother left not
one stone upon another, and made it a place of des
olation. The house was near Huntsville, Alabama.
Proclamation by the President.
Wa*hdwTo», Oct. 17, 1863.
By the President of the Uxm;u State* or
America
Whereas, the term of service of a pan of the
volunteer forces of the United States will expire
during the coming year; and whereas, in addition
to the men raised by the present draft, it is deemed
expedient to call out three hundred thousand vol
unteers to serve for three years or the war. not,
however, exceeding: three years.
.Vote there.fore, 1, Abraham Lincoln, President
of the United States, and commander-in-chief of
the Army and Navy thereof; and of the militia of
the several States when called into active service,
do issue this my proclamation calling upon the
Governors of the different States to raise and hate
enlisted into the United States service for the va
rious companies and regiments in the fields from
their respective States, their quotas of three hun
dred thousand men,
I farther proclaim, that all volunteers thus called
ont and duly' enlisted, shall receive advance pay,
premiums and bounty as heretofore .communicated
to the Governors of States by the War Depart
ment through the Provost Marshal General’s office
by special letters.
1 farther proclaim that all volunteers received
under this call, as well as all others not heretofore
credited, shall be duly credited on and deducted
from the quotas established for the next draft.
I farther proclaim that if any State shall fail to
raise the quota assigned to it by the War Depart
ment under this call, then the said quota shall be
made on said State or on the districts of said
State for their due proportion of said quota, and
the sajd draft shall. commence on the Ist dav of
January, 1864. .
And I further proclaim, that nothing in this
proclamation shall interfere with existing orders,
or those which may be issued for the present draft
in the states where it is now in progress or where
it has not yet commended. The quotas for the
•States and districts will; be assigned by the War
Department through the Provost Marshal Gene
ral’s office, due regard being had for the men
heretofore furnished, whether by volunteering or
drafting, and the recruiting will be conducted in
accordance with such instructions as have been
issued by the department.
In issuing this proclamation, I address myself
not only to the Governors, of the several States,
but also to the good and loyal people thereof, in
voking them to lend their willing, cheerful and
effective aiu to the measures thus adopted, with a
view to reinforce our victorious armies now in the
field and bring our needful operations to. a pros
perous end ; thus Closing forever the fountains of
seditious and civil war.
In witness whereof I have hcrennto set my hand
and caused the seal of the United States'* to be
affixed.
t —' —- Done at the city of Washington, this
<J l s [• seventeenth day of October, in the year
1 —- —' ot our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three, and of the inde|tcndence of the
United States the eightv-eighth.
By the President, ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Wm H. Seward, Secretary of State.
Whose Father was He ?
Alter the battle of Gettysburg, a Union soldier
was found in a secluded spot on the field, where,
wounded, he had lain himself down to die. In his
hands, lightly clasped, was an ambrotype contain
ing the portraits of three small children, and iqion
this picture his eyes, set in death, rested. The last
object upon which the dying father looked was the
image of bis children, and as he silently , gazed
upon them his soul passed away. How touching !
how solemn 1 What pen can describe the emotions
of this patriot-father as be gazed upon these chil
dren, so soon to be made orphans! Wounded and
alone, the din of battle still sounding in his ears,
be lies down to die. His last thoughts and prayers
are for his family. He has finished his work on
earth; his last battle has been fought; he has
freely given his life to his country; and now,
while his life's blood is ebbing, he clasps in his
hands the image of his children, and, commending
them to the God of the fatherless, rests bis last
lingering look upon them. ! ”
When, after the battle, the dead were being bu
ried this soldier was thus found. The ambrotype
was taken from his embrace, and has since been
sent to this city for recognition. Nothing else was
found upon his person by which he might be iden
tified. His grave has been: marked, however, so
that if by any means this ambrotype will lead to
his recognition he can be disinterred. This picture
is now in the possession of Dr. Bourns, No. 1104
Spring Garden street, of this city, who can be called
upon or addressed in reference to it! The children,
two boys and a girl, are, apparently, nine, seven
and five years of age, the hoys being respectively
the oldest and youngest of the three. The young
est boy is sitting in a high chair, and on each side
of him are bis brother and sister. The oldest boy’s
jacket is made from the same material as his sister’s
dress. These are the most praminent : featnres of
the group. It is earnestly desired that all the
papers in the country will draw attention to the
discovery of this' picture and its attendant circum
stances, so that, if possible, the family of the dead
hero may come into possession of it. Of what
inestimable value will it be to these children, pro
ving, as it does, that the last thoughts of their dying
father was for them, and them only.—lqnirer.’
