PUBLISHED XV3BBT WISRSBiT BT 11. p.- SMIXn Jb CO. A. J. Stbinman El. O. Smith. ‘ TERMS—Two Dollars per annum, payable In all caaea In advance, - ' THE liATffIASTEE DAILY iNTKLJ/SQKNCKa Is published every evening, Sunday excepted, at 6 per Annum In advanoe. - office—Southwest ooriteb ox Cestrx u auk. §tfSWttHnMUSS. A Notable Kaco of “The Times Before tlio War.” Some fifteen or twenty years ago, Troy, Alabama, was quite a lively lit tle village ; the county Bite of a large and populous county, a considerable distance from any thoroughfare of travel, and there being no navigable river or railroad within the limits of the county, it was a place of considera ble trade. For the reasons above stated, also, its trading population were a rough set. Troy, at that time (it has been immensely modernized since,) could boast of its half dozen fights weekly, its saddle and plow horse races daily, and every court week a “big” race or two, in which the whole county almost' was interested. Several young men around in the county prided them selves each on having “ the fastest horse in the State,” and nothing would quiet their bragging short of a trial and the loss of a fifty or two. Occasionally owners of “ peert” horses in Montgom ery county, would slip down and carry off a few huudreds of dollars from the Troy “ boys.” This trick of the “for eigners” was only successful a time or two, however, before the Trojans began to open their eyes and be more cautious, and it was rather a difficult thiDg to get up a race upon any but a Pike county horse. It was during the sitting of the spring Court of 183-,, November, I believe, while the bench was occupied by the lamented Judge Robert Dougherty, that the race we are about to describe came otf. A quarter race, for a purse of fifty dollars, between Bob Adam’s sorrel filly and Jim Hanson’s dun pony.' After the crowd had assembled on the track, aud just as the riders were pre pariug their horses for the race, a soli tary horseman (not G. P. R. James’ horseman, however) might have been seen joggiug along toward the crowd at / a, leisurely pace, on a limping steed, coming down the Montgomery road. — The man was small (say 123 pounds weight), aud dressed in common home spun, and had on a Hop eared wool hat. horse, a very ordinary looking ohe, he approached the assem bly with, “Morning, gentlemen !” He attracted but little further notice, save that he exercised remarkably good judgment in selecting his men to Oct with, aud remarkably poor judg ment in the selection of the horse to Oct upon. For the best judges of horselleab on the ground were the men he picked out to bet with aud lost every time. This at the time made him a sub ject of ridicule; but afterwards it was looked upon as a bait. Duriug the pro gress of the race he was seen to imbibe several draughts of “corn juice,” and afterwards appeured rather boozy, talk ing loudly and making foolish proposals. The race came off—much money chang ed hands, and Bob Adams’ filly bore oil the purse, and our stranger horseman, as we have already said, lost every one of his beta. He appeared to be furious with excitement aud liquor, aud pro posed, if any gentleman would be so good as to loan him the money, to bet s]|Jo that he could beat the winning horse with a poor old broken-down plough horse. No one paid much at tention to him at first, but Bob Adams, who was considerably elated at his suc cess, aud, becoming irritated at the braggiugof the strauger on his “old plough horse,” and running down his (Bob’s) filly, called out to the latter to “ bring out your(his) old plough horse if you have the ambition to have him beat by a racehorse.” Bill L whispered in Bob’s ear ; “Bob, keep your eyeskinned, old fellow. Maybe that’s a Montgomery racehorse. Bob felt too sure of success, however, to heed the warning. The stranger led up his nag, which now limped badly iu his right fore leg, which was tied up in a huge bundle of dirty rags; removed his saddle and led him arouud, to display his sorry appear ance, perhaps. At first it was “an old broken down, lame plow horse,” now he chauges his tactics. “Gentlemen,” sayshe, “.lookatthat hoes.” He’B«omc, certain, a perfect case, aud no mistake, barring his constitutional, chronic lame ness. You jes putliim to abuggy an he cau trot his mile in 2:10, aud no break, akufile, rack, fox trot, or.pace, but a genuine trot. Not pawing the air like make-believe, nor standing the.ground like driving splliu for a mill dam, buta sort of touch me light an go easy style; jes like a city gal’s finger on a pianny. He’s a superior animal, and no mis take. I uever was a plum suited iu a horseafore in my born days, and I don’t know but lie’s split me from ever ‘bein’ suited agin. Sometimes I think I can’t part with him, but then agin I think lie’s worth too much money for a poor man like me to own. Borne of you know Dick Orm, I reckon. Well, he is crazy to git that jewel of a horse, an if Dick don’t know a horse when he sees him, lie does wheu he tries him, that’s cer tain. Examine him, gentlemen. His sinews are rawhide, aud he has muscle enough for two sieh creeters. He’s a superior horse, an’ no mistakq; and he ken jes beat that ar sorrel filly, what won the race aud my money 10-day, ef he is so lame that he can hardly walk for a cool hundred, ef any gentlemen will behind enough to loau me the stake. Dou’t be afeared, gen tlemen, of losing your money, case you cau jes take the finest horse in the State, if I should huppeu, by accident,- to loose the “bet.” Jim Hanson gave the strauger two fifties to back out Bob Adams as a sort of salve to the mortifi cation of his defeat. “Here’s the spon dulix,” yelled the stranger, waving the fifties over his head. “Ef anybody wants to go home to night with an empty pocket aud a broken down horse let ’em plank down a cool huudred on top of those beauties.” Adams could stand it no longer, aud, uotwithstand iug, Bill L cautioned him again, sayiug the fellow was humbugging— that his horse was a race horse from Montgomery —that the rags were put ou his leg for efi’ect, there being no sore uuder them, &c., Ac. He put up his “cool huudred ou the beauties,” and began to prepare for tlio race, especially after seeing Jim L-lauson backing the stranger. “How fur shall we run?” said the latter, apparently now as sober as a judge, and much more so than some of our uew style scalawag judges. “ Only a quarter,” said Bob. “ I’d rather run a mile; my horse will jes begin to get his lame leg limber,in a quarter. How aomever, I don’t mean to beat you but half a mile in the quarter.” Beckoning to Jim Hanson, the stran ger led his horse down a hill until he was out of sight of the crowd, when he stopped, aud, turning to Hauson, said: “Well, stranger, I don’t know your name.” “ Hanson,” said Jim. “Well, Mr. Hauson, you’ve acted the plum gentleman to me, nnd I’m going to re turn the favor, aud will let you into a seoret that’ll benefit you some, ef you only give me your word of honor you won’t blaze on me.” Hauson gave the required pledge. “ Well, then, I’m jes dead certain to win this race as it is run. My horse never was beat, an’ he has run a few races. He’s a regular quarter nag, an uo mistake. That sore on his leg Is a sort of strategy.” Here he removed the bundle of rags, and re vealed, what appeared to Hanson a very bad sore ) “ Them scabs are stuck on with tar, Mr. Hanson, au that blood is doneby this needle.” (Herehe showed to his companion a wad of cotton on the inside of the rags, with a needle in the centre of it, and a plate of tin on the outersideof the wad.) “I tietbisround my pony’s kneepan pretty tight, an when I want him to lame, I jes taps on.the rag a leetle bit, an that makes the needle stick in, an every time he bends his leg, it hurts him and makes him lame But jes take the wad off and he is so glad you ken hardly hold him from starting off on a race. Now I’ve got a little money,” (here he ?ulls out a well stuffed purse) “though borrowed the stake from you jes to fool the boys, an l wantyou to make all the bye-bets you ken, and we’ll go havers. They’d smell a mice ef I was to make ’em you know.” Hanson, having as sented, took divers 50’s and 20’s, and the straDger having replaced the rags on tho horse and given it a “tap,” they returned to the crowd. When they reached the race track the stranger, In the presence of the crowd, began to remove the bundle of rags with every apparent caution, not how ever, without giving the rags a light “tap” again. Upon its removal, the spectators gathered around to detect the humbng, but they were in reality humbugged, for no one was able