The globe. (Huntingdon, Pa.) 1856-1877, February 10, 1858, Image 1
TERNS OF THE GLOBE. Per annum in advance Six months Three months A. failure to notify a discontinuance at the expiration of the term subscribed for will bo considered a now engage ment. TERMS OF ADVERTISING sour lines or less,— ....... . One square, (12 1ine5,)...... Two squares, Three squares, Over three week and less than three months, 25 cents per square for each insertion. 3 months. 6 months. 12 months. Six lines or less, $1 50 $3 00 $5 00 One square, 3 00 5 00 7 00 Two squares, 5 00 8 00 10 00 Three squares, ' 700 10 00 15 00 Four squares, 0 00 13 00 20 00 Half a column, 12 00 16 00 24 00 One column, 20 00 30 00 50 00 Professional and Business Cards not exceeding four lines, bite year, p 00 Administrators' and Executors' Notices, $1 75 Advertisements not marked with the number of inser tions desired, will be continued till forbid and charged ac tording to those terms. Eleventh Annual Report of the Pennsyl vania Railroad Company. OFFICE OF THE PENNA.. R. It. CO., Piuu., Jan. 30,1857 To the Stockholders of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company :—At the time of your last annual meeting, the business of the com pany and the condition of the country were highly prosperous. Every indication pointed to the continuance of financial ease during the year, and the uninterrupted prosperity of your enterprise. Apprehensions, it is true, were felt that the large individual and cor porate indebtedness - of every section of the country would, in time, lead to a monetary crisis ; but there was no expectation that it would come so suddenly or be marked by such unprecedented violence. Now that it has in a great measure passed, we can dis cover no sufficient reason for the intensity of the panic. Its effects are familiar to all, and it is to these it is due that you failed to re receive your usual semi-annual dividend in November last. The profits of the company were sufficient to justify a reasonable divi dend at that time, but they had been invest ed in the construction and equipment of the road, under the impression that a sale of your second mortgage bonds would enable us to replace them in season to meet the legitimate expectations of the shareholders. The near-' ly total prostration of corporate and individ ual credits throughout the country, in No vemht,r, prevented the accomplishment of this object. Between placing the credit of the Company in jeopardy, or the sacrifice of its securities, and the temporary inconvenience of 43 ome of its shareholders, the Board could not hesitate. • The permanent interests of all the stock holders, which it was their duty to consult, have doubtless been promoted by the course adopted. Sound policy dictated that, under the circumstances, all of the means of the Company should be directed to the reduction of its unfunded liabilities. These, we have the gratification to inform you, have been met to an extent that renders certain the payment of a dividend in May next. The Board have resolved to further reduce the floating or unfunded debt, which does not exceed five per cent. on the capital stock paid at the present time, to three per cent., and thereafter not allow it to exceed this limit.— As the accounts of the Company, after mak ing ample deduction for the contingent or re newal fund, will justify , the payment of the suspended dividend, it has been urged that this should be divided among the sharehold ers, in scrip convertible into bonds or stock of the Company at par. As neither of these methods of payment could be resorted to without operating injuriously upon the sale of the securities of the Company, the sugges tion has not been adopted. At a later period, however, it may be advisable to make this disposition of these profits. It will be seen from the settlement of the Treasurer, annexed to this report, that there has been received in payment from share holders in the capital stock of the Company up to Januaryl, 1858 : And from loans, Balance of interest and dividend duo to stock holders and State tax on coupons unpaid, Balance remaining to credit of contingent and renewal fund, Balance of profits for the years 1856 and 1557 (seo Treasurer's report) Amount of bonds duo State of Pennsylvania for purchase of main Hue of public works, 7,500,000 00 Which has been expended as follows Eastern division, $5,651,363 07 Western division, 7,738,373 77 Second track, 3,955,143 34 Foremen's, workmen's and tool houses, 89,466 93 Now office building, Pliilada., 70,414 10 shop machinery, 204,153 29 Telegraph line, 45,264 28 Locomotives, 1,345,051 30 Freight cars, 1,018,357 52 Passenger cars, 181,953 68 Road cars, 33,930 Cl Extension of Penny simile rail road to Pittsburg and