\ _ ....._ ~„, - 11 „: „, , ! ~,,, ~ T 1 "\-- - ____ _._ ____ BY JAMES CLARK :] VOL. XII, NO, 8. c:s)u.=o.6:s The. , JoeuxaL" will ho published every Wed nesday morning, at $2 00 a year, if paid in advance, and if not paid within six months, $2 50. No subscription received for a shorter period than six months, nor any paper discontinued till all ar rearages are paid. Advertisements not exceeding one sq uare, will be inserted three times for $1 00, and for every subsea (Neat insertion 25 cents. If no definite orders are given as to the time an advertisement is to he con tiou ?d, it will be kept in till ordered out, and charg ed ac .tordinelv (ryv. B. PALIIEt2, Eq., is authorized to tic as Agent for this pa per.to procure subscriptions and alvertiseltents in Philadelphia, New York, Balti !nor° and Boston. OFFICES: Phil idelphia—Number 59 Pine street. Baltimore—S. E. corner of Balinnore and Cal. vert streets. New York—Number 160 Nassau street Bottoo—lumberl6:hate street. P ETI (IA 1„ TIME. Chide not the lingering hours of iirc, Its toils will sums Its schemes of glory owl of strife, Its dreams with dissppoititmettts rife. VVill vex the heaWno more— Axel yet the very souls that grieve A moment's weary track, Perhaps in after years wo uld give A world--to win it buck. Chide not the lingering lapse of time, Nor count its movements dull; For soon the hell with mournful chime, Will waft the split to a clime More bright and beautiful— A land where grief will never fling Its darkness on the soul; Where faith and hope shall gladly wing Their path without control. Chide not Times slow and silent hours, Though heavy they may seem; The post has sought oblivion's shores-- The present which alone is ours, Is passing like a dream ; And they who scarcely heed its truck, Or wish its course more fast. With fruitle s prayer may yet call back One moment of the past. Chide not a moment ' s weary flight, Jon soon it speeds away ; And nearer brings the hour of night-- And dimmer makes the feeble sight— Then work while yet 'tis day ! Thus shall life's morning ray depart, WUhout one rain regret, Anil death stun! gladly on the heart, When Life's bright sun halluset. MISC ELLA N FM-N. TUE MAD IVOLF, A TALE Ol' TUE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. SOLITAIRE. " In the month of October, 1833, I was ; chance had only placed him within gun on my return from a trapping tour on ' shot. On my return, I again corona- Green River, the Grand Colorado of the tcred the Crow party, the eh iefof which West, in company with three compan- I informed me that a .Ibrd Wolf had visit- • ions, one named Alexandre, ahalf-breed, ied their camp the night previous. He . Verboncceur, a Frenchman, and an Ante- I, bad been driven oil; however, before be rican named Worthington. After a long I had bitten any of their party. This in- ' day's tramp, we halted in a neck of tint- telligence chilled my blood with a bor. ber, upon a tributary of the Colorado, ; rid apprehension; and when he added itntnediately bordering upon a wide- ' that the animal fled in the direction of spreading prairie; and, having . here our camp, I felt assured he had been our pitched our tent, and tied the animals, fierce visiter. With gloomy forebodings we started out to reconnoitre the neigh- of cooling ill, I returned to my compan borhood surrounding the camp-ground. ; ions, who were preparing for a start. The country we had been travelling over . ; Everything being in readiness, we de an day lay immediately in the path of I parted from the camping ground, and, the roving bands of Arapaho and Crow holding our way down the valley, came Indians, and the former tribe was the upon the great Crow trace, where, dis white man's inveterate foe. Caution, covering the tracks of a largo party of therefore, counselled its to examine the white men, we followed it up, and fell tracks imprinted around us before we in with a trapping party of the North. resigned ourselves to security and re- American Fur Company. From them I pose. Having mounted a willow-cover- obtained some whiskey and salt, which ed ridge near the encampment, I de- I applied to my wounds, and advising scended into a small valley on our right, my companions to use the same precau and had not proceeded far before I des- tion, I intimated that the animal which cried smoke issuing from the covert.