A \Var Incident.—A correspondent of the
Bloomington Pantograph relates an amusing inci
dent which took place at the capture of Little Rock,
Arkansas. A Confederate surgeon, by the name
of Crosdell, got beastly drnnk, and took a room
in a city.hotel and went to sleep. In the mean-'
time ourj men drove the rebels through the town in
complete rout, and; took possession of the place.
Several of onr officers put up at the same hotel.
After awhile the surgeon awoke from his slumbers
and came down stairs, in front of the hotel.
‘‘Come,” said he to the Officers, “ let’s go out to
camp.” « Whaf camp ?” says one officer. “ Dob
bins, of course." “'What command (Joyon belong
to ?” says reb. to Gen. : Steele. The latter ex
plained.' “ Well, ” Says the surgeon, “it brats Rip
Van Winkle that a man 'cannot go to sleep in the
Confederate States without waking up in the
United States I”
Since then he has taken the oath and gone to
St. Louis; thinks C. S. A. a poor government for
a sleepy man—or any ptljer man.
Not * Paper PheaOiieii—Dr. Guthrie, the
eloquent Scotch Divine, is not a /tofxrpreacher, it
would seem, from the following remarks, made
just before delivering an address in behalf of a be
nevolent institution:—“l see” said the doctor,
“by the bills that they haveannouneed that I am
to lecture. Now, I never lectured, in the proper
sense of the word, but once in all my days. I
never read on the pulpit, and I never read on the
platform. Why, its like a than dancing in chains.
It is to me the most, disagreeable thing in the
world. How can yon got a man’s heart by read
ing? The thing is perfectly preposterous. 'Ki\ncv
a man paying his addresses to a lady, and ho be
ginsljy taking out his spectacles, wijies them care
fully and puts them on his nuse, and begins to read
a pajier which he has carefully prepared, contain
ing a declaration of his sentiments toward her;
do you think that lady wbuld not ring the bell, if
she had One, and order him put of her presence ?”
W" A Good anecdote is told of Gen. Grant.
After the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson he
was pressed by the Treasury Department to au
thorize some system of trade. He at last con
ceded that a certain amount of commerce in the
recaptured district of the South' would be safe,
proper and even highly useful to the Union, pro
vided only it wag conducted through honest un
impeachable Union hands. ]He was asked to
name the person whom lie would be willing to
trust. His reply was, “I will do no such thing,
for if I did it wotdd appear in.' less than a week
that I was a partner of every one of the persons
trading under mv authority.
Battle near Catlett’s Sta*ti 0n
Nbw Vobk, October, 16—The 7„
resiwideiice Iron, the' Army of the p * l ' ,)f
dated the Uth, says: The ekiemy
Berate and nnsnecessftd attempt* to day • | K
this army in detail, and destroy our train. "I’
both moat signally failed. Jim at da- l.n.'.i "" "
tween Catlett's station and a barn, lien . ! '‘
“ DtlA • **• Hill made a simultaneous ' tll,n
Gen. Gregg s cavalry force and the 2d U| ""
Almost the first intimation given oi their ,* n
was the opening of the batteries upon the m " ,v
Our troops were speedily in position ‘l7 n r
enemy were repulsed with considerable ],*“
Late in the afternoon General Hill m .
other dash to cut off the second con* p a "
attacked the rear of the 3th cavalry. killirJ" t ' ,r '
of .the Pennsylvania Reserves, and w,L T
fifteen or twenty more. When the head !■' 1
second corps had reached Kettle Bnn, near' i,.
ton’s Hill made a terrible onslaught ~,, ,
corps. The second corps was on the east '
thexailnoad track, and used the rood embankn
several points for breastworks, with dechiM U '
vantage. ™ :, >i-
The enemy charged at one time up to the
bankment. when a portion of the second ew "
charged in turn, capturing 700 or 800 ,„s
1 and one battery. Several charges were maj,""""’
each time the enemy was forced back with ’ a,hl
slaughter, leaving their killed and
our hands. m
A rapid artillery fire was kept up on both ,
until long after dark, when the enemy cave
and retired. I have not been able to nk, ■ U| ’
full list of the killed and wounded, hut it a ‘ n *
large. Capt. Ball, of the 3d Minn., J'f'
in three places, and under the most .u-eru i
circumstances When the enemv chawed
the railroad, and finding themselves i„ a 1,1
ous place, they waved their hands in token of
render. At this instant Capt. Ball spr-uu, "" r
the embankment, and a volley was firej ~ “ l *‘"
three shots taking effect. Tim Minnesoiia,:.
turned the fire, and many rebels suffered demii
m retaliation for the. act of treachery
Our trains are all safe. There was some .r
tillery practice this morning near the Kap,*hT n
nock Station, but without much damage T?’