Steu benville railroad, Amount, $20,356,167 37 Balance of profits of road No vember 1, 1855, after paying interest to stockholders, cred ited to cost of construction, as required by the charter of the Company, Cost of road and outfit, &c., 19,766,981 53 Cost of the Main Line of the Public Works,purchased from the State of Pennsylvania, 7,500,000 00 Total cost of roads and canals belonging to the Company, 27,266,981 58 Subscriptions to Western rail- • roads, and stock dividends from same, 1,666,050 00 Bonds of municipal and other corporations, 142,952 50 Bills and accounts receivable, 714,944 81 Balance in bands of agents, 234,660 23 Balance in hands of Treasurer, December 31, 1857, 252,662 61 $30,278,251 73 The earnings of the road during the year, as reported by the General Superinten dent were, $4,855,669 76 From which deduct tolls paid for use of other roads, as fol lows :----Philadelphia and Co lumbia (State) Railroad, to July 31, $239,395 97 Harrrisburg & Lancaster R. R. 224,249 71 Northern Central R. R., 46,901 17 Philadelphia City 11. R., 5,303 99 Leaving the business of the Pennsylvania Railroad proper, $4,339,828 02 From this deduct transportation expendi ture and tonnage duties, Leasing the surplus earnings of the road for 1857, $1,854,926 86 From which deduct the following items, not included in the statement of the Gene ral Superintendent: Interest on Funded Debt, as it stood Jan. 1, 1858, which Is more tkan it averaged for the year, $444,775 46 Expenses of general office, &c., 35,430 94 State tax paid on stock & bonds, 55,506 42 Balance of rent account, 25,513 07 Did in interest on bills payable and receivable, say, 34,000 00 Five months of accrued interetst on purchase of Main Line, . Jan. 1, 156,250 00 T / here is a balance of $1,100,150 95 which is more than - for a dividend of eight percent. wz a 4111 of the Com ,fl- • - • .1 Pa The high price that prevailbedUring .the year for labor and materials, aided ,to the large amount of expenditure incurred for iron 'Airs, cross ties, and bridge repairs, would $1 50 75 . 50 1 insertion. 2 do. 3 do. ....$ 25 $ 3734 $ 50 50 75 1 00 .... 1 00 1 50 2 00 1 50 2 25 3 00 $13,206,625 00 8,190,523 71 30,281 96 371,515 76 979,272 17 $30;2.78,251 73 2,606 06 689,185 70 $515,810 84 2,484,902 08 754,775 91 WILLIAM LEWIS, VOL. MIL seem to render any additional allowance for deterioration unnecessary ; but if we place the " contingent and renewal fund" $175,- 677, there would still remain a nett profit of $924,473 95, which is equivalent to a divi dend of seven per cent, upon the present cap ital of the company. The tables appended to the report of the General Superintendent exhibit the earnings and expenses of the road in detail. It will be seen by reference to these, that the whole number of passengers conveyed during the year between Harris burg and Pittsburgh is equivalent to 143,613 passing over the whole length of the road, showing a„decrease, as compared with 1856, of 5040 passengers, and a decrease in receipts for first class passengers of $9735, and for emigrants $1395. Upon the Harrisburg and Lancaster Rail road, (leased by this Company,) the equiva lent through passengers, adding the number carried over the Columbia branch of that road an equivalent distance, was 140,329, being 3284 less than the equivalent through pas sengers on the Pennsylvania Railroad, show ing the local business of the Pennsylvania Railroad, though traversing a mountainous region, intersected by rich valleys, to be great er than that of its associate, though passing, for its whole length, through the wealthy and populous countleo of Dauphin and Lancaster. The equivalent through passengers on the Harrisburg and Lancaster road previous to the commencement of the Pennaylvania Rail road, ten years since, was but 51,568 ; and on the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, but 65,751. The equivalent through passen gers on the latter road, in 1856, was 207,086. Should the travel upon these lines increase with the same rapidity for the next ten years, the prospects of our Company will fully equal the expectations of those who have formed the most sanguine anticipations of its future. The gross earnings of the road for freight, during the year, were $3,376,516 26 ; being an increase over the year 1856, of $132,284 69. The through business amounted to 172, 072 tons, and the local, iniyluding coal, to 358,347 tons—an increase of 6,910 on the through, and 69,418 on the local tonnage.