— bit us might be rabid. They laughed Carefully approaching the spot, I soon , at my fears ; but after, as I thought, suf discovered a numerous war party Cll- liciently amusing themselves about my campment of Crows, and as they were ' « womanish " dread of a wolf bite, I friendly to the company I belonged to, checked their mirth by imparting to without hesitation 1 entered the circle them the intelligence I had gained from seated around the fire. All seized their the Crows. Having, however, commen weapons with a general exclamation of cod amusing themselves at the expense 44 how !" when informing them in their • of my fears, in a spirit of bravado they own language, that I was a Little Wolf continued. I was awed by a presenti -a name conferred upon me by an old ment of coining evil, and exhibited it, chief of the tribe while I was sojourning no doubt, in my countenance. Moreo in their village—they immediately re- ver, between dread of the wounds I had membered me, and all signs of hostili- received, and chagrin at their ill-tinted ties were stayed between us. After a merriment, I was influenced to drink friendly shaking of hands, and a short freely of the liquor. My stolid air of smoke of the calumet, I obtained all the indifference, together with m continued information I needed relative to the Ara- libations, alarmed them, for I y was habit pahoes, and with pleasure learned that unity temperate as regarded drink—but the war parties of the Crows had driven the reverse in passion. An outburst of theta fur from the Southern hunting anger on my part would have been net grounds. The chief of the party, and ural, and have amused them—but my a number of his braves, accompanied troubled countenance, coupled with the me a short distance on my return, and quiet despair of my actions, made them when we parted, it was with mutual cx- uneasy, and they watched me with lute pressions of friendship. On arriving rest. The liquor first made keen my at camp, I found my companions await- ' sensibilities, then imparted a reckless ing my coming. Each reported his oh- ; indifference, which was followed by the servations, and the information which stupor of deep intoxication, and wrap imparted was received with general sat- pod in its attendant robe of oblivion, I isfaction. It also confirmed their save- forgot the previous night's encounter. gal reports, all declaring their search The songs and adventures related a yielded no sign of hostile footsteps. round the camp fire on that night, were Every preparation was now made for a night of uninterrupted repose, and ev erything promised the luxury. Our I wearied march, with the unceasing watchfulness necessary for safety, had worn us down, until a night of unbroken sleep was looked forward to as the great- • est boon circumstances could confer up on us. A foe would not approach us in the position we occupied, with our friends the Crows, posted in such close prox imity—they were nearly within hail— ' certainly within sound of our guns. A final examination was made of our lariat ropes which confined our animals, and then a short smoke—the trapper's great , est luxury—was indulged in; after which spreading the buflido robes, we dropped off into a slumber that needed no artili ! cid aids to prolong its soundness. How long we had lain in sleep I know not ; but at once, with a suddenness' which started repose into flight, 1 felt myself, erked from the robe on which I was resting. My first thought was that I the Indians had attacked us, but the light of the fire disclosed my antagonist to be a wolf, who had seized, such still held me fast by the left band. I had no weapon within my reach ; so, without 1 , hesitation, I struck him with my shut fist, anddelivering the blow upon his grinning muzzle with all my force, I broke his hold, but in doing so, lacera ted my thumb against his tusk. The j whole was but the work of a moment. Alexandre, who lay nearest to me, a roused himself, and no sooner was I re- lensed from the infuriated beast, than it seized him by the cheek. He choked it off, when by this time, Verboncomr nod Worthington having secured their knives they rushed upon the animal. Eachin flicted wounds upon him, but both were bitten. With a howl which curdled the hearer's blood, our assailant fled nod dis appeared in the darkness. This sudden and 'violent interruption to our slumbers was not endured with christian meek ness, nor commented on in those choice epithets which bespeak n delightful sur prise. On the contrary, we all indulged in a few bitter expletives against this nocturnal visiter, and having thus in a measure appeased the wrath within us, we hastily bound up the wounds we had received, and once more forgot our elan- gers in the oblivion of sleep. When morning broke, till sallied forth in different directions,. filled with re vengeful purposes against the wolf, be lieving that lie Would lurk in our neigh borhood. But, after an extended search, we were forced to forego the promised revenge, and vent our auger in declara- tions 'et what we W0111(1 have done if CORRECT' PRINCIPLES-SUPPORTED BY TRUTH HUNTINGDON, PA., FEI3RUARY 24, 1847, unheard by me—and both companies were prepared to separate in the morn ing before they aroused .me from my deep sleep. All the painful feelings of intoxication awoke with me, and, stu pid and sick, I made my way to a brook beside the halting ground, and laved my fevered head and body in its cool waters. Here Worthington, one of my compan ions, separated from us, and joined the other company. Bidding him and the party adieu, we turned our horses heads, ;nil again took up the line of march for the Laramie river. We were in a re gion where danger lurked in every bush :Hid where the