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33
1 have sworn upon the Altar of God, eternal hostility to every form of Tyranny over the Mlud of Man." Thomas Jefferson.
MINTED AND PUBLISHED BY II. WEBB.
VoiuHiue 15E.
BjLOOMgBUR&, COLUMBIA COOTY, PA. SATUIfcBAY, AUGUST 31, 1839.
WlIllll)CV 18
OFFICE OF THE DEMOCRAT,
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uhu a luvwyjive cenis tor every subse
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LETTERS addressed on business, must
oe post paid.
When Gaily on Life's Tranquil Sea
When gaily on life's tranquil sea.
Hope casts its beams, that seem all truth,
And swept along by breezes free,
Securely glides the bark of youth,
No storms hang in the cloudless sky,
The sun-bathed shores are lin'd
flowers,
with
On pleasure's wings the moments fly,
Years seem but days, and days but hours.
The changing who, the shallop steers,
Surveys the scene with wond'ring eye,
Nor dreams, that With nrlvnnrinrr ttara
""'nig jmaj
Hope's rays will fade the fl0f 'rets die;
iu en as ho gazes, round him swell
The wind-tost waves, in rude commotion:
,'Timo breaks at last the magic spell,
That ting'd with joy lifp.striny ocean.
On every side the scene is drear
Gone all that made life seem so fair
No ' green spots" on the waste appear,
To steal its triumph from despair;
But one dim star that is not seen,
Till every other has departed,
"When on the waves it beams serene,
And others anew the broken hearted.
That star is love! It brighter grows,
As boyhood's shores recede from view,
Unchang'd by Time, undimm'd by woes,
Than life more dear than hope more true
Then grieve not for the morning sky,
Tho suu-bath'd shores and fragile flowers,
Suns disappear and flow'rels die
Love brighter grows as speed tho hours.
The serret of Dante's struggle through
life was in tho reckless sarcasm of his an
swer to, the Prince of Vernna, who asked
how he could account for the fact, that in
the household of princes, the court fool was
in greater favor than the philosopher.
" Similarity of minds.said the fierce genius,
" is all over the world a test of friendship."
" Let me alono you ugly wretch !" cried
a pretty young girl, the other evening, to a
jfop who was close to her side.
' Who touched you ?" said he.
" Well, if you liav'nt done it yet, you're
going to," said she.
Dr. Johnson most beautifully remarks,
that when a friend is carried to his grave,
syo at onre find excuses for every weakness,
and palliations of every fault; we recollect a
thousand endearments which beforo glided
off our minds without impression, thousand
duties unperformed, and wish, vainly wish
for his return; not so much that we may re
ceive, as that wo may bestow happiness,
and leconipensc that kindness which beforo
Inn twi.mt. - -1 i ,
The printer of an eastern paper says that
many of hispMrons would make good
wheel horses, they hold bach so well.
Suspicion. When a man misses any
thing, his first idea is, that somebody has
stolen u; and though he ascertains, ninety
i. times in a tun dred, that ihe loss is from
his own carelessness, still, when the hun
drctli time comes he will lay it to a thief.
AN INCIDENT.
On a cold winter's day, as I was passing
over a bridge that leads from the city to one
ol the adjacent towns, I stopped a moment
to observe the motion of the ice which was
moving in large masses, rapidly down the
stream. I Was delighted with the prospect
bctore me, but as I turned to bo. mv atten
tion was attracted by the, cry of distress.
which seemed to proceed from some one on
the river. 1 looked anxiously, and saw a
small boat hemmed in between the cakes of
ice, and passing with rapidity down tho cur
rent 1 A person in tho boat, was standing
up, and calling aloud for assistance. A
crowd was soon collected around me, attract
ed by tho cries of the stranger, who was
evidently in the most imminent danirer.
The spectators of the scene expressed great
sympathy for the suffered, but not one of
them made tho smallest effort to relieve
him.
" It is a pity," said one, " that tho man
should be lost !"
" Yes," said another, " it is too bad. but
I do not see that any thing can bo done to
ave him V
"Do you think he will fetch up on one
of the islands in the harbor V asked a
third.
' Somebody ought to save him," said a
cautious old gentleman, ' but really, this i3
a very delicate affair, and we must not do
any tiling rashly. '
" I wonder if the man has a family; what
loss it will be to them if he eels drowned.
o
said a miserly looking man; " 1 really can't
help pitying him."