— The aggregate tonnage for the year was 530,- 420 tons, in which is included 200,392 tons of gas and other coals, carried in the cars of the Company. In addition to this there were 296,297 tons of freight transported in the cars of individuals, of which 97,619 tons of coal were delivered in Pittsburgh. The year 1858 will be the first under which the whole line, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, will be operated by this Compa ny, and from this period the accounts of the Company will be kept so as to be of greater value for future reference in exhibiting the development of the traffic of the line. On the first day of August last, in con formity with the terms of purchase, sanc tioned by your vote on the 23d of July, the Main Line of Public Works was transferred, by proclamation of the Governor of the Com monwealth, to this Company. The price required to be paid for the works was $7,500,000, in the bonds of this Company, bearing five per cent. interest, the State relinquishing her reserved right to pur chase the Pennsylvania Railroad. Of these bonds, $lOO,OOO are payable on the 31st day of July, 1858, and $lOO,OOO annually there after until July 31, 1890, when the payments will be at the rate of $1,000,000 per annum until the whole amount is paid, excepting the last payment falling due July 31, 1894, amounting to $300,000. The terms of the bill of sale have been fully complied with, and the bonds of the Company for the amounts required delivered to the Treasurer of the State. Appended to this report will be found a statement, marked A, showing the amount of principal due on the 31st day of July of each year, and the amonnt of interest paya ble each half year. It is seen that, under the gradual extinguishment of the debt to the State, as required by the bill, the amount of interest and instalment of principal due in 1866, is $435,000. If this amount should be set apart annually thereafter to meet interest and principal due each year, and the sur plus, after such payments, applied to a sink ing fund, this fund would be sufficient to meet the remainder of the debt at maturity, if re-invested semi-annually at the rate of only five per cent. per annum. It is proposed to credit profit and loss ac count with the reduction of the principal of the debt, when paid from the resources of the Company, after it shall amount to a. divi dend of one per cent. upon its capital, and divide the same among the stockholders, in scrip convertible into the stock of the Com pany. The price required for these works is much more than they were worth to the State or than could have been safely paid for them by any other purchaser, expecting to comply with the terms of sale. The accep tance of these terms by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company is justified by the greater efficiency with which the whole line between Philadelphia and Pittsburg could be opera ted when placed under one control—an effi ciency, which the close competition between the four East and West lines, in price, speed and accommodation, rendered a paramount consideration. The purchase embraces 104 miles of canal on the west, and 181 miles (including the Swatara feeder, two and a half miles long,) on the east side of the Allegheny mountain ; 37 miles of railway, part double and part single track, between Johnstown and Holli daysburg ; 80 miles of double track railroad between Philadelphia and the Susquehanna river ; together with all the real estate, loco motives, cars, and all other property . con nected with, or in anywise appertaining thereto. The canals purchased were found to be in a very dilapidated condition, having, in addi tion to a neglect of necessary annual repairs, suffered much from the frequent freshets of the past spring. Very little progress had been made in repairing these breaches, when the line was transferred to this Company. The railroad between Hollidaysburg and Johnstown possesses no value, except what is due to the material of which its track is constructed. t.• Z . j.;!• ;;V. The condition of the Philadelphia and Co lumbia Railroad and its fixtures was found to be scarcely more favorable than that of the canals ; and the expenditures required at once to place them in good order have neces sarily been heavy, all of which have been charged to current expenses. It appears that nothing except the daily supplies necessary to keep the trains in mo tion was purchased by those in charge of this road, for its operation and maintenance, after the passage of the Sale bill. After the sale the articles on hand then purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, were used to work and repair the road until its de livery, on the first of August, a period of thirty-six days, while the receipts of all of the works were appropriated to the use of the original owners, leaving a just claim for indemnification on the part of this Company. In the repairs of this road during the five months, ending December 31, 1857, that it has been in our possession, $54,291 