to ex pose the cheat, so admirably were the scabs stuck on. The horse was restless, too, from the smarting of the exposed . •> >•- s' vr-fv -;-)o vt - -^r ^; : i; '. flic Xancastcf fntc H ige nat: VOLUME 70 sore, as the spectators thought, the stranger and Hanson knew v better. The ground was measured and the judges selected. The stranger laid aside his Baddle blanket and the sheepskin cover; stript himself to his shirt, drawers and socks; tied a handkerchief around his head; took off his iron stirrups and putting hiß feet into the stirrip leathers, mounted and announced himself ready. We have but little to add. The Tro jans were completely taken In, all ex cept Bill L , who said he “know’d a snake when he seed the least bit of his tail.” Hanson succeeded in betting.all the str&Dger’s money and in winning every bet. The Btranger,-after pocketing his win nings. placed the rags with care on the horse’s leg, with great care giving it a light “tap,” having Imbibed another draught of the “corn juice,” and having bid the crowd “good day,” lined off towards his home in Lowndes, not Montgomery county. Pugnacious Journalism, MnrK Twain as a Fighting Editor—How ibry volt In Tennessee—A Betnarka- ble jSxperienee. Mark Twain, who is making a very good show as a journalist, relates the following as among his experiences : I was told a physician that a Southern climate would improve my health, and so I went down to Tennes see and got a berth on the Morning Glory ana Johnson County War Whoop, as associate editor. When I went on duty I found the chief editor sitting tilted back in a three-legged chair with his feet on a pine table. There was auother pine table in the room, and another aillicted chair, and both were half buried under newspapers and scraps and sheets of manuscript. There was a wooden box of sand, sprinkled with cigar stubs and “old soldiers,” and a stove with a door hanging by Us upper hinge. The ohief editor had a long-tailed black frock coat on, and white linen pants. His boots were small and neatly polished. He wore a rullled shirt, a large seal ring, a stand ing collar of obsolete pattern, and a checkered neckerchief with the ends hauging dow n. Hate of costume, about 1848, lie was smoking a "cigar and try ing to think of a word. And in trying to think of a word, and in pawing his head for it, he had rumpled his locks a good deal. He was scowling fearfully, and 1 judged that he was concocting a particularly knotty editorial, lie told, me to take the exchanges and skim through them and write up the “Spirit of the Tennessee Press,” condensing into the article all of their contents that seemed of interest. SPIRIT OK THE TENNESSEE PRESS. Tlieeditorsof the Semi- Weekly Earths quake evidently labor under a misap prehension with regard to the Bally hack liailroad. It is not the object of the company to leave Buzzardville oil’ to one side. On the contrary, they con sider it one of the mostimportantpoints along the line and consequently have no desire to slight it. The gentlemen of the Earthquake will of course take pleasure in making the correction. John W. Blossom, Esq., the able edi tor of the Higginsville Thunder 801 l and Bqttle Cry of Freedom , arrived in the city yesterday. He is stopping at the Van Buren House. We observe that our cotemporary of the Mud {Springs Morning Howl has fallen iuto the error of supposing that the election of Van Werter is not an established fact, but he will have discovered his mistake before the reminder reaches him, no doubt. He was doubtless misled by incomplete election returns. It is pleasant to note that the city of Blatheraville is endeavoring to contract with some New York gentlemen to pave its well-nigh impassible streets witli the Nichnlßon pAvemoot. iJut it is difficult to accomplish a desire like this since Memphis got some New Yorkers to do a like service for her and then declined to pay for it. However, the Daily Hurrah still urges the meas ure with ability, and seems confident of ultimate success. We are pained to learn that Col. Bas com, chief editor of the Dying Shriek for Liberty , fell in the street a few evenings since and broke his leg. He has lately been suffering with debility, caused by overwork and anxiety on account of sickness in bis family, and it is supposed that he fainted from the exertion of walking too much in the sun. I passed my manuscript over to the chief editor for acceptance, alteration or destruction. He glanced at it and his face clouded. He ran his eye down the pages, and his countenance grew por tentious. T was easy to see that some thing was wrong. Presently he sprang up and said: “Thunder and lightning! Ho you suppose I am going to speak of those cattle that way ? Ho you suppose my subscribers are goiDg to stand such gruel as that? Give me the pen !” I never saw a pen scrape and scratch its way so viciously, or plough through another man’s verbs and adjectives so relentlessly. While he was in the midst of his work somebody shot at him through the open window and marred the symmetry of his ear. “Ah,” said he, “that scoundrel Smith, of the Moral Volcano— he was due yesterday.” And he snatched a navy revolver from his belt and fired. Smith dropped, shot in the thigh. The shot spoiled Smith’s arm, who was just taken a second chance, and he crippled a stranger. It was me. Merely a fin ger Bhot off. Then the chief editor went on with his erasures and interlineations. Just as he finished them a hand grenade came down the stovepipe, and the ex plosion shivered the stove into a thous and fragments. However, it did no further damage, except that a vagrant piece kuocked a couple of my teeth out.” “That stove is utterly ruined,” said the chief editor. I said I believed it was. “ Well, no matter—don't want it this kind of weather. I know the mau that did it. I’ll get him. Now hero is the way this stuff ought to be written.” I took the manuscript. It was scarred with erasures and interlineations, till its mother would not have known it, if it had had one. It now read as follows : SPIRIT OK THE TENNESSEE PRESS. “The inveterate liars of the Semi- Weekly Earthquake are evidently en deavoring to palm off upon a noble and chivalrous people another of their vile and brutal falsehoods with regard to that most gloriouß conception of the nine teenth century, the Bally hack Railroad. The idea that Buzzardville was to be left off at one side originated in their own fulsome brains—or rather in the sett lings which they regard as brains. They had better swallow this lie, and uotstop to chew it, either, if they want to save their abandoned reptile carcasses the cowhiding they po richly deserve. “That Ass, Blossom, of the Higgins yille Thunderbolt ct Battle Cry of E’rec dom, is down here again, bumming his board at tbe Van Buren. “We observe that the besotted black guard of the Mud SpriDgs Morning Howl is giving out, with his usual pro pensity for lying, that Van Werter is not elected. The heaven born mission of journalism is to disseminate truth— to eradicate error—to educate, refine and elevate the tone of public morals and manners, and make all men more gen tle, more virtuous, more charitable, and in all ways better, and holier and hap* pier—and yet this blackhearted villain, this hell spawned miscreant, prostitutes his great office persistently to the dis semination of falsehood, calumny, vitu peration and degrading vulgarity. His paper .is notoriously unfit to take into people’s homes, and ought to be ban ished to the gambling hells and brothels where the mass of reeking pollution which does duty as its editor, lives and moves and has his being. “Blathersville ‘wants a Nicholson pavement—it wants a jail and poor house more. The idea of a pavement in a one-horse town, with two gin mills and a blacksmith shop in it, and that mustard plaster of a newspaper, the Daily Hurrah. Better borrow of Mem phis, where the article is cheap. The crawling insect, Backner, who edits the Hurrah, is braying about this pave ment business with his customary loud mouthed imbecility and imagining that he is talking sense. Such foul mephitic scum as this verminous Buckner is a dlßgrace to journalism. “ That degraded ruffian Bascom, of the Dying Shriek for Liberty , fell down and broke yesterday—pity it wasn’t his neck.' JEe says it was * de bility caused by overwork and anxiety.* It waß debility caused by trying to lug six gallons of forty rod whiskey around town, when his hide is only guaged for four, and anxiety about where he was going to bam another six. He 'fainted away from the exertion from walking too much in the sun!’ And well he might say that—but if he would walk straight he wotild get just as far and not have to walk as much. For years the pure air of his town has been ren dered poisonous by the deadly breath of this perambulating pestilence, this pulpy bloat, this steaming animated tank of mendacity, gin and profanity, thisßascom ! Perish all such from out the sacred and majestic mission of jour nalism !*' - “ Now that is the way to write—pep pery and to the point. Mush-and-milk journalism gives me the fan-tods.” About this time a brick came through the window with a splintering crash, and gave me a considerable of a jolt in the middle of the back. I moved out of raDgeI—l 1 —I began to feel in the way. The chief then said: “ That was the Colonel, likely. I’ve been expecting him for two days. He will be up now right away.” He was correct. The “ Colonel” ap peared in the door a moment afterward with a dragoon’s revolver in his hand. He said: — “ Sir, have I the honor of addressing the white-livered poltroon who edits this manlygsheet?” “ You have —be seated, sir—be careful of the chair, one of the legs is gone. I believe I have the pleasure of addressing the blatant, black-hearted scoundrel, Col. Blatherskite Tecumseh ?” “The same. I have a little account to settle with you. If you are at leisure we will begin.” “I have an article on the ‘Encour aging Progress of Moral and Intellectu al Developement in America’ to finish, but there is no hurry. Begin.” Both pistols raDg out their fierce clamor at the same instant. The chief lost a lock of hair and the Colonel’s bullet ended its career in the lleshy part of my thigh. The Colonel’s left shoulder was clipped a little. They fired again. Both missed their men this time, but I got my share—a shot in the arm. At the third fire both gen tlemen were wounded slightly, and I had a nuckle chipped. I then said I believed I would go out and take a walk, as this was a private matter and I had a delicacy about participating in it further. But both gentlemen begged me to keep my seat and assured me that I was not in the way. I had thought differently up to this time. They then talked about the crops and the elections a while, and I fell to tieing up my wounds. But presents they opened fire again with animation, and every shot took effect—but it is proper to remark that five out of six fell to my share. The sixth onemortally wound ed the Colonel, who remarked, with fine humor, that he would have to say good morning now, as he had business uptown. He then inquired the way to the undertaker’s, and left. The chief turned to me and said— “I am expecting company to dinner and shall have to get ready. It will be a favor to me if you will read proof and attend to the customers.” I winced a little at the idea of attend ing to the customers, but I was too be wildered by the fusilade that was still ringing in my ears to think of anything to say. He continued : “Jones will be here at 3. Cowhide him. Gillespie will call earlier, per haps—throw him out of the window, Ferguson will be along about 4—kill him. That is ail for to-day, I believe. If you have any odd time, you may write a blistering article on the police— give the chief inspector rats.—The cow hides are under the table ; the weapons in the drawer—ammunition there in the corner—lint and bandages up there iu the pigeon holes. In case of accident, go to Lancet, the surgeon, down stairs. He advertises—we take it out in trade.” He was cone—l shuddered. At. end of the next three hours I had been through perils so awful that all peace of mind and all cheerfulness had gone from me. Gillespie had called and thrown me out of the window. Jones arrived promptly, and when I got ready to do the cowhiding, he took the job off my hands. In an encounter with a stranger, not in the bill of fare, I had lost my scalp. Another stranger, by the name of Thompson, left me a mere wreck and ruin of chaotic rags. And at last, at bay in the corner, and beset by an infuriated mofc-of editors, black legs, politicians, and desperadoes, who raved and swore and flourished their wea pons about my head till their shimmer ed with glancing flashes of steel, I was in the act of resigning my berth on the paper when the chief arrived, and with him a rabble of charmed and enthusi astic friends. Then ensued a scene of riot and carnage such as no human pen or steel one either could describe. — People were shot, probed, dismem bered, blown up, thrown out of the win dow. There was a brief tornado of mur ky blasphemy, with a confused and frantic war dance glimmering through it, and then all was over. In five min utes there was silence, and the gory chief and I sat alone and surveyed the sanguinary ruin that strewed the floor around U 9. The Dismal Swamp Fire. Almost every year there is a fire in the Hismal Swamp. When one breaks out it increases until it is put out by rain. As there has been so long contin ued a drouth this year, the conflagra tion has extended almost beyond pre cedent. It has burnt about 16 miles almost without interruption, iu aline from northwest to southeast. It is still progressing in its work of devastation, and it is feaced that it is destined to do much more harm before it is arrested by rains. Several fine farms have been burnt out, and where there were formerly the richest fields there are seen now acres upon acres of ashes, some pits of which are 15 feet deep. The drouth has been so severe that the swamp is in many places dry down to the subsoil, which varies in depth below the surface from 4to 15 feet. All above it is vege table matter, in a greater or less degree of decomposition, which has accumu lated and becomes itself tbe bed of in numerable swamp plants, until the whole is matted together by their roots permeating the whole mass. When this is perfectly dry, it catches like tinder, and burns from the surface down to the ground beneath, requiring a great deal of water to put it out. If a small shower falls, enough to wet the surface to the depth of only three or four inches, the fire is not stopped ; for it burns away underneath. When this is the case, the soil is underburnt often to a great distance, and people walking on what they think firm ground some times sink down many feet into the ashes below. If they should still be hot, wo be to the unlucky wight; his growth is stopped forever. Persons unacquaint ed with the features of this country ex- Erees surprise at the existence of Lake •rummond so far above tide water, at the 9ummit level of the swamp. This is easily accounted for, when we reflect how that whole Bwamp was formed. It is raised up many feet above the orig inal soil by tbe accumulations of vege table matter for ages upon ages, until some parts of the Hismal Swamp are much higher than any of the surround ing country. Hundreds ofyears ago the middle of this great swamp caught lire, and the burnt district is now Lake Hrummond. This is shown by the fact that all through the lake are found charred stumps, and its whole appear ance is that of other smaller lakes that, have been formed in the swamp within the memory of men now living.—Nor folk Journal. Grooming Horses, Though suitable and properly pre pared food is the prime requisite for the horse, regular groomiDg holds the sec ond place in the management of him. A man who omits the customary ablutions at stated times—who goes for days or weeks with uncombed hair, but does not live in the proper the word. So of the horse. Grooming is alike essential to looks, health, and elasticityof action. Thecurry comb and card should be brought into daily requi sition, nor should the ‘clipping shears be omitted. Fetlockß bedraggled with mud, unkempt and tangled mane, de tract much from the appearance of the animal, repress his ambition, and hence diminish his usefulness. A man who neglects the regular grooming of his horses is an enemy both to the beasts and himself; to them because he with holds labor which is their due. and to himself because he depreciates tne value of his own property.