footsteps of human being brought hostility almost as surely as the clouds betoken rain. Thus far through i he whole season of trapping we had es caped unhurt, and were returning, rich -1- laden with spoils. But while successfully avoiding the savage foe, a hidden one was at work in our midst more terrible than the paint ed warriors of the western desert—more appalling in its promised fatality than the torturing knife of the ruthless red man. Hydrophobia ' in all its horrid panoply of terrore, looked out from the eyes that surrounded me, and I thought the madness was reflected back from my own. On the day we crossed Cache-a-la- Pondre river, a colt, on which we had strapped some light articles, betrayed symptoms of the malady, and for the first time we found out he had been bit. ten. Alexandre and Verboneccur had listened their guns upon his back to re lieve themselves of the burthen while climbing the river banks, and now with dismay they observed him break loose front the mule to which he has tied, and with a yell of terror fly from the stream we had just crossed, the foam gathering around his mouth, indicating with cer tainty the cause of his frantic actions. The arms he bore away were necessary to our protection. I therefore started in pursuit—but the mad animal being light ly laden, soon left my jaded mule far be hind, and, dashing over a ledge to our left, ere I reached the promitory he was entirely lost to view. Misfortune ap peared.to have thrown her Mantle over us, and, to a dread of the disease which threatened us, was now added the loss of weapons. Continuing our course down the borders of the Laramie, which became frozen over by the continued cold weather, we approached the North Fork of the Platte, and while in its im mediate neighborhood, fancied we ob served the colt quietly grazing in a plain before us. Leaving Alexandre, who com plained of being ill, in the tent, Verbon mar and myself started in pursuit. A flicker of hope stole about our hearts that this might indeed be the runaway animal free from hydrophobia, which had fled, startled by the close proximity of a beast of prey, or had been only stung to momentary madness by sonic venomous insect. As we neared the animal all hopes fled; distance and our ardent wishes lied converted the hump of a buffalo into the semblance of a pack, which, on nearer approach, resolved it self into its real character, and cast us back again into a state of despondency. At this moment a cry from my compan ion, who was pointing toward camp, di rected my attention thitherward, and the next moment I beheld our tent on lire, and the half-breed flourishing around Lis head a burning fagot. We instantly turned our horses heads, and rode with all speed toward him—as we approached he started off the pack mules with his brand, and when we reached the spot, all our wen=t fears were confirmed—he was a howling madman ! After a violent struggle, in which he inflicted severe blows upon us both, we succeeded in securing his arms, and having bound him upon a pallet of skins, we drove stakes into the frozen ground, and there tied him. While he raved and howled, all the savage in his nature made predominant by his malady. Ver boncceur and myself sat weighed down with horrid dread, and were contempla ting each other with fear. I fancied 1 beheld a wild expression in his eyes, no doubt lie observed the same in mine.— Alexandre, in the meantime, recovered from his convulsion, and in tones of ear nest supplication, besought us to end his torture by sending a bullet through his brain. His supplications but echoed the thoughts which were coursing through my mind—l was meditating suicide with all the coolness of a wretch whose cup of despair is to the full, and the tide of which but lingers to the brim. Ano ther, and another convulsion followed the progress of the disease upon poor Alexandre; in his terrible paroxysms he tore one arm loose from the cords, and, with a howl, begun to rend it with his teeth ; when we secured the limb, lie tried to seize his shoulder, this we pre vented by placing a strap across his forehead, anti fastening it on each side with stakes—he now hit his lips with bloodfury, and the and pil of lus dark n ball, which a c about them in ir,scoe,y,,,viae fo wt fi a ir in ei e g at a nh t de h e tp r h e ue d . go s i l ) 1 white as the sumed a hue as d a tt isi 3; b s oino p o previous, v e i , All other easrs. dangers vanished before this one—the savage foe no longer inspired fear; in deed he would have been welcomed to a conflict which promised certain death. As the sun of that day of sorrow went down, the half-breed's paroxysms be came more violent, and seating ourselves beside his rude mountain Couch, we watched him through the gloom of night. Morning at length dawned, and we were rejoiced that with its first blush the spirit of our comrade fled, leaving its tortured body to its long sleep. Alexandre's knife had been carried off by the colt, with the guns, and the amount of arms between Verboncceur and myself was one