have been expended for iron rails, $29,269 for ties, chairs, frogs, spikes, and for repairs of bridges, and $3,605 for the renewal and re pairs of water stations, for which no expen ditures were made by the State for the pre vious seven months. We refer to this subject in explanation of what would otherwise appear to be a heavy outlay upon this portion of the road—now known as the Philadelphia Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The tracks of this division at present are in good order, but they will require more than their due pro portion of iron to maintain them in like con dition for the next twelve months. The ordinary running expenses of this portion of the line have been largely curtail ed, and will be further reduced as circum stances permit. By reference to the tabular statements ap pended to this report, it will be seen that the gross earnings of the canal portion of the main line during the five months (from August Ist, 1857, to December 31st, 1857) amounted to $92,996 04, and the cost of re pairs and maintenance during the same peri od was $73,190 10, leaving the sum of $19,- 775 94, as the nett earnings of the same for the period above stated. It is proper, how ever, to remark that the earnings up to the close of navigation in 1857, will be all ex pended in preparing the works for the open ing of the navigation in the spring. Upon the remainder of the line the in creased expenditures are mainly due to the increased tonnage transported, except for the items of iron rails, chairs, spikes, cross ties and repairs of bridges, all of which are approaching the maximum of deterioration, and will not hereafter be very materially ex ceeded upon the same length of tracks. The amount expended for these items during 1857, was $220,673, of which $83,560 was on the Philadelphia Division of the road.— The amount expended in 1856, for the same items, was $47,125. The prevailing low price of labor and ma terials will be sensibly felt during the year 1858, in reduction of expenses, and we think that they will fully compensate for any antici pated decrease in the buisiness of the road. Very little progress has been made with the second track during the year. The amount now laid on the western division, which ex tends from Pittsburg to Altoona, a distance of 117 miles, is 92 miles. There is, also, on this division, 13 miles of sidings and a branch to Indiana, containing 20 miles of single track On the eastern division, from Altoona to Harrisburg, 132 miles, the length of sec ond track laid is 70 miles, and 12i miles of sidings. The branch from Altoona to Hol lidaysburg, 8 miles in length, including si dings, is equivalent to . 10 miles in single track. The sum necessary to complete the entire double track, and substituting iron for the present wooden bridges, except the Susque hanna bridge, is estimated at $1,088,396 36. The facilities now afforded for operating a sin gle track, by the aid of the telegraph system, renders it less important to continue the ex penditure for this object, until the buisiness of the line shows some considerable increase. Additional warehouse room is required for the accommodation of the freighting buisiness of the road. The accommodations for pas sengers at the stations on the line are yet de ficient, particulary upon that portion recen tly purchased of the Commonwealth, and at Pittsburg. The erection of a suitable sta tion at the latter point has been delayed chief ly in consequence of the uncertain movements of our western connections. It has been our wish to bring all of the roads with which we connect at Pittsburg into one station, for - which this Company has provided ample grounds. The causes that have delayed the commencement of this station house, will, we think, soon be overcome, when arrangements for its erection will be made. The expectations expressed in the last an nual report of the board in relation to an early connection with the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad have not been realised. That Company has, however, after much de lay, succeeded in placing its eastern termi nus on the Pittsburg side of the Allegheny river ; but owing to the interposition of mu nicipal objections to the passage of Penn St., their road has not yet been connected with that of this company. These difficulties we trust will soon be overcome, and the incon veniences to which passengers have been sub jected at Pittsburg, obviated. The transfer of passengers from wide to narrow cars at Harrisburg still continues, in consequence of. delays attending the procure ment from Councils of the privilege of in creasing the space between the tracks of the Philadelphia city railroad. An alteration in the height of the tunnel on the Harrisburg and Lancaster road is also important to effect this object. That company has consented to make this change during the ensuing spring.. As soon as these alterations are made the in convenience referred to will cease, and the charges on our route be reduced below those of any other line to the West, The rolling stock upon the Pennsylvania Railroad, consists at the close of the year, of 216 freight and passenger locomotives. 