— American Stock Journal . Two-thirds oftha-to wn of Port Dalhonsie in Canada, was burned yesterday. The loss is $40,000. LANCASTER PA. WEDNESDAY MORNING OCTOBER 13 1869 A Bold Strike For aWlfe. BY JUDGE CLARK, It was my first visit North since I had taken up my abode and entered on the practice of my profession in New Or leans. In the city of New York I had a very dear friend, my old chum and class mate, George Hickson ; and is he was the only person I knew in the great metropolis, of coarse I lost no time in looking him up. Three years had passed since our last meeting, but ten could scarcely have produced a change more marked than bad taken place in the appearance and manner of my friend. Our first greetings and friendly in quiries over, I longed, yet forbore, to ask the cause of my friend’s melancholy. I felt sure, in due time, of being made the confidant of the secret, provided no motive of delicacy prompted its conceal ment. That evening, in my *room .at the hotel, George, told me his story. He had formed an attachmentforayouDg lady, whose graces of mind and person he portrayed with all the fervor of a lover’s eloquence. She had returned his affec tion, but her father had opposed his suit, having set his heart on the mar riage of his daughter to a nephew of his. This nephew was a youDg physician, of profligate character, my friend as sured me—but that may have been pre judice—who had long but unsuccessfully wooed bis cousin, to whom his proffers were as repugnant as to her father they were acceptable. Some months since, Mr. Parsons, the young lady’s father, had gone south on business, accompanied by his nephew. At New Orleans he had been seized by sudden illness, which terminated fatal ly in three days. On the day preceding his death he had executed a will, (which had since been duly proved by the depositions of the attesting witnesses,) containing a solemn request that his daughter, to whom he left the whole of his estate, should accept the hand of hiß nephew in marriage, coupled with a provision that in case the latter offered, and she refused, within a specified period, to enter in to the proposed union, the en tire estate devised to the daughter should be forfeited to the nephew. To sacrifice her fortune to her heart’s choice would not have cost Julia Par sons a moment’s hesitation ; and noth ing could have more delighted George Hickson, than so fair an opportunity of showing how superior his devotion was to all considerations of personal ad van t age. But her father’s dying request, in Julia’s eyes, was sacred. It had sur prised and stunned her, it is true, for, in their many conferences on thesubject he had never gone beyond the most kindly remonstrance, and had never even hinted at anything like coercion. Young Parsons bad not the magnani mity to forego his ungenerous advant age. He might have been content with his cousin’s fortune alone, but his right to that depended on his offer and her rejection of an alliance which she felt iu conscience bound to accept. The brief season of grace, whien she had been compelled to beg even with tears, had already almost passed, and a few more days would witness the condem nation of two lives to hopeless misery. At the conclusion of my friend’s nar rative, in wnich, for reasons that may hereafter be developed, I felt a peculiar interest, I prevailed upon him to ac compaqy me to a place of amusement to which I had previously procured tickets^ When we reached the theatre, the performance had already begun; but we succeeded in finding seats which com manded a fair view both of the etage and the audience. In a few moments George touched my elbow. “Observe tbe gentlemen nearly op posite, in the front of the parquette, seated next tbe column, leaning his arm on his cane,” he whispered. I looked in the direction indicated, and saw a face whose striking resem blance to one I had seen before cause i me to start with surprise. “Who is it?” I asked. “ Eldridge Parsons,” was the reply. “ The nephew of whom you spoke ?” “Thesame,” my friend answered. “ Hoes he resemble his uncle ?” I was on the point of inquiring, but just then the stranger drew the glove from his right hand, and I saw that the first joint of the middle finger ivas wanting , a cir cumstance which, for sufficient reasoD, absorbed my attention. ‘ Ho you know the exact date of Mr. Parsons’ death ?” I asked, when he had gained the street at the close of the per formance. “Yes,” said George,” it was the twenty-third ofHecember. His daugh ter received a telegram from her cousin announcing the fact the same day. But why do you ask ? ” “ I have a reason which may or may not prove a good one,” I returned ; and stating that I had business engagements for the whole of the next day, I parted with my friend, promising to meet him on the following evening. Next afternoon found me at the office of Hr. Parsons. “ Hr. Parsons, I presume?” were the words with which I accopted the gen tleman I had seen at the theatre. “ Yes, sir.” * “ You may not remember me, Hoctor, but I believe we have met before.” “ I beg pardon, sir, for not recollect* ing the occasion.” “ You were in New Orleans last win ter, were you not ?” “ I was,” he answered, with some em barrassment. “ I am the gentleman on whom you called to firaft a will.” He turned pale, butmade no reply. “I saw a record of that will in the Surrogate’s office this morning,” I re sumed, “and —” “You speak of my uncle's will,” he hastily interrupted. “And yet,” I continued, you said it was yours when you applied to have it written. You represented yourself as desirous of executing such a document preparatory to embarking on a perilous voyage. The paper was drawn in ac cordance with your instructions, leav ing the date to be filled in at the time of signing. Your locks were gray then, and you certainly looked old enough to have a marriageable daughter, but your disguise was to the mutilated Jinger. “ What do you mean ?” he shouted in a defiant tone, springing to his feet. “ Simply that your uncle’s signature to that paper isa forgery / ” I answered, rising and confronting him. “He died on the twenty-third ofHecember. Your own telegram to that effect is in exist ence. It was on the twenty-fourth , tne day before Christmas, that you called on me to prepare the paper now on record as his will. The inference is plain ; you undertook to manufacture this spurious testament after your un cle’s death, and wishing to clothe yonr villainy in legal form, you procured from me the required draft. You, or some one at your instigation, simulated the signature of the deceased. The witnesses, who have since perjured themselves in their depositions, were procured in some manner best known to yourself—” “ Enough, sir!” he ejaculated placing his back against the door ; “ you have shown yourself in possession of a secret the custody of which may prove dan * gcorusV ’ “lam not unprepared foryour threat,” I replied. “In the first place, I did.not come here unarmed; in the next, I have prepared a full written statementof the facts to which I have alluded, with in formation, besides, of my present visit o yourself. This paper will be deliver ed to the friend to whom it is directed, unless within an hour I reclaim it from the messenger, who has been instructed for that length of time to retain it.” His face grew livid. His frame quiv ered with mingled fear and rage, and his eye gleamed like that of a wild beast at bay. “What is your purpose ?” he exclaim ed, in a .voice ‘hoarse with suppressed passion. “To keep your secret while you live,” I answer, “on one condition.” “Name it.” “That you write instantly to Julia Parsons, renouncing all pretensions to her hand, and absolutely withdrawing your proposal of marriage.” After a moment’s pause he seated himself at his desk, and hastily penned a brief note, which heßnbmitted to my inspection; it was quite satisfactory. “Be so good as to seal and address it,” I said. He did so. “I will see that it is delivered,” Ire* marked, taking it up and bowing my self out. When I met George Dickson that .evening, his old college look had come back. He had great news to tell me.— The next thing was to take me to see Julia, and it id needless to tell what a happy evening we three spent together, and what a happy marriage followed not long after. Eldridge Parsons, I have just learned joined one of the late Caban expedi tions, and was killed in a recent en counter with the Spaniards. Eccentric Englishmen. Englishmen aresometimea very bizarre in their betting arrangements and de vices forspending money. We are all familiar with the story of the eccentric Briton who followed a menagerie /or years, In hopes of one day seeing the Hon tamer devoured by his tawny pets. It was stated of the famous pedestrian, Captain Barclay, that he once undertook for a wager to travel on foot through the United Kingdom, in the gnise of a Scotch piper, the acquisition of a certain sum of money by which feat was a contingent to his winning the.