rifle, two knives, and a pistol; of these my companion had but a knife as his share, and I felt selfishly glad, for he was an athletic man, who, armed in madness, would slay me in a moment; I therefore clutch ed the weapons I possessed with an eager gripe; and watched my comrade's motion with painful vigilance. We could not bury Alexandre's body, the earth be ing so frozen it was impossible to dig it with our knives ; we therefore started down to the river, with the intention of cutting a hole through the ice, and de positing it in the stream, out of reach of the wolves. Verboncwur first commen ced eluting, but had not succeeded in making a crevice before he snapped his knife-blade off about midway. This ac cident, at any time while in the moun tains, would have been looked upon as a great misfortune—in our situation it was viewed as a frightful calamity—a loss which rendered us weak and help less in defence, and which it was impos• sable to replace; and yet, paradox as it may seem, while I grieved I rejoiced— for, while it diminished the number of our weapons, it robbed my companion gf the only dangerous one be had left, and one I had looked upon with dread. I represented to him the necessity of carefully preserving the other knife, and he assented ; we therefore concluded not to risk it in the ice, but folding up the remains of our dead companion in a buf falo robe, left it upon the prairie without a sepulchre, with the the winds alone to murmur his dirge. So perished the first victim of the Mad Wolf. When we again started, my compan ion asked me for the pistol in my belt, and the knife in my sheath, which he argued would be a fair division of the weapons, and Iliad no good reason for refusing him, other than my wakeful fears • but I put hint off with an excuse that I wished to place them in proper, order . before I resigned them. He smiled and we journeyed on. After observing his countenance for some lime, I began to grow re-assured; it looked calm and I undisturbed, and his step displayed a firmness and decision which I believed could only belong to health in body and mind. When we were about to cross a; small branch which emptied into the Laramie, I again watched his features, and all the symptoms of hydrophobia burst forth in a paroxysm unmistakable in its character. He instantly rushed upon me, when, with the heavy barrel of my rifle, I felled him senseless—my fears had made the a Hercules in strength —and then leaping upon his insensible, body, I bound him with a halal rope so tightly that in vain he struggled for free dom. I sat down beside him with my teeth clenched, and listened unmoved to his ravings and prayers for death—for, like Alexandre, he besought we to des patch him—but finding his supplications moved me not, he broke into horrid im precations and threats, in which he swore he would kill me—that he would tear me with his teeth, and bound as he was, he rolled his body towards me. I held him down to the earth, and he again re lapsed into dreadful convulsions. My despair had now no lower depth. I looked upon my remaining comrade, and shared in his agony, for I expected that inevitable as fate, my turn would come next ; and yet, with this belief preying at my heart, some unknown power of , the human will, held back my hand when I would have yielded to my comrade's entreaties for death. At times the resolution to despatch him, and follow it up with my own death, was on the eve of being consummated, when a whisper of hope would bid me to firmly suffer on. Worn out nature could bear up no longer without repose, and so wearied was I in mind and body, that ahnost unconsciously I sunk into slumber. While the fire grew more and more dim, my senses wandered away in a delightful dream to the fire-side of my old home, and the wilderness of the trapper life, its many perils and hard -1 ships, melted away in the soft sun-light of an autumn sky, which appeared to throw its golden beams over my far•oti home. The settler smoked his pipe in security, his household slumbered in peace, and the morning sun awoke him to enjoyment instead of fear. My dream had taken the hue of my hopes and wishes. lighile my senses were thus wrapt, the report of fire-arms dispelled the vision, and not knowing for a moment whether it was a dream or reality, sprung to my feet and felt for my pistol—it was gone I stood for it moment collecting my thoughts, and partly waiting to feel the' effects of a wound, but no sensation of pain manifesting itself, I seized a brand from the smouldering fire and held it over my bound companion; it was solved at a glance—he had in his struggles re leased one arm, and a lucid fit interve ning, poor Verboncwur had drawn the pistol from my belt, while I slept, and ended his agony by his own hand. I was now alone—far in the wilder ness—a dreadful apprehension of the poison being in my veins ever present.to my thoughts—and thus seated in dark ness by my dead companion, my heart bowed down, and my mind cheerless as the gloom surrounding me, I yielded to the