54 wide passenger cars. HUNTINGDON, PA. -PERSEVERE.- FEBRUARY 10, 1858, 14 narrow do. • 31 emigrant cars. 18 baggage cars, with mail appartmentq. 9 do without do. 188 eight wheeled stock cars. 1264 eight wheeled house cars for general merchandise 109 four wheeled house cars for general merchandise. 292 eight wheeled lumber, coal or wood trucks. 92 four wheeled coal cars. Th outfit is deemed sufficient to meet any demand that can arise during the present year. It has been the policy of this Company to aid in the construction of western railways, designed to facilitate trade to and from its road, and to avoid the serious inconvenience and loss to its freighting business, from the uncertain character of the navigation of the Ohio river. With this object in view, assis tance has been extended to the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and. Chicago, the Steubenville and Indiana, and the Marietta and Cincin nati Railroad Companies. The two first named works have, to a con siderable extent, met the objects for which the investment was made, but neither have yet succeeded in obtaining such connexions as would have justified the expenditures that have been made on their account. The continuation of the Pittsburgh and Fort Wayne road to Chicago, and an inde pendent line from Steubenville to Pittsburgh, seem to be essential to give to them the abil ity to repay us for the expenditures incurred, or prove profitable to their shareholders.— We expected to have been able, ere this, to report that these objects have been accom plished, but the continued financial embaras ments of the country have prevented the pro curement of the means required for that pur pose. Arrangements are now in progress, which it is believed will lead to the completion of these connections. When flushed, they will secure to this Company all the indirect ad vantages anticipated from their construction; while the lapse of a few years will enable the Companies to relieve themselves from their embarrassments, and make direct returns to their shareholders. Both works occupy fa vorable locations for traffic, and would, but for their inability to procure funds at reason able rates to complete their lines, have proved ere this, profitable investment. The financial difficulties of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad Company have pre vented the extension of its road to a point ' that would render the investment made in its shares by the Company, either dirctly or indirectly, profitable to it. These embar rassments have induced the Directors of that Company to call a meeting of its sharehold ers and creditors, on the 10th day of Febru ary, at which meeting this Company will be duly represented, The advantages anticipated by the stock holders from a connection with this line, would doubtless, have been fully justified by the results, had the subscription, as re commended by the directors, been made con tingent upon the Marietta and Cincinnati Company, securing additional means from other sources, to complete their whole line to Wheeling. The attempt to consolidate the Marietta and Cincinnati Company with the Chartiers Valley and Hempfieid Railroad Companies, alluded to in the last annual report of your Board, was not successful, and we do not think that such a combination, owing to the embarrassed financial condition of all these Companies, would have been attended with useful results. The additional business that has devolved upon the General Superintendent, in conse quence of the acquisition of the State works, and the increased traffic upon the whole line, having proved too great for the close super vision of all the operations of the Company by one head, the Board, at the suggestion of the late General Superintendent, has separa ted the business of the transportation depart ment into two divisions. To one is commit ted the supervision of the active operations of all the sub-departments for working the road, while to the other is given the supervis ion and auditing of all of the accounts of the Company; the first to be known as General Superintendent, and the other as "Controller and Auditor." The office of Controller and Auditor has been filled by the appointment of H. J. Lom bert, Esq., who has so long and successfully managed the whole line as General Superin tendent. The