" I hone he will land somewhere in safe
ty," said a person, whom I recognised as a
candidate for tho Legislature; " I' wonder
which way the wind blows."
" What lime does the tide, turn?" asked
a young man who was looking at a gold
which he held in his hand.
" Wo must be careful," said a person with
statesman like air, " in endeavoring to
save the man, not to hasten his destruction
If in trying to save him, we should hasten
his death we shall be held accountable, ac
cording to the Constitution and the laws of
the land."
" I was just going to observe," said a
young gentleman with green glasses, " that
many serious mistakes are mado through ig
norance of the law."
some contended mat even if the man
were brought to land, he had been so lone
on the water, it would bo impossible to re
store him. Others insisted strongly, that it
was an " ordination of Providence" that he
should bo tost, consequently, all efforts to
save him must be useles.
Why don't some one go & save him,"
said half a dozen voices ot once. A mid
dle aged, respectable looking person, who
Was crossing the bridge at this time, stoo
ped his carriage and alighted to inquire in
to the occasion ot lbs crowd. On being
told' that a man was m great danger of be
ing drowned, he remarked " that it was a
ver y serious affair; that the man ourrht to be
w - a
rescued, but there were difficulties in the
way which could not be easily overcome."
lie also observed, that we were proba
bly liable to be indicted at common law. for
presuming to discuss the subject." On hear
ing this, several prudent persons took to
their heels and were soon out of sight. At
this juncture we were interrupted by a coup
le of sailors, who rushed nnirkl
y 1 '
sprang aboard of a sloop which was lying
near; and began to lower the boat from her
stern, " Come hero," cried the sailors,
" what are you all standing there for ! Take
hold, and help us to get the boat into wa
ter.!' Several sprang on board, now that
some means wero found to tako the lead,
and assisted in lowering the boat. As soon
as the boat touched the water, the sailors
were in it, and taking the oars, they rowed
with all their might towards the sufferer,
who had floated to a considerable distance
from the bridge. At length, after great ex
ertion, they succeeded in reaching tho ice,
and ihe man, half dead with cold and fright,
was taken into the beat, The tailors then
pulled for tho nearest landing place, which
they reached in safely, although nearly ex
hausted. By kind care and attention, the
suffering man was restored to his usual
health, and he still lives to bless the gener
ous sailors, who were more anxious to per
form a good deed, than to find excuses for
not doing it, and to whose timely exertions
he owed his life.
I have often thought of this interesting
-I . T ... ...
uiiuunioiciiiKo. in my uaiiy intercourse wnn
the world, I frequntly hear a great deal of
sympaiiiy expresseu ior me suiienng and
fllA llfKAfAllAfl till iulin I
t j i
do not move to action, I conclude they are I
iu,u, uub TviiciCDjaijjuiny anu puy
not very powfully felt. It costs no sacrifice
to talk pity, and express by words, great c
sympathy for the suffering, nor are they of
any avail. 1 hose benevolent principles and
feelings, which lead us to act for the good
of our fellow creatures, are genuine and
those only. A single good act is of more
Villi A tlifin ftn rfein Unna nAAnA 1 1
lumw iut uu uuvuii u llrttl?a UUUCU tU Ail
the lamentations of the1 univerc.
From the Pennsylvania Reporter.
HUNTINGDON BREACH STUPEN
DOUS FRAUDS.
We noticed last week that the auditor
general was authorized by a resolution of
the last legislature, to institute an investiga
tion into the expenditures made last summer.
by the Ritner administration, in repairing
the breach which an unusual flood created
on the Juniata canal, between Hollidavsbur"'
and Huntingdon. He is still engaged in the
performance of that duty. Some of the
iniquitous conduct practiced on that work
is disclosed in several depositions which we
append. They were taken .and sworn to
befure the auditor general, in the progress
of his investigations. The witnesses were
employed by the anti-masonic administra
tion, were its supporters, had full opporlu
nines to become lamiliar with the facts to
which they testify, and if they have any
partiality, it is in favor of our opponents.
Let the public canvass them and determine
for itself, whether frauds of so flagrant a
character are not alarming, and call for gen
eral indignation and whether its authors
do not merit punishment and the party who
trusted them, and still cherishes them as its
leaders, and entire loss of confidence.