feelings which were preying upon my manhood, and wept like a child. Morning at length dawned, and folding my dead companion up, as we together had previously bestowed the first victim, I mounted a mule, and with the pack animals pursued my solitary way. My march was now one of indifference, and with a kind of foolish daring I plunged through every stream impeding my pro gress, and drank freely of their waters, inviting, as it were, the madness I was sure would come. My progress was te dious, difficult, laborious and full of hard ships, but at length, almost worn down, I arrived at our trading post on the North Fork of the Plate. When I pre sented myself to the commander of the post, lie did not recognize my gaunt form and seared visage. Suffering of both body and mind, had so stamped my fea tures, that I looked like some escaped maniac, and the uneasy appearance of my sunken eye made old friends look upon me with suspicion—they thought I was crazed. When I told my story, and showed the wounds upon my hands inflicted by the rabid wolf, and related the death of my comrades, they shook their heads with doubt, and I could hear it whispered among them that some dreadful affray had occurred between us, resulting in their death. Others sug gested that the savage had slain my companions, and that through suffering, alone in the wilderness, I had become insane. All 'these doubts worked upon my troubled mind, until reason did be gin to totter upon its throne. A few days after my arrival at the North Fork post, an express rider arrived, who had passed a night in the camp of the Amer-. Man trapping party our companion Worthington had joined, and lie not only had heard our encounter with the mad wolf related, but the fact of his having the malady being dreadfully confirmed in the death of 'Worthington, who per ished in their camp under all the certain symptoms of liydrophia. My story be ing thus confirmed, and painful suspi cions removed, I felt a change in the tone of my mind ; fears which had liar bored there began to diminish in inten t situ, and no symptoms of the nitwit dreaded malady appearing, hope grew strong within me. This produced a cor responding improvement in health, until gradually the marks of my dreadful march disappeared from my features: I have oft s .eii since endcavo - red to assign a cause for my escape, and have as fre quently been led to attribute it to my free use of liquor and salt, at our meet ing with the North-western trappers— combined, they nullified the poison. Fifteen years have passed since the ad venture, and with a thankful heart I chronicle the fact that no vestige of its effects remain, except the vivid recollec tion of our night encounter with the .4fad Wolf' of the Prairies! LYRICAL.—The favorite street song of the Philadetphia b'ltoys is said to be the following : Old Zack 's at Monterey, _ Bring out your Santa Ann-er! For every time we raise a gun, Down goes a Mexican-er! Old Zack 's in Mexico, Bring out your James K. Polk-ers! For every time he lifts his pen, Down goes the Locofoc-ers! " Ma, ain't Jo Smashy a eourtin' our Aleley In " No—what makes you think so, my son 'I" "Why, always when he comes near her, she sorter leans up to him like a kitten to a hot brick." Kr Congress will adjourn in less than two weeks. [EI)Prol: AND PROPRIETOR WHOLE NO. 578, PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE In the House of Representatives, on 13th inst., the following message was received from the Pres ident f the United States : To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: Congress by the act of the 13th of May (aft, declared that, "by the act of the republic of Mex ico, a state of war exists between that government and the United States;" and "for the purpose of enabling the government of the United States to prosecute eau) war to a spevdy and successful ter mination," authority was vested in the President to employ the "naval and military force of the United States." It has been my unalterable purpose since the commencement of hostilities by Mexico; end the I declaration of the existence of war by Congress, to prosecute the war in which the country was una voidably involved with the utmost energy, with a view to its '•speedy and successful termination" by an honorable peace. Accordingly, all the operations of our naval and military forces have been directed with this view. While the sword has been held in one hand, and our military movements pressed forward into the enemy's country, and its coasts invested by our navy, the tender of an honorable peace has been constantly presented to Mexico in the other. Hitherto, the overtures of peace which have been made by this government have not been ac cepted by Mexico, N ith a view to avoid a pro tracted war, which hesitancy and delay on our part would lie so well calculated to produce, I in ormed you, in my annual message of the Bth December fart, that the war would "continue to be prosecuted with vigor a. the best means of secu ring peace," and recommend to your early and fa