thorough acquaintance pos sessed by this gentleman of railway accounts, and his minute knowledge of the value of all articles of railway consumption, added to his high character for integrity, peculiarly fit him for the post. The position of General Superintendent has been filled by the appointment of Thom as A. Scott, Esq., who has been connected with the transportation department since its organization, and has acted since the opera tions of that department were extended be yond the mountains, as Superintendent of the Western Division. From the successful administration of the duties heretofore con fided to him, the Board has entire confidence that the high reputation of the road for safe ty and the despatch of its business, will be fully preserved, while a comparative release from office duties will enable the General Su perintendent to exercise a larger influence m promoting the economical management of the road. The Board have to regret the loss, by res ignation, during the past year, of three of its members, Messrs. C. E. Spangler, John Farnum, and Geo. W. Carpenter—the two first on account of their private engagements, and the last from bodily affliction, which has for some months deprived the Company of the benefits of his long experience and judi cious counsel. Messrs. Spangler and Car penter were the only remaining members of the original Board at the organization of the Company. These vacancies have been filled by the appointment of Messrs. John Hahne, G. D. Rnsengarton, and Wistar Morris—gen tlmen woll known to this community. I I On Thursday, the 28th ult, in the National House of Representatives, the Hon. Mr. Hick man, the Democratic member from the Sixth Congressional District, composed of Chester and Delaware counties, delivered an able speech in condemnation of that part of the President's Message relative to Kansas affairs. Coming from Pennsylvania, and from a dis trict almost within sight of Wheatland, Mr. Buchanan's place of residence ; and coming from one of the soundest Democrats in the whole Keystone, it will be read by the people throughout the Union with unusual interest. It reflects the old-fashioned Pennsylvania doctrine which all hands subscribe to—which we all feel so much pride in—and which we all regard as the inherent principle of repub lican institutions, introvertible and unassail able. Let us stick to it—cherish it. It is our bulwark—lot us defend it at whatever cost. The following is a slight sketch of Mr Hickman's remarks : " Mr. Hickman, of Pennsylvania, said he was compelled to to dissent from the views of the President on the Kansas question. But his opposition to the President's treatment of Kansas did not arise from any objection to slavery, but it was based on a foundation more plainly understood, namely :—A viola tion of the declared principle of the Kansas Nebraska act. To ask him to support the Lecompton constitution would be to insult him, by casting a suspicion on his integrity. He might stand alone, but he would not part with his free thoughts for a throne. He knew different motives would be attribted to him. If his conduct, bearing immediately or re motely on southern institutions, should subject him to the anathemas of his southern friends, so be it. He should not conceal his senti ments in order to obtain a charitable con structions. The attempt to force the Lecomp ton constitution on an unwilling people by force or fraud, would induce him to resist it. He would grant to his brethren what he claimed for himself, namely, the exercise of their rights in their fullness, conferred by the pure spirit of liberty. This was the golden constitutional rule, sound alike both for in dividuals and States. He strongly denounced the frauds and impositions on the people of Kansas, slavery having been fastened on them in bold defiance of their sacred rights. He could not lend himself to any movement to undermine the foundation ou which legisla tion rests, or falsify the pledges made by Dem ocrats to the people of the country during the last Presidential election. In alluding to the President's message, he said he always knew slavery was a peculiar institution, but never before knew that it embraced all the domes tic institutions, while, by the Kansas-Nebras ka law, the people were to be perfectly free to act in their own way. This doctrine of popular sovereignty is not so popular as it was. It was formerly supposed to mean some thing, giving the people power over all do mestic institutions. But now, as thought by the President, it is to be sweated down to the contemptible dimensions as to whether they shall hold a negro in bonds or not. This is all the extent of popular sovereignty. The case, however, is worse. It is false pretence. The