Ist Maine atvalry, Colonel Smith, which was Z
off on Monday night near Jefferson, crossed ,
Rappahannock; and reached Bristow Statu,,, ,
Tuesday night. The regiment escaped
loss of a squad to communicate wi ,, a
Genera Gregg,.about twenty in all. o n ‘
behaved handsomely. 1 ■'
_ The following is an additional list of casualties
Killed — Colonel James h. Matron (I'M j; v
enmmanding 3d biigade, 2d division »d t .o ris
VVonnded—Cajlt. S. N. S.uitli, 7th MiohL,
Inspector General of General Webb’s stall •
Krank Wessils Judge Advocate, 2d division 'm
corps.; Capt. Thomas Sinclair, Ist Minn,, slightly
l -’th Minnesota, one killed, and twelve wounded
Ist Minnesota one killed none wounded, and on
missing; 82d New York, seven killed and t j .[
teen wounded. All of the above were in '
brigade, 2d division.
The csaualties in the 3d brigade, 3d divW.«
were 46 killed, 85 wounded ami 33 missing, | M
the 4th brigade, 3 division, the loss was i ( J
wounded and missing Mam of the latter al ,
expected to return.
Sikgclak Case of Mistaken Identity —ln
the battle of Gettysburg there was engaged with
the Union forces a young man, whose parents re-'
side in Birmingham. It was announced that
was among the killed in that sanguinary light,
and his friends proceeded to the hattle-tield t,
cover his remains. After some difficulty, thn
managed to recover >*hat they were posinVe was
bis body, and brought it home and had it interred
in the family' burying ground. A few nights sitae,
the house of the parents was visited by a voting
mnn from the army, who aroused the' household.
On entering the house what was the surprise nud
pstonishment of the parents to discover in their
visitor their deeply mourned son, whose remains
they fancied were resting quietly in the cemetery.
It tnrned out that the body brought on and inter
red here was that of a rebel, who wore in the hat
tie an United States uniform, and whose resem
blance to the Union soldier was a verv striking
one.
A Union Gibl Down in Dixie. — A corre>-
pondent from fhe 13th Wisconsin, (now at Steven
son, Ala.,) writes as follows: “At Pine Factories
and Pulaski, cloth fabrics are produced ; and at
the latter place we saw a great number of fair,
young faces peering from the factory windows, a,
we marched by with colors flying and bands pla\ -
ipg “’ Way down South, in the Land of Cotton,
Sc. One yonng lady stood at the gate in from of
her home, evidently not an uninterested spectator.
A soldier pointed to the National flag, and asked
her how she liked it. She replied. “ That is the
flag that I love; who would fear death fighting
under its folds?” An old man standing behind her,
under the porch, sank into a chair and wept. We
passed on, and shall never know more of the 1 old
man or that beautiful maiden ; but they doubtless
have a history that is worth knowing."'
; O* Lutheranism in Pennsylvania.—The follow
ing figures show the condition of the Lutheran
church in this State: Number of ministers, 121:
congregations, 275; communicants, 50,513; infant
baptisms, 7,920; adnlt baptisms, 227; confinua
tions, 3,394; parochial schools, 18; Sabbath
schools, (Lutheran,) 81; (Union,) 200; scholars,
18,195; Synodical treasure - , $263,52; Benefi
ciary Education, $782,53;'H0me and Foreign
Missions, $30,067,01; Pastors, Widows and Or
phans, $219,79.
R. A. 0. KERR,
ALTOONA, PA.,
AGENT for Blair, Cambria, Clearfield,
Centre and Huntingdon counties, for the following
lines of
TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN EUROPE AXD TUK
UNITED STATES:
Montreal Line of Steamships.
Galway “ V
Sabel A Searles* Line of Sailing Packets.
Washington Line “ * k
Great Eastern Steamship.