— Now we are informed by European pa pers that a couple of North Britons are making a pedestrian tour of Europe,, clad in the traditional garb o/Uheir country. They have made a considera ble wager, it is stated, with two' Eng lishmen, that they would make the tour of Europe kilted, philabegged, and sans oulotts , and Bpeaking in no other tongue than Gaelic. It is added that the two Englishmen are on their tracks to see that the conditions of the wager are fully complied with —which doesn’t seem to be a very chivalric move on the South Britons. The most eccentric condition of this wager is the exclusion of all lingoes save that of the Keltic Scotch. It is true that, at one peri od the intercourse between Scot land and the Continent of Europe— France, especially—was very close, which accounts for the many words of French origin that have become incor porated with the Lowland Scotch dia lect, but we doubt whether a kilted Scotchman would get exactly what he wanted at a Continental roadside inn if he called for it in Gaelic. Fancy a Scotchman calling fora Welsh rabbit in Gaelic at a German inn, for example, and you will realize a possible compli cation of things for these bold but breechesless North Britons who have laid their money on the event. Being Scotch, however, they ought certainly to be “up to snuff.” They have a right to their Highland fling, which, so long as they are able to pay the piper, is nobody’s business but their own. English Farming. The meeting of the Boyal Agricul tural Society at Manchester, (Eng.) be sides showing improvements in live stock and farm and dairy produce, made clear to all beholders that the applica tion of machinery to agriculture has be come more and more practicable. There were nearly eight thousand machines and implements exhibited, and ibis fact aloueimpliesa large and lively demand. Among them were horse pitchforks, which, by a combination of poles, ropes, and pulleys, will fork hay or barley from a wagou to the top of the tallest nek with surprising rapidity. Ploughs are now made to effect eight furrows at once by the aid of a steam en gine; and steam cultivators loosen at once breadths of from nine feet to eigh teen feet, and work to a depth of six inches. No wonder that the number of those enterprising persons increases who undertake to plough farms in any part of the country by contract. Anoth er contrivance lays down iron shoes as a Burt of euUiosß ran sutler tho tt-iicc!3 of carts on softs roads; and thus anoth er .farming difficulty is overcome.— And hard roads are not neglected, for a fifteen-ton roller has been constructed which bites up the surface of an old road, agd presses down solidly a layer of new macadam at the rate of half an acre in ten hours, and at a cost of a farthing square yard (superficial.) We hear that the Manchester meeting was unprecedently successful, and it seemfl to have deserved success.— Chambers's Journal. A Ghastly Lawsuit—Life Jnsurnnce. A curious insurance case has been tried in San Francisco. A life insurance com pany declined to pay the amount of a policy due the widow of Char.es Geggus. It ap pears by the eyidence that Geggus left San Francisco upon tbe 22d of August, 1868, in a state of mental and bodily prostration bordering upon, if not actually within the region of, absolute insanity. On tbe 3d of September following, his remains, in au ad vanced stage of decomposition, were found in the mountains ofSan Joaquin county.— The policy of insurance expired on the 27th of August, 1868, just one week before his remains were found. Hence aroso the defense, tbe company denying that when found he had been dead seven days, and upon that point they went to trial. For the plaintiff a certificate was produced signed by a justice of the peace, declaring that he had held an investigation touching the death of Charles Geggus, upon the occa sion of his remains being discovered on the 3d of September, 1868, and that he found that the said Chas. Geggus died from ex hausiion and exposure, and had been dead at least ten days when found. Six doctors testified that from the condition of Geggus when last seen, August 23d, hShiot haviDg tlen euten anything for over two days, he must have died within a period ranging from 12 to 48 hours thereafter, thus fixing his death at a time at least two days prior to tho expiring of the policy. Upon this evi dencethe plaintiff’s case rested. In answer the company sought to show that the body had not been dead a week when found, and for this purpose called five doctors as med dical experts. Two of them testified that having heard a description of the state Geg gus was in when last seen, they agreed that he must have died within the period men tioned by the plaintiff. The three others that tho state of decomposition described was not of a body that had been dead seven days. They admitted, however, that the peculiar rarity of atmosphere in which the body was said to be found might arrest de composition. The jury retlied? and in a few minutes, returned with**the following verdict, viz : “We the jury, find that tho late Charles Geggus died previous to the 27th day of August, 1868, and, therefore, find for tbe.plaiutiff, Elizabeth Geggus, in the sum of 89,776.78, with interest, §437.97. Total, §10,214.75." Odd Fellowship In the United states. From the annual report of the Grand Sire, E. D. Fanswortb, of Nashville, Ten nessee, the following statistics nave been obtained in advance of publication:—The number of contributing members of the Order in each jurisdiction is about.aa fol lows: Maine, 2,100; New Hampshire, 3,500; Vermont, 1,200; Massachusetts, 10,- 000; Rhode Island, 1,100: Connecticut, 2,500; New York, 18,000; New Jersey, 10,000 ; Pennsylvania, 73,000 ; Delaware. 3,000 ; Maryland, 14,000; District of Co lumbia, 3,000; Virginia 3,000; West Vir ginia, 3,200; North Carolina, 1,100; South Carolina, 1,100; Georgia, 1,500; Florida, 300; Alabama, 1,000; Mississippi, 1,500; Louisiana, 2,000; Texas, 1,600; Ar kansas, 1,000; Tennessee, 4,500; Kentucky, 9,000; Ohio, 32,000; Indiaaa, 18,000; Illi nois, 20,000; Michigan, 7,500; Wisconsin, 6,000; lowa, 8,000; Missouri, 8,500; Kan sas, 2,090; Minnesota, 1,200; Nebraska, 800: Uolorado, 600; Nevado, 1,500; Ore gon, 2,000; California, 13,000; the Terri tories, 1,000; Lower Provinces, British North America, 400 ; Ontario, 1,900 ; Aus tralia, 5,800 ; making a total of 891,600 mem bers. The Encampment Branch of Patriar chal Branch, the highest department of the Order, and working entirely separate from the Lodge Branch, is reported to be exceed ingly prosperous in the United States, there being thirty-two State Grand Encamp ments and nine hundred subordinate en campments, with a total membership of 50,060. From 1834 to 1859, according to the official records, the number of members initiated into the order of Odd Fellows amounted to 660,&43 ; the aggregate revenue from all sources amounted to §33,552,824; number of members relieved, 526,577; num • ber of widowed families relieved, 62,503; amount of relief paid, 14,160,402. The greatest number of persons initiated iu any one year was 30,737 for the twelve months ending July Ist, 1869. Theaggregate of the membership iu the order iu Europe and America, amounts to lover 1,000,000, there being over 500,000 Odd Fellows in Great Britain. A Dankard minister Nominated for tbe liegfslatnre. The Juniata Register says: “Mr. Abraham Rorer, of Toscarora twp. was nominated by acolamation as the choice of Juniata oounty for Assembly. Mr. Borer is a minister of the Dnnkard de nomination, and one of the best citizens in Tuscaiora valley. He Isa hard-working tamer and an bonest man. He is also a man of fair abilities, and would make an excellent member of the Legislature. He could not be controlled by any corrupt “ rings” or lobby influence, but would con scientiously discharge his dnties with an eye single to the best interests of his constitu tents and the Commonwealth. No better selection could have been made or one more popular with the people of the county. If nominated by the District Conference his election we believe can be made.” He has since been settled by the Confer ence, and is now fairly on the track. Sab cess to him, say we. Delano's Sophistries, The Express does not pretend to un dertake to show any want of logic, or any mis-statement of facts in our com ments upon the speech of Master Com missioner, Chrisopher Columbus Dela no. It contents itself with a vague charge ofmls representatloh. We have the satisfaction of knowing that our opinion of his speech, and of the caliber of the speaker tallies exactly with the judgment of many of the most thought ful Republicans of Lancaster, not a few of whom have spoken to us on the sub ject. The sophistical speech of this offioial was published in full In Forney’s Press, and It has excited nothing but unfavorable comment. The