vorable consideration the measwes proposed by the Secretary of War, in his report accompanying that message. - In my message of the 4th !armor)* fast, these' and other measures, deemed to be essenttal to the "speedy and successful termination" of the War,. and the attainment of a just and honorable peace, were recommended to your early and favorable consideration. The worst state of things which could exist in a war with such a power as Mexico, would be a course of indecision and inactivity on our pall. l'eing charged by the comitution and the laws with the conduct of the war, 1 have availed my self of all the means at my command to prosecute it with energy and vigor. The act 'to raise for a limited time an addition. al military force, and for other purposes," and which authorizes the raising of ten additional re ' giments to the regular army, to serve during the war, and to be disbanded at its te•mination, whith was presented to me on the 11th instant, and Bp i proved on that day, will constitute an important part of our military force. These regiments will h e r a i n ed and moved to the seat of war with the least practicable delay. it will be perceived that this act makes no pro vision for the organization into brigades and di visions of the increased force which it authorizer, nor for the appointment of general officers to com mand it. It will be proper thatauthority be given by law to make such mganization, and to appoint by and with the advice of the -enate, such num ber of major generals and brigadier gencrals us the efficacy of the eervice may demand. The num ber of officers of these grades now in service are not more than ate required for their respective commands; but further legislative action during your present session will. in my judgment, be re quired, and to which it is my duty respectfully to invite your intention. Should the war, contrary to my earnest desire, he protracted to the close of the term of service of the volunteers now in Mexico, who engaged for twelve months, an additional volunteer force will probably become necessary to supply their place. Many of the volunteers now serving in Mexico, it is not doubted, would cheerfully engage, at the conclusion of their present term, to serve during the war. They would constitute a more efficient force than could be speedily obtained by accepting the services of any new corps who might offer their services. They would have the advantage of the experience and discipline of a year's service, and will have become accustomed to the climate, and be in less danger than new levies of suffering from the diseases of the country. I recommend, therefore, that authority be given to accept the services of retch of the volunteers now in Mexico as the state of the public service rosy requi. e, and who may, at the termination of their present term, voluntarily engage to serve du ring the war with Mexico, and that provision be anode for commissioning the officer.. khould thin measure receive the favorable consideration of Longress, it is recommended thut a bounty be granted to them upon their voluntarily extending their term of service. This would not only be due to these gallant men, but it would be economy to the government; because, if discharged at the end of the twelve months, the government would be bound to incur a heavy espense in brining them back to their homes, and in sending to the seat of war new corps of fresh troops to supply their place. kiy the act of tire Iflth of May last, the Presi dent was authorized to accept the services of vol unteers, "it, companies, battalions, squadrons and regiments," but nu provision was made for filling up vacancies which might occur by death, or dis charges from the service, on account of sickneas or other caeushies. In consequence of this omie eion, many of the corps now in service have been much reduced in numbers. Nor was any provis ion made for filling vacancies of regimental or company offices* who might die or resign. Infor mation has been received at the War Department of the resignation of more than one hundred of these officers. They were appointed by the Mate authorities, end no information has been received, exrept in a few instances, that their places have been tilled; and the efficiency of the service has been impaired from this rause. To remedy Meer defects, I recommend that au thority be givers is accept the services of individs al volunteers, to fill rap the place. of such as may die, or become unfit foe the service and be dischar ged, and that provisions be &leo made for filling the pieces of regimental and company officers who may die or resign. Dy such provisions, the vol unteer corps may be constantly be kept full, or may approximate the maximum number authori zed and called into service in the first instance. 41 bile it is deemed to be our true policy to prosecute the war in the manner indicated, and thus make the enemy feel its pressure and its evils I shall be at all times ready, with the authority conferred upon me by the copetitution, and with