The whole process of the anti-masonic
administration, in repairing that breach, was
either without authority of law, or shame
less waste and fraud in the application of
the public funds. Three hundred, and eighty
thousand dollars were borrowed by the Ex
ecutive without any warrant of law, and
was kept out of the Treasury that it might
he lavished upon chosen instruments to car
ry on the election and to .heap foul calum
nies on Governor Porter during the canvass
in violation or evasion of the constitu
tion.
Our object now is, however, to introduce
the first of these depositions which have
reached us, and invite public consideration
to them. Hereafter we shall i?ive them our
t
attention more fully.'
James Johnson, (being duly sworn
says : I had a team of four horses on the
Juniata breach in the months of July, Au
gust and September, last year at the dam
below Water Street, at the job where John
II. Stonebrcakcr was foreman. My team
worked 10 days in July 25 davs in Au-
gust and days in September. I receiv
ed 4j days in September I am confident I
did'not receivo fourteen and a half days, as
staled upon the. cheSk-roll. I cannot tell
whether the marks were carried out upon
the check-roll when I signed the receipt or
not. When I got the money of Stonebrea.
v
kcr it was late in the evening, about as late
as it was possible to do work without a can
dle. I can't say how it happened that mv
namo is carried out upon Stonebreaker's
check-roll to life amount of $84. Stonebrea
ker paid me out 827 for that month.
JAMES JOHNSON. I
Sworn .and subscribed, at Water Street. I
Iuntingdon county, July 25, 1830, before.
Geo. R. Espu, Aud. Gen'l.
William Sneath, (being duly sworn
says : I did not work in December 1838
under John H. Stonebreaker. I worked
some in August and receipted the August
cheek-roll. I did not work under John H.
Stonebreaker in September. I was not here
at all in that month. I madcmy mark on
one check roll; but received only $4 50 up-
on it. I am confident tlmt ihn 9.-.
od on John II. Stonebreaker's check-roll
for September was not received by me nor
I , J-
any lor me, nor any part of it, as I was not
here in that month. I was chopping wood
tor schmucker and Rover at the Co Forge
I it 1 itrm . . .
mis siae 01 Williamsburg during that month
did notknow it until I saw it to-dav. Stone
breaker had put me down in his September
meek-roll for 13 days. I never thought the
like that my name was in his check-roll at
all.
WILLIAM SNEATH.
Sworn and subscribed; at Water Street,
Huntingdon county, July 25, 1839, before.
Geo. R. Espy, Aud. Gen'l.
Margaret Wittahcr, (being duly sworn)
says : I was employed upon the public
works together with my husband, Thomas
Whittaker. It was on the division of which
John II. Stonebreaker was foreman. W
were to manage ihe state shantee. I was to
superintend the cooking principally. We
commenced about the 7th July, 1838, quit
the middle of December. John H. Stone-
braker laid in the provisions. They were
all kept in the shantee or m Jeremiah Cun
ningham's ware house I know of no per
son taking provisions away from tho shan
tees except the Stonebreakers. I saw John
II. Stonebreaker take a number of things
from the shantee and ware house. Old Mr.
Stonebreaker (the father of John II.) and
the son of John H. took away at one time
a barrel of flour, a barrel of fish a quantity
of bacon. These articles were taken awav
in a one horse wagon. John II. Stonebreak
er was at the ware room when they wero
taken. It occurred in Julv or August .
John II. Stonebreaker got the key of the
Q
ware house out of the office kept by his
cousin Jeremiah Cunningham, who was
writing for him. John II. Stonebreaker.
another time, brought a keg to the ware
bouse and filled it out of a barrel of molas
ses belonging to the state and took it home
lie also had taken a number of potatoes in
an emptied flour barrel. He sent them a-
way with the team drove by his son. They
were good potatoes such as we used. I
had never refused cooking them. He plac
ed the barrel with potatoes upon the wagon
at the shantee door. In September lots of
fresh beef was taken home by John II.
Stonebreaker. He had it tied up in a cloth.
Beef was taken away by him frequently.
When John II. Stonebreaker did not take
away the things himself they were either
sent in Old Mr. Stonebreaker's wagon, or
iu the team of his brother-in-law, John Con
rad. I think beef then was worth from 0
to 8 cents per pound. We generally got it
from William Love above Water Street.
John II. Stonebreaker also requested me to
save the tallow. This lie also took home.
He took away, to my recollection, ono cake
weighing 22 pounds another weighing 20
pounds he sent with John Conrad's wagon.
I weighed these cakes myself John H.