New York World takes exactly the same view of it that we did. It says: When his speech is examined, it will be found to be a. tissue of the most impudent sophistriesever put forth by adisingenuous partisan In support of an indefensible cause. Delano cries up General Grant (and this is his chief topic of praise) because a greater revenue is collected on whiskey this year, with a tax of fifty cents a gallon, than was collected last year under President John son, when the tax was two dollars. This sounds plausible only so long as it is ad dressed to ignorance. When the tax was two dollars, the profits of illicit distillation was so enormous thatno energy or vigilance could have prevented frauds on the reve nue. It waa because Congress was of tnis opinion that it reduced the tax to fifty cents before General Grant was elected President. If Congress had been of opinion that any amount of honesty, capacity, or vigor could collect the two dollars, it would have left the tax at that rate, and have given General Grant the opportunity to win golden opinions by collecting it when bis predecessor had failed. But nobody believed that so high a tax could be col lected. Mr. Rollins, Delano’s predecessor as Commissioner of Internal Revenue, a Republican who never lost standing with the party, and was kept in office in spite of President Johnson, recommended the reduction of the tax on the ground that so high a tax could never be collected, and that a lower rate would yield a larger reve noe. It reflects neither credit nor discredit on Gen. Grant that this opinion proves to correct. The increase of the revenue is the predicted consequenoe of the redaction of the tax—a reduction in which Gen. Grant had no agebey, and for the expected fruits of which be deserves no praise. The un fairness of M r. Delano iu contrasting several months of Gen. Grant’s administration with Lhe corresponding months of President Johnson’s last year, will be apparent when we recall a passage in the last annual re port of Commissioner Rollins, who in ac counting for the small revenue from whisky for several months preceding the reduc tion of the tax, said that it was owing to the fact that the reduction was expected by the distillers, and that they theretore left their whiskey in the bonded warehouses to take advantage of tbe anticipated change in tbe law. They would have been fools to have taken their whiskey nut of the bond and paid two dollars tax, when they were ex pecting that Congress would soon exact but a small fraction of that rate. It was inevi table that, during the period of suspense and expectation, the revenue from whiskey should almost entirely cease, by the bond ing of the whole product of the distilleries on which any tax was meant to be paid. And Mr. Delano bas the impudent effront ery to contrast thoso months of suspense and stoppage with the corresponding months of the following year when the tax bad been settled at fifty cents ! General Grant must be iu a sore need of eulogy when it can be found only in such pitiful soph istry. Mr. Delano says that the revenue is more faithfully collected under General Grant than it was under President Johnson. We do not doubt it. The reason is, that Presi aUlAHt Tolax>ao£4 vaa iui aU. n... ..1 4a 1 - * his own officers. The Tenure-of-Offlce law tied his hands and prevented the removal of Mr. Lincoln’s appointees, depriving him of all power to prevent the rascalities of revenue collectors whom he did not select and could not control or cashier. The first thing General Grant did when he became President was to demand the repeal of the Tenure-of-Office law, declaring that he could not otherwise collect the revenue.— After a struggle of several weeks between him and Congress, the law was so modified as to give him control of his subordinates ; and now be is absurdly praised for excel ling Mr. Johnson when Mr. Johnson moved in fetters. If the tax on whiskey had re mained at two dollars, and General Grant’s hands had been tied by the Tenure-of-Office law, the tax would not have been any bet ter collected than it was under his prede cessor. Mr. Delano bestows preposterous praise on General Grant because some of the ex penses of the government have been reduc ed. General Grant has had no more agency in the reductions than the man in the moon. Alaska was paid for last year; but he de serves no commendation because that pay ment happened to fall last year instead of this. The Freedmen’s Bureau was abolish ed just before he came into the office; it is ridiculous to praise Atm for the stoppage of this source of expense. The.same remark will apply to the cessation of military gov ernment in seven of the ten revolted States. The extra bounties to soldiers ceased just before his inauguration; in the .preceding year they drained the Treasury of nearly twenty-five million dollars. The Pacific) Railroad was just on the point of comple tion when his administration commenced, stopping an increase of the public debt which had been going on in. the last years of his predecessor. To make a merit for General Grant of reductions of expense in which he had not the slightest agency, is absurd and dishonest; but it was only by absurdity and dishonesty that Comrnis sioner Delano was able to say anything that even ignorance could accept as an ex tenuation of President Grant’s feebleness and imbecility. Foreign News. London, Sept. 28. —Charles Dickens opened the winter sessions of the Midland Institute, at Birmingham, last night, with a pleasant speech. After reviewing the his tory of the institution, and offering advice for itsfutnre management, be touched upon other subjects. The present he said was a materialistic age. His political creed could be summed upin twoarticles: His faith in the people governing was infinitesimal ; his faith in people governed was illimit able. Tbe Times says tbe coincidence of the Emperor Napoleon’s sickness, and the re construction ot the French Government is a serious misfortune. The energies of the Emperor cannot be well spared at such a crisis, and reforms come unfortunately while the Emperor is incapacitated,and at a time when he is most required. The spec ulations of the people on the uncertainties and opportunities of tbe future, are so en couraged asto augment public disquietude. If this crisis had occurred ten years ago, the Emperor could have brought to the work the energies he carried into the Italian cam paign, and if the experiment had then suc ceeded, France would now possess a gene ration of statesmen with Borne Parliamen tary experience. The only question is, was the prospect of success so clear then as to justify precipitating instead of postponing the trial ? The present peril, serious in any case, is aggravated by the Emperor’s en feebled health, but peril of some kiDd has been the prospect of the Government for the past trwo generations. Lisbon,- Sept. 28. —The King of Portugal has contradicted the rumor of his candidacy for the throne of Spain, aud says he was born a native of Portugal and will die a natlyq of that country. News Items- Assistant Secretary Richardson of the Treasury sentffiis resignation to. Secretary Boutwell yesterday. Five years ago Emporium, Cameron co., contained about 250 inhabitants. Now it casts about one-tbird of the entire vote of the county. Isaac N. Fowler, whose defalcation and disappearance, when postmaster of New York many years ago, created a sensation, died in Chicago on Wednesday. Tbe editors of the Democratic newspapers in Texas have met in convention, ana nom inated Hamilton Stuart for Governor.