Parties desiring to bring their friends from Europe, or
( wishing to take an excursion to that country, cao secure
Tickets at the same rates as are cbArgwl at the Otticei»f
the different Lines at the starting points. E'<*°rwon
Tickets for the round trip are sold at reduced rutt**.
Oct. 7.1863-om,
VALUABLE PROPERTY FOR SALK
The subscriber offers at Private Sale
a -valuable-property, situate on Branch St.,
Bast Altoona, immediately opposite theßHg I ||#
Machine Sbopa.
The house is well built and nearly new,£H|MHß
and contains
Fifteen Rooms with Good Cellars.
II i« calculated for THREE FAMILIES, and at tluMud<t
reasonable terms will bring $3O per month rent. Then* 1 4
a Vrell of good water In the yard. Terms easy.
Apply to MICHAEL WYROUGUf on the premise, or
to JAMES KEAKNEY, at hi-store, In East Altoona.
July 28, 1863-tf.
—Notice is hereby given that
-LI the following resolution was adopted at a late
log of the Board of Managers of the Altoona Hall anJ
Market Company
Rtsclveii That the second instalment of 10 per mil. uo
the stock subscribed for, be made payable on the 20th
djiy. of the present month, (May; and that the balance of
the subscription be made payable in monthly instalment''
p «f; 10 per cent each, oh the 15th day of each mccwhll**
month, untll the whole amount is paid lu. v
Persons wishing to take stock in the company can sum
be accommodated, thore being a few shares yet unsold.
Altoona, May 19tb.-tf. R p. BOSB, IVrumw-
LEWISTOWI MILLS,
LEWISTOWN PA.
FLOUR AND FEE i» OF ALL KINDS
nlwayron hand and for sole »t tha lowest m» r ‘"
prfcM. ~..
Orders It, mail will receive our special and pfoeipt
tenOoo, W. B. MoATEKR * BON,
Sept.l6. 1863-an. Proprietors,
V "IRE AT FILES OF PANTALOONS
VT fur Hen and Boys, at tAUOHMAJi -
Altoona ®rihw
fntfai ft CfßpMTi SCSt “Cfilhr) taft.”
tribune power-pr
5* '
PRINTING OFFICE.
lUTthg* within the paet two yearn. m«*ie ounshfe
, i titioato our establishment iu the way of new
i » u.\ JJcrew Press, Paper Cotter. Can) Cutter. KuUu
•itiue* Card* Power Prem#, and large Newspaper I
out of which we give abovp) wcate now pn
roeaecuta anything in the line i»f printing or rnl
t „tyh> equal to any establishment in the State., i
nrice* equally low. We call,execute, on short ouii
,tj,)«•<>* . 1
Wadding. Imitation, Visiting, Ball * Businas* C
Circular*#, Programmen,
mammoth posters, same Bit.
mu* m®
pamphlets. Pay and Cheek B<
BLANK BOOKS,
manifests, and blanks of all im
Ati we a*k i> a trial, feeling confident that we ea
.Aiiafitotion if we have the Opportunity.
iirtlce in Lowther’s building, corner of Virginia ai
IMI . atroets, opposite Superintendent’* Ofilve.
LOCAL ITEMS.
blaib county kiiEctio:
Official R«turn«—lBoB.
Governor y S. Judge.
ji i j ►[ n *i si «
11 ? | . i j i : s j i
?lrs J.'f 11-1
?!V? ? r «
ioa ? 1
MBTUCTB.
163 j 21S
lIS I 1»
112 107
120 123
isoi iso
aw • 114
187! 128
78 81 76
A liuons, K. W-,
•• W.W,
“ N. WL 1
M.illlil'g, K. W„
w. w., S
A hill*,
Allegheny
Ul.iir,
i alhnrin* r IW'i 76; _99. lii«V DU 75 liv<
t'nMdow, io» ; 6s; tn»
Im .Ulkrttowll, : 230 1 00 J 231 ■ l ' t 227 01 231
linywiort, . 04 00i 60. !«i 43 llui m>
limmHeld. 140 i 103 139! 104 r 130 104: tin
lliuton. i Uli 145 151; 131. 151 U.V : 151
Juniata. , 52! 87; 50. SO. 44 03. 5o
346! 190 345! 104 341 ! UH! 340
<„ vt iet. 159 991 150 ! 00 150. 102 157
Tyrone, v 1451 40 1 144; ,4T 143 47; 14<
l;ivU;r, 107 : 03 107 ! 03; 107 03 .0.