question of slavery could not be voted on, because the proviso to the Lecompton con stitution rendered this impossible, for the reason that it declares slavery shall not be in terfered with as it now exists. And it now exists in Kansas just as firmly as in South Carolina. This was the first time he had learned that that State is a free State, where the institution shall not be disturbed. - Where Democrats arc all bound to support the Le compton constitution, simply because it has the Executive approbation? He should as soon admit a bastard to be a lawful heir, as that constitution to be the representative of the sovereign will of Kansas, with no lawful blood in it. The Kansas Legislature never was a lawful body, and hence the acts ema nating from it were illegal. Ruffianism has there held sway from the beginning to the present time ; and, in order to conceal this from everybody, efforts have been made to conceal the fact. How had it occurred that no Democratic officials were found strong enough to stand the atmosphere of Kansas ? Four Democratic Governors have successively been sent thither, and all have returned telling the same story, and in nearly the same words— that popular sovereignty was crushed out of Kansas. The reply to the question, " What is to be done with those who vote against the Lecomp ton Constitution 7" was given in a Southern newspaper. They are to be branded, have their ears slit, and be then read out of the Democratic party. But care must be taken that too many men of the North are not read out of the organization. He thought that he had a pretty distinct recollection of the ne cessity which existed for strenuous efforts to secure the vote of Pennsylvania for Mr. Bu chanan, and remembered, too, what feeling there was in the South, lest the Presidency should fall on a sectional party. Might he not then inquire why the soldiers in that con test should be slaughtered so unceremonious ly. To support the Lecompton constitution was to support that which was begotten in fraud and brought forth in iniquity. Ile scorned the recommendation to admit Kan sas on the ground of expediency, in the ab sence of right. It was in direct violation and contempt of the pledges which had been made to the people, and violative of the title by which President Buchanan holds his pres ent position. Had the President's annual message been read before the election of 1856, there is no telling how large a major ity there would have been against him. Let Kansas be forced into the Union with the Le compton constitution, and there will be an end of national platforms and the beginning of sectional Presidents. There tire ono hundred and twenty eight counties in the State of Texas. Editor and Proprietor. Speech of Hon. Sohn Hickman Col. Cook's March to join the Utah Ar my—Terrible Suffering. Col. Cook's report to the Adjutant Gener al of the Utah army, of his march from the Missouri to the valley of the Salt take, is full of matter of curious interest. He started in command of six companies of second dra goons; from. Fort Leavenworth; on 17th Sep tember; and his journal ends with his arrival at Fort Bridger on the 19th of November.— He says:— The regiment had been hastily recalled from service in the field, and allowed three or four days only by my then commanding officer to prepare for a march of eleven hun dred miles, over an uninhabited and moun tain wilderness. In that time the six com panies of the regiment who were to compose the expedition were organized; one hundred and tea transfers necessarily made from and to other companies ; horses to be condemned and many to be obtained; the companies paid, and about fifty desertions occurred ; the commanders of four of them changed. I marched them on the 17th. Then it was to be proved that three or four more days were to be lost in waiting for the quarter master's department, to supply the absolutely necessary transportation. On the 18th, 107 mules were furnished, which the same day had arrived from a march of perhaps 2000 miles to and from Bridger's Pass; above 100 of the others were nearly worthless from want and age, and requiring several hours to harness a team. On the morning of the 19th, twenty-seven teamsters were wanting, and men were furnished utterly ignorant of the business and without outfits. Half allow ance, or six pounds a day of corn for horses and mules, was the largest item of transpor tation ; three or four laundresses, with their children, were with each company: The regular journal of each day's march is given, how it rained, and how the mules died, and the men complained. On October sth he arrived at Fort K.earney ; on the 15th crossed the South Platte—the thermometer was at 13, and the river full of ice. It was discretionary