— Stuart has accepted.and a full straight Dem ocratic ! ticket is to be nominated. Forty newspapers support the tbe movement. The Mississippi Radical Convention, yes terday, completed its ticket, by nominating H. Musgrove for Auditor, W. H. Yassar for Treasurer, and J. S. Morris for Attorney Genera]. The resolutions adopted advocate universal suffrage and universal amnesty, and revision’of the labor and taxing sys tems. It is reparted from Fort Baford that Gen eral McCook’s troops are building stock ades for protection against the Indians. The tort baa been provisioned for the winter. A detachment of tbe sth Cavalry, from Fort McPherson, has been attacked by Indians, but nothing is known except that a sergeant was separated from bis company and pur sued twenty-five miles. The Massachusetts State Labor Reform Convention met at Worcester, yesterday, to form a new political party in the inter ests of the working men. Resolutions were adopted declaring against any distinction on account of color, nationality or pursuit; that labor associations should receive the same chartered privileges as associated capital; that eight hours should constitute a day’s labor; that government bonds should be taxed, and the revenue laws changed so as to bear less produc ing classes; opposing Chinese immigration and opposing the claim,that tbe National debt is payable in coifi. A State ticket was nominated, headed by E. M. Chamberlain, of Boston, for Governor, and James Chafc taway, of Springfield, for Lieut, Governor. TBE VIRGINIA SPBUGS. The Summer is ofer, and with it has passed away the brief period of relaxation which the busy people of this busy nation are accustomed to appropriate from its lat ter months. The pleasant sojourn at the seaside or on the mountains, at the quiet farm house or the fashionable and crowded Springs is over ; we have girded our loins for the struggle of another year, and have breathed our last regretful sigh for lhe Joys we have left behind us. Our country is abundantly blessed with Summer resorts, but the Old Mother State of Virginia is provided with them In the most lavish profusion. The largest and most noted of them all Is the White Sul phur Spring, in Greenbrier county, West Virginia, just over the border of Virginia, on the western slops of the Alleghenies.— We reach the White Sulphur by way of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad irom Washington, connecting at Gordonsville with tbe Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad which at present terminates at the Spring; The train leaves. Washington at 7 o’clock in the morning, and after an interesting day’s ride over the historic scenes of the war and through the Alleghenies and Blue Ridge, reaches its destination at 9 o’clock in the evening. The soil immediately around Alexandria is pretty fair, but looks poor enough as you continue on through Fairfax aud Prince William counties. Reaching Fauquier county you strike the famous Piedmont Region, and as you approach and cross tbe Rappahannock river the land is appar. ently of very good quality, a character which it maintains through Culpeper, Orange, Louisa and Albemarle, all of which you touch before reaching the Blue Ridge, as you follow the southwesterly course of the railway. The Piedmont Region, as its name implies, Is composed of those counties of Virginia -which lie at the eastern foot of the mountains, between tho Potomac and the James, and is widely celebrated for the fertility and productiveness of its soil. The war laid a heavy hand upon the country which the Railway traverses be fore it reaches the line of the Rapidan, a short distauce this side of Gordonsville. It was '.he hotly disputed territory of the war, often changing hand?, and many times traversed by both sarnies. It tells now of a savage and cruel war In its every feature. It is denuded of every tree and swept of every ienco. A solitary house here and there at long intervals, dots the landscape. The country undulates very gently, and in its bareness and desolation is the very counter-picture of a great western prairie. The names of the streams, the hills and the railroad station?, speak loudly of the war. We pass by Fairfax and crosß 801 l Ruu, an insignificant and most innocent looking riyulot. We pass Manassas Junction, and run through, at Bristoe, the slight railroad cut of some ten feet in depth, in which our troops fought the bloody battle of Bristoe’s Station. Brandy Station, in Culpeper county, recalls to mind the great Cavalry fight of the war; and the round topped, heavily-wooded hills of no great elevation, near the railroad, off to our right, gave name aud location to tbe sanguinary battle ol Cedar Mountain. We cross the Rapidan at the point where both armies laid, facing each other, during the winter 0f’63’64, and from which they marched to meet some nin« miles further ee?l, at. tho Battle of the Wilderness. A well filled and neatly-ar ranged cemetery of the United States at Culpeper, tells of the many soldiers of tbe Northern army who died on these now calm and silent plains, and have been gathered here to rest. At Gordoaville we meet the train of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad coming np from Richmond, to which we transfer ourselves, although both trains run on the same track some twenty miles farther, io Charlottesville, in Albermarlo, where the Orange and Alexandria Road turns South to Lynchburg, while the Chesapeake and Ohio runs Westward around and up the mountains. Charlottesville is a handsome town, and is the seat of that an cient and renowned institution of learning, the University of Virginia. Monticello, a mile or two off, is in .plain sight from the Railway, crowning the summit of a lofty hill. Regretting much that we have not time to stop and visit it, we speed onward and soon reaching the base of the Blue Ridge, we repair to the baggage car and throwing wido open the large side doors, we prepare ourselves to enjoy the grand ride whiebjs before us. Our party consisted of Col. Dechert, of the Hagerstown MaiU Foster, of the Charlottesville Chronicle, Cannon, of the Warrenton Sentinel Selby, of the Columbia (South Carolina,) Fhcenix, a Mr. Hunter and ourself, and it was no fault of Foster’s choice and ample commissariat stores, if we were not in a sufficiently elevated frame of mind to ap preciate fully the elevated situations in which we soon found ourselves. We were nscending tbe Blue Ridge, and our train wound around the sides of the mountains iu the most bewildering fashion, and would apparently approach the top of tbe Ridge from every point of the compass; but we finally rushed through the last tunnel to the mountain top, and striking tbe lime stone formation, descended into the rich valley of Virginia to Staunton, a large and flourishing town ; again passing on wo are soon once more buried in mountains, and we never get out of them for some seventy or eighty miles, nor until we have crossed the Alleghenies and reached our journey’s end. We mount North Mountain (on which is the highest elevation on the whole road) and Mill Mountain, aDd innumer able spurs of mountains which are not even dignified with a name. Mountains are at a great discount here, and are not named unless fifty or a hundred miles long. Everything else is a “spur.” We are climbing apparently Mount Chimborazo; “Conductor,whaffis the name of this moun tain?" “ Has none that I know sir; jt is a spur!" We tried tho brakesman on the next occasion, with the same result; then the baggage-master and a passenger or two, but found that it was vain to strive to get Lhe nomenclature of the mountains if they had any, and were obliged to be content with tbe knowledge that we were traveling for many miles over “spurs” lying be tween the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies. We passod through many tunnels, some twelve or thirteen in all, and several of them very long. This railroad is intended to be built through to the Ohio, and when completed will be a formidable rival to .the Baltimore and Ohio and the Northern roads for the through trade between tbe east and the west. The gradients on the road, notwith standing the rough country through which it passes, will bo very light, not exceeding 291 feet to the mile. There are at present, however, on the road several temporary tracks, which are laid down to get around places in the permanent the road, that will require very heavy tunnel- IngQ or filling, and a large expenditure of time and money to construct the road bed at tbe prescribed grade. Tbe grade on some of these temporary tracks 1b frightfnl—at one point it is 296 feet to the mile! At these places our train of five cars was broken and an engine was placed in the centre; a third engine was attached in the rear of the train, and thus held, pulled and pro pelled. we slowly descend into a val ley, and as slowly climb again the opposite mountain. The steepest of these temporary tracks is upon tbe last twenty miles of the road, made within tbe past year from Covington to the White Sulphur Spring, and it is well that the train passes over it after dark, for if the pleasure-seek-. ing Spring visitors shoald see it by day light as we afterwards did on a special trip overit, they would be apt to dream troubled dreams for a night or two and resolve to take the stage coach on fhpir return. Dan gerous as it lcoks, however,it is really quite safe as long as the engines don’t give out, and they could not very well all give way at once. There is |a good deal of iron ore in these mountains. Three large tracts were purchased this summer by a party of Pennsylvanians: Mr. Pardee of