TyrOno Bor., ! . 91; 42 SO; 44 : S 7 0,5 y.
UtHMlberrv, | ; 247' 111 247 112 243. 11.! 215
V Wcellyrry, j 1301 104 128: IK. 130 104 I2n
'StfslsW 32ft9'341&i3150:2305 3254
I Co. Onh. \l\mrDir. Audit
H I »H ’
i I I
:= ■ e
a;* , ;
districts.
Allow* 8.W5,. U 1 313 149; 3Ui 130 2lu'
W. W.. 109 Hi; 113: m 112 112
N. W„ 90 91 91 90 97 ; 92
ll.illhl’li, E. \\\ 119 130 123: 126 124; 124
“ W. W„ 128: )52, 129; 1491 129 150
287 113 286, 116! '289 211
133 123 141 : l»f 139 1281
70 1 81 ' 77 S3| 72, 81
99 : 83; 99 70rll8. 7.’
99 , 69 99 69 j 99 u*
226 ; 60 229 . 69
39. 93 56 93 ! 55 94
138 i 105: 138 1051 138 1 l>4
ISO: 145 151 144[ 148; 146
401 88 46 89-1 50 , 89
342: 185 335 189 ! 34» 184
167 r 101 158 100; 157 101
143 47- 142, 44 j 139' 46
168; 62 1861 61 161| 63
87 44i 90 43 89: 44
241; 113; 344 112! 244 114
128 165; 133 161 [l2B. 465:
A UtiB.
Allegheny.
lUair,
iVUliarlnr,
Freedom.
liiuikiteWH,
Uaysport,
Ureeofleld,
Huston,
Juniata,
l.ugnit,
Suyilor,
Tyrone,
Taylor, »
Tyrone Bor.
Wood berry,'
\. WoodbeVry
1 1 3215123U 1 :3203|23r2iu»;4i»0i
RECAPtTULiTION.
The following is a recapitulation of the vo
this county for State arid County officers, w
will prove convenient for future reference:
Governor.
Curtin
Woodward
Supreme Judge.
Agnaw...
Lowrie,.,
Assembly.
McMortne.
I 'rawford...
District Attorney.
Keatley
Stewart
Commissioner,
Hewitt.
Inert....
Director o f the Poor,
Jones
Buchanan
Auditor, 3 years,
Knox..., I;
H011and........
Auditor , I yeor.
licet!
NT Well, the long agony is over. The cl
lion passed off remarkably quiet in this pi
there being no demonstrations in the way
assault and battery, and but little yelling for i
didatos. until the news began to pass over
w ires, when the friends of the successful candh
for Governor became somewhat jubilant and v
mred to halloo a little, thinking themselves on
ihe woods. We did not observe any persons
<lie polls with a ballot in one baud’and a revo
in the other, neither have we heard ot any of
bloody riots predicted to come off on election i
"ur did die military, so far as we ean learn, it
fere with the free and independent voters ot
Sta«9| by appearing at the polls in martial at
Those who did appear at the joHs, carried
them and deposited with the officers, wca
more patent, considering the occasion, for pu
down the rebellion and threatening traitors,
artillery and bayonets could possibly have bee
Thakks.—We arc indebted to our old fr
John Anderson, of Logan township, for a d
°f the fines* potatoes, taken as a lot, that we
over seen in this “ neck o’ timber." They i
eonsMjerably over a peck by measure. Tm
*hem weighed almost two pounds each.
wepe sound as gold dollars and mealy as a
bsg- If thiy can be beat we would like to w
P**®’ *boi would do it.
Oneokl Sinking Valley friend, Joe Me
■Ppeara determined that {he printers dial] I
Sinjed.s** the same “■porky” trick 01
tporpiog, that be did the Saturday
». e. left os several yards of. excellent sa
hfctwiibt been able to procure the buck
:rV W#ietsgar'» sausages find AnfennnV
”, »Te not’to be ‘‘sneeaed at.”
rltifmMy'i
152 213 iao: 211 1«
118 12B| 115 ns «u
ioo no, 93’ w »
l«j 120: 128: 119 12
1281 151 f la 148 IS
290 115 ' 257 m 2»
150 84: 144’ 12S 15
;; Ta so: ;
T *<•
.3283
238 t;
.325!*
.2418
.3180
.2395
.3257
.2343
.3215
.2884
.3203
.2872
.2974
.2405
.2984