with Cul. Cook to winter at Fort Laramie or to post on to Salt Lake. 3_l.e preferred the latter course. On November 4th his command was at Sweet Water Pass, in the Rocky Mountains ; next day they gained Devil's Gate. On the 6th, we found the ground once more white, and the snow falling, but then very moderately. I marched as usual. On a four mile hill, the north wind and drifting snow became severe; the air seemed turned to a frozen fog; nothing could be seen ; we were struggling in a freezing cloud. The lofty W'all at "Three Crossings" was a happy relief, but the guide, who had lately passed there, was relentless in pronouncing that there was no grass; the idea of finding and feedin ,, upon grass in that wintry storm, un der the deep snow; Was hard to entertain, but as he promised grass and other shelter two miles further, we marched on, crossing twice more the rocky stream, half choked with snow and ice. Finally, he led us be hind a great granite rock, but all too small for the promised shelter; only a part of the regiment could huddle there in the deep snow; while, the long night through, the storm continued, and in fearful eddies from above, before, behind; drove the falling and drifting snow. Thus exposed, for the hope of grass, the poor animals were driven with great devotion by the men,- once more across the stream, and three-quarters of a mile be yond, to the' base of a granite ridge, but which almost faced the' storm; there the fam ished mules, crying piteously, did not seek to eat, but desperately gathered in a mass, and some horses, escaping the guard, went back to the ford where the lofty precipice' first gave us such pleasant relief and shelter. The morning light had nothing cheering to reveal, the air still filled with driven snow—the animals soon came driven in, and mingled in confusion with men, went crunch ing the snow in the confined and wretched camp, tramping all things in their way. It was not a time to dwell on the fact that from that mountain desert there was no retreat nor any shelter near, but a time for action. But for six hours the frost or frozen fog fell thickly, like snow, and again we marched on as in a cloud: The deep snow-drifts im peded us mud], and in crossing Sweet Wa ter the ice broke in the middle. Marching ten miles only,- I got a better camp, and herded the horses on the hills; it was a dif ferent road, where a few days before the bodies of throe frozen men were found. On the Bth the thernaometor stood 44 deg. below the freezing point. The snow was deep; twenty-three mules gave out, and five wagons were abandoned. , Nine trooper horses were left freezing and dying on the road, and a number of soliders and teamsters had been frost-bitten. It was a desperately cold night ; the thermometers were broken, but by comparison must have marked 25 deg. below zero. A bottle of sher ry wine froze in a trunk. Having lost about fifty mules in thirty hours, the morning of the 11th, on the report of the quartermaster, I felt bound to leave a wagon in the bushes, filled with seventy-four extra saddles and bri dles,- and some sabres. Next day the corn gave out;' and the mules were dying. They gnawed and destroyed four wagon tounges, a number of wagon covers, ate their ropes, and getting loose ate the sage fuel col lected at the tents. Some of these they also atackod. Nine died The fast growinr , b com pany of dismounted men were marched to gether as a separate command by day ; the morning of the twelfth a number of them were frost-bitten from not being in motion, although standing by fires. That day eigh teen miles were marchd to Big Sandy, where the guide found grass, and fuel with it ; so good that the 13th was made a day of rest ; the animals -were all herded at the grass.— Fifty horses had been lost since leaving Lar amie. Ire closes the report of his march with the following: I have 144 horses and have lost 134.-- Most of the loss has oecurcd this side of the South Pass, in comparatively moderate wea ther. It has been of starvation. The earth has a no more lifeless, treeless, grassless des ert; it contains scarcely a wolf to glut itself on the hundreds of dead and frozen animals which, for thirty miles, nearly block the road with abandoned and shattered property.— They mark, perhaps,- beyond example in his tory, the steps of an advancing army with the horrors of a disastrous retreat. NO. 34. OPPRESSIVE Lt - .—ln the year 1.632 the' General Court of Ply - niouth Colony made this law, which, from its contrast of our way of doing things, is worthnoticef 'Mat who; soever refuses the office' of governor, shall pay twenty pounds sterling, unless he were chosen two years going and whoever refu ses the office of counsellor or magistrate, tea pounds sterling."