Hazleton, and Mr. Firmstone of, we believe, Easton. Hon. Hiester Olymer and Mr. C. Brooke are said to be’ interested with L em to the NUMBER 41 extent of a third of the purchase. They bought altogether twenty-five thousand acres at a total cost of sixty-seven thonsand five hundred dollars. One of their tracts lies on the Jackson River—a prolongation of the James—abont two miles irom Coving ton and on the Railroad. The other two tracts, upon which are the best ore, lie some $ miles from the Railroad, and the company .wijl have to expend a couple of hundred thousand dollars on a railroad of their own to get out their ore. They claim by these purchases to have bought all the available iron territory of this section, and to control the iron manufacture in this region. They propose to build large iron works at the point where the railroad orosses the Jackson river, and to which point.it is pro posed to continue the James River Canal. Their enterprise depends largely on the con tinuation of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail road to the Kanawha, as they will need the coal from the abundant deposits along that river. Leaving Covington wo cross with many convolutions the main range of the Alleghe p nies, through mountains of apparently solid slate, and abont nine o’clock we reach the Spring lying in a valley on the western slope of the ridge. A Masquerade Ball was in progress, which had been announced by the proprietors) as in ; compliment to the Press, Not more than a pcore of Press re presentatives,however,were present,yet the ball was a very gay and spirited affair, and was doubly relished by us, as it gave us an opportunity of seeing the belles and beaux ana notabilities, of whom more anon. A. J. S. State Items. The debt of Williamsport is $600,000. The Radical meetings all over the State are first-class fizzles. A typographical union has boon formed at Middletown, Wayne county." Great preparations have beqn made in Berks for the present county fair, which is being held at Reading. Several prominent merchants of Lock Haven have been arrested for defrauding the revenue. The Mayor of Reading recently went n fishing and caught 93. The Heading papers now cull him the champion angler. The first Agricultural Fair held in Bucks county, was on‘August ISIL, at John Ruckman’s, in Salsbury. Of $87,504 collected by the Revenue De partment in theoth District, which includes Bucks county, $1(3,307.30 was derived from cigars. Bayard Taylor has purchased a very handsome and valuable mare, for his private use, from Dr. William 11. Knight ofKennot Square, Chestercouuty. Reading offers a reward of $3O for the nr rest of those persons who '‘maliciously and willfully spit tobaccojuice on ladies’ dross es and on the doors and windows of resi dences” in that city. Cornelias Dougherty, residing in Phila delphia, died at the Pennsylvania Hospital, on Saturday, 11th inst., from hydrophobia, caused by the bito of a dog about seven months ago, James Lachv had a drill seven feet long' forced entirely through his lungs recently by an unexpected explosion in a quarry near Norristown. Yet the Republican says it is thought the patient will recover Mr. Jesse Showers, ofßaushGap, Clinton county, exhibits a curiosity in the shape of two large sized yellow squashes grown out of one stem. Both heads look healthy, and have fully matured. The quantity of coal sent from the Schuyl kill mines, for the weeking ending on the 18th ult., was 88,639.11—by canal, 10,857 making in all 99,496.13 tons, against 135,893 for the corresponding week last year. ocm otMr. Goorgo Spleae, of North Coventry, Chester county, walked barefooted in a bed of hot coals that had recently been pulled from a bake oven and nad one of his feet badly burned a short time since. A week or two ago, Mrs. Jacob Miller, o South Coventry, Chester county, was gath ering potatoes, when her fingers was bitten by a small snake. The arm became very painful and was much swollen. She applied a poultice of raw onions, which seemed to be beneficial. The wounded part is now well. Last week Dayid Phillips, residing near Beltzhoover’s tavern, in Lower St. Clair twp., Allegheny co., was instantly killed. It appears the deceased was sitting in the pit with his chin resting on a shoyel handle, when in an instant a huge mass of slate loosened itself from above and fell upon him in suon a manner as to force bis throat against the handle of the shovel, and keep him in that position until he waß choked to death. Mrs. Rebecca Leseig, at the great age of 96 years 2 months and 27 days, died at her son's residence in Orwigaburg, Schuylkill couDty, a few days ago. She died of old age, and it is a remarkable fact that for forty days previous to her death she was unable to partake of any food whatever, subsisting upon water only. She had been a widow sixty-two years. She was a woman of wonderful memory, aud retained possession of all her faculties to the last. The Carlisle Herald says ; “ A rumor comes from Shippensburg of tbe murder of a Mr. Kelly by two brothers by tbe name of Bowermaater. It appears that tbe men were intoxicated and disorderly, and were arrested at the instance of Mr. Kelly, and placed in the lock-up. Some time during the night they contrived to break out, and, going to the house of Mr. Kelly, brutally murdered him with a knife. The murder ers are.still at large.” The Pittsburg Republic states that the market constable, of that city recently nr rested a boy named Douglas, who has but one leg, and is about ten years old for theft. At six o’clock the other evening, while the front doors oftbe market were being closed the boy entered oue of the rear doors and stole six cans of oysters from the oyster stand of Thomas McCoy. Subsequently tbe same lad stole a largo armful of Bolog na sausages or puddings from tbe stall of David Dexter, a butcher in tbe market. It is said that he has beon committing thefts, large and small for a long time about the market, but has hitherto escaped with no more than serious punishment than threats und reprimands, bis lameness exciting tbe compassion of the officers and market peo ple. Fisk AjCo, The indignation against James Fisk, Jr., who, it now appears, has been the prime mover in all of these nefarious transactions, is terrific. It is said that |orders of arrest are out agaiDst him, but protected us he is in his Twenty-third street office by a body guard, and four attorneys in his employ, it is next to impossible to reach him. Threats of murder have been made against him, but be takes good care not to show his face in Wall street. IHustral lßStrumcato, &c. WOODWARD’S WHOLESALE AND RETAIL MUSIC ST ORE. NO. 22 WEST KING STREET. Pianos, Organs, Melodeons, Piano and MeJo deon Stools and Covers, Violins, Guitars. Bftb- Jos, Tamborines, Accordeons, Concertlnls, Drums, Flies, Flutes, Flageolets, Harmonlcos, Clappers, Triangles, Strings of all kinds, Bow Hair, Tuning Forks, Pitch Pipes, Violin Bows, Cello Bows, Violin and Guitar Boxes, Music Portfolios, Instruction Books of all kinds, Sheet Music, Music Books, and every descrip tion ol Musical Merchandise. All orders Oiled promptly at the canal Retail or Wholesale Prices, and SATISFACTION G UARANTE ED. Tuning and repairing promptly attend ed to. A- W, WOODWARD, 522-tfd*w No. 23 West King street. Lancaster. grttomgs-at-gw. J. W, F. SWIFT, No. 13 North Duke at,. Lancaster B. C. EBEADT, No. 24 East King street, 2d floor, over Bkllea’ New Store. EDGAR C. REED, No. 16 North Duke st.. Lancaster B. F. BAEB, No. 19 North Duke st., Lancaster FRED. fi. PYFEJR, _ No. 5 South Duke st.. Lancaster A. J. SANDERSON, No. 48 East King street, Lancaster R. 0. PRICE, Court Avenue, west of Court House, Lancaster A. J. KAUFFMAN, No. 238 Locust Stbkst, dec 22 lyt»iw) Columbia, Pa g. v. hunter, t , No. 6 South Duke st,, Lancaster, WM. LIAAAS, 4 T . No. 5 North Duke st. Lancaster A. J. Si EISHAN, No. 9 East Orange st., Lancaster H. M. NORTH, _ _ Columbia. Lancaster county, ra ABBAS SHANK, No. 88 North Duke st.. Lancaster D. W. PATTERSON, TT aif removed hi« office to No. 68 East King st. SIHON P. EBY, attorney at law, OFFICE WITH N. ELLMAKER, Esq., North Dukje Btbset, sept 25 LANCASTER, PA, lyw3B* BATE OF ADVERTISING. Busurxss ApycvnßXMrarra. $l2 a year p Gxobgi Youwo, Jr., Secretary, *• «*• R. T. Ryon, William Patton; John Eenrtrlch, M. M^Strlckler, H. G. Mlnich, Geo. Young, Jr. Bazn'l F. Eberleln, Nicholas McDonald Amos B. Green, John B. Bachman, fftrain Wilson, Robert Crane, For insurance and to Beal Estate, Oolleotlon & Insnranoe Agents. No. 8 North Doha street, Lancaster, Pa nov? tfttaw anfl Coal. McCOMNEY