Stonebreaker also brought a cask from the
ware house and requested me to fill it with
skimmed fat, and said he would send it
home. Towards fall he also took home
several lots of pork this was either in Oc
tober or November. Ho never weighed a-
ny of the beef he took away. Mr. Taylor
(the boss carpenter) and myself, weighed at
one time half a hog. I do not recollect the
weishl but it was in pood order. It was
a o
put into a bag and taken away by John II.
Stonebreaker. I am confident it was never
used by the state hands, John II. Stone
bieaker also took away a bag of coffee and
a large chest of tea. These he had brought
by James Moran in one of the state carts
from the borough of Huntingdon. They
were placed by htm under a table which we
used to knead our bread on. He directed
me not to use anv of it for the state as he
1) I wanlod, to take It home, Some of the cof
fee was spilled into the cart. This Johrl
II. Stonebieaker gathered up and brought it
into the shantee. He asked me to usa this
dity coffee for the state hands, and taRe tho
same quantity of clean coffeo out of the bag
wc were using out of, and put it into his
bag, to make up for the dirty coffee. I re
fused, saying his woman had as much tima
to clean dirty coffee as I had. The chest
of tea was a very largo one, but I canno
tell its weight. This tea and coffee remain
ed in the shantee about a week, after that
John Conrad's wagon went home and John
H. Stonebreaker put it upon that and sen
it away. This was at night after Mr. Tay
lor (the boss carpenter) had gone off. I un
derstood these goods belonged to the state
A load of Flour was brought by Mr. Mat
tern from NefPs mill. Eight barrels wero
unloaded at the shantee and John II. Stone
breaker had the residue hauled to his hduse.
Thero never was any flour, or any other"
provisions, brought back again from the
house to the shantee. If it had been, I
must have known it. At another time, in
the fall of 1838, after we got new potatoes,
John H. Stonebreaker had an emptied flout
barrel filled with them. It was placed on
Conrad's waggon and sent away. Stone
breaker assisted in loadinr?. He also filled
several bags with small potatoes, which h
also sent away on John Conrads waggon
at the same time. He 6aid the large one
he would use and the small ones he would
keep r seed for the following year. They
had been brought from Clearfield crunty
and paid for bv the stattf. Thev were ve-
- - j
sy scarce and brought SI 12 per bushel.
1 hey wero never retumed from Stonebrcak.
ers. John. IL. Stonebreaker also b?cocht-i
the same kcrr of which I first SDoke to tho
w 1
shantee, filled it a second time with molas
ses out of another barrel which we then got
and sent it home by John Conrad's team,
or in the dearborn of Old Mr. Stonebreak
er. John filled it himself, and paid me a
quarter of a dollar for cleaning the head of,
the cask, funnel and other articles he had
in use to fill it. The first keg ho filled notr
long after wa took the shantee, th last jurt
before we left it. Two hogs which wero
fattened at tho shautec, John II. Stonebreak
had killed towards the latter end of Decem
ber and taken home. This took place after
the men had left (he works except two whom
Stonebraker kept there to assist in the kil
ling.. The men were Peter Shaffer and
Samuel Shaffer. They did not work on
the public works at that time, but were kept
back by John H. Stonebraker to assist him
in killing the hogs. It was shortly before
christmas when they were killed. John
II. Stonebreaker told me after the election
that this was the last chance he had to got
something, the opposite party had elected
their governor and he would make good use
of it. I know of no one calling himself
John Williamson who worked at the job of
which Stonebieakers was foreman. Thero
was no sale of lumber at the shantee after
the work wa3 done. John II. Stonebreak
er had a large load of boards taken home to
his house. John H. Stonebreaker sold flour
to my husband after the hands had left uc.
He had to take it for his pay.
MARGARET T. WITTAKRR.
Sworn and subscribed, at Water Street
Huntingdon county, July 27, 1839, before. .
Geo- R. Espy, Aud. Gen'l.
The Yellow Fever is on the increase in
Charleston. During tho week endin? on
the 15th, there were 35 deaths 13 by the
fever.
The Indian Massacre The massaern
of the Chippewa.s by the Sioux, at the Falls
ot &t. Anthony, 13 confirmed by late ac
counts. The destruction of lives was 200,
of whom from 10 to 20 were Sioux war
riors, killed in the struggles by the surpris
ed and slaughtered Chippcwas.
In Paris there are class of men whrt
make it a business to get run over bv car
riages, for the purpose of recovering damages,
6