Crawfordsville Review, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 25 April 1857 — Page 1

E

VOLUME VIII.

WINTER STOET.

A cold night! The wind, sharp as a Damascus scimetar, cuts through the 6nc chinks in the windows, causing my mother continually to change her seat, to avoid what she calls the draught but, as the draught comes everywhere, she is at length fain to come to a settlement close to the mantlepiece, where she keeps cutting out ijstcrious hexagons and rhomboids from some linen stuff, hereafter to be uniting by canned fingers into some wonderful article of female apparel My two sisters are playing chess. Fanny, triumphant over a checkmate, leans back on her chair, and watches with an air of proud pity the frowning and cogitative countcnance of Lizzie, hose little brain is throbbing with a ousand stratagems by which to extricate er unhappy queen from the impending stcr. I, wrapped in all the dignity of en years, am absolutely smoking a the sacrcd chambers, (a privilege to mc on a rare occasion by my r, who would generally dismiss me to my own room the moment I displayed a Havana,) and reading Sir Thomas Brown's poetic essay on "Urn Burial There is a solemn quiet reigning through the room.— The pine logs on the hearth fling out spasmodic jets of fire, and hiss like wounded 6nakcs, as the bubbling resinous juicc oozes out from each gaping split. The click of mother's scissors snap monotonously, nd at regular intervals. The wind screams wildly outside, and clatters at the window-pane as if it was cold and wanted to come in. Through the dusty panes themselves, half revealed by the partially drawn curtains, glimmer whitely the snowy uplands, and on the crest of the ghostly hills a bare old oak lifts up its naked arms, like an aged Niobc frozen in an attitude of sorrow. The smoke of my cigar goes curling upward in ecccntric rings of evanescent vapor, and I am whispering to myself one of those sonorous and solemn sentences with which the old knight of Norwich terminates his chapters and which, after one ,«s read them, reverberate and echo in the rain, when—tat,—tat—there comcs a faint irresolute knock at the hall door. My mother shuts her scissors, and looks up inquiringly, as much as to say "who in Heaven's name is out on a night like this?"— The chess players arc immovable, anil seem as if an earthquake would be a matter of perfect indifference to them. I lay down my book and go to the door. I open it with a shiver, and a resolution to be cross and uncivil. The wind rushes triumphantly in with a great sigh of relief, the moment the first chink appears, and I 'look out in the bitter, ghastly night.

What a strange groupc stand on the piazza! Winter seems to have become incarnate in human form, and, with the four winds as his companions, come to pay a visit.

There is a tall, old man, with along gray moustache, which, as it hangs down his jaws the rude breeze snatches up, and swings about and pulls insolently, as if it knew lie was poor and could be insulted with impunity. He looks bitterly cold!— His long, arched nose is as blue as the blue sky above him, in which the stars twinkle so clcarly, and he has on a scanty little coat, on which a few remnants of braid fluttered sadly, like the shreds of vine that hang on walls in winter time, which they, in the golden summer, had wreathed with grossy leaves so splendidly. He holds a little child in his arms—a little, shivering child, that trembles most incessantly, and tries, poor thing, to put its hand iu the scanty and thread bare folds of that insufficient coat. By the side of this pair is another effigy of poverty and winter. A small, pale, delicate womant with great blue eyes—profuse hair, which, matted in frozen intricacies, bursts out from beneath a most remarkably shapeless bonnet—a shawl so thin that it must have been woven by spiders another little shivering child clasped in her arms, and carefully enveloped in the poor old shawl, though one can sec by her blue neck and thin dress that she is sacrificing herself to •keep the little one warm. A huge umbrella dangling from one of her hands, and which she leans on occasionally with great dignity —and the icy picture is complete. JBttt tine main picture is not yet finished.— A girl about ten years old, standing a little back, clings to her mother's skirt with one band, while with the other she tries to keep something that looks like a pair of trousers wrapped round her neck. She is shadowy and pale, and seems like Northern mirage, 'ready to dissolve into cold air at a moment's notice. "Who arc you and what do you want?"

I said in a gruff tone for the wind blew bitterly on my check, and I made up my mind to be cross.

The old man inclined his head slightly, ibd spoke. "We are Poles," said he, io excellent English with a slight foreign accent "we wish to go to Boston, which we hear is but one day's journey from this, but we do not know where to lodge to night. We are jMre to ask you for a night's shelter." "Pooh!" said I, swinging the door al•oct to "we know nothing about you, and BiTti (ulmit beggars. We cannot do it."

The fell back a pace or two, and

looked at the little woman with the great us minded for there was something so true eyes. Heavens, how full of despair those in the ways and manners of the poor wangreat eyes seemed just at that moment! I derers, that it would have been impossible saw his arm tighten convulsively round the to distrust them. little shivering child in his arms. A slug- Well, Christmas came! Winter again gish, half-frozen tear rolled slowly down huge logs glowing fiercely on the hearth, that blue nose of his. He brushed it away and mistletoe and ivy swinging merrily in with his cold, shivering hand, and nodded the hall. Again the uplands were sheetmournfully to the little woman, who clutch- ed in white and the old oak was naked ed her umbrella firmly, and then turned to and sorrowing again we were all seated depart without a word. As the door was around the fire, listening to the snorting of being slowly closed he shook his head once the wind as it tore over the hills like a or twice, and said in a very low voice, mad steed. In the midst of a deep silence "God help me!" that fell upon us all, there came a rat tat

These words had scarcely been spoken tat. It was strong, determined, and eager, when I felt a slight touch on the shoulder. I went to the doer. I had scarcely unbar"John," said my mother, "call those red it, or took a peep at the new coiner, people back." when it seemed as if a whirlwind with

I never felt so relieved in all my life bonnet on his head scoured past me and When that old man turned away in silence swept into the parlor. The next moment at my sudden refusal of his prayer, dis- I »"*rd great commotion. Sobbing and daining to address himself to me, but whispering his mercy to God, a pang of remorse shot through my heart I would have given worlds to have callcd him back, but the hideous, sullen pride which has through life chained up my nature until it has become like a cooped bear, put a padlock on my lips.' IIow glad I was when my mother came and dissolved the bonds with a touch. "Come back," said I, my friends, we wish to speak with you."

I am sure my voice must have really been very gentle, for, as the old Pole turned, his rugged cheek seemed to soften, and the great eyes of his pale wife actually flashed through the dim night with the fire of hope. They had landed from the emigrant ship in New York, with only a few dollars in their possession, which was dwindled away to a few shillings. They could get no employment. The old man was a moddcler of medallions, and said bitterly, "They don't care about art in New York." So they made up their minds to go to Bostonthere they heard that such things find encouragement. With a few remaining fillings, and what money they could obtain by pawning their little wardrobe, they struggled thus far on their journey. They were now penniless, and scarce knew what to do, but the old man said proudly, "If wc can only get through to Boston to-morrow, wc have nothing to fear."

My mother shut the door. By this time the old man, and the little pale woman, and three shivering children were on the inside, and Fanny and Lizzie had left their game at chess with their poor queen still iu prison, and were passing around the pale little woman, whose eyes were now bigger than ever and shining with tears of joy and they somehow had got hold of the two young children and they were petting them and talking to them in that wonderful language supposed to be the tongue commonly spoken by infants, the foundation of which is substituting the letter for the

letter t, and smoothing all the Is and Its in

remorseless manner. The poor little foreigners were therefore informed, confidentially, by the young ladies, that "dey was dood little things, and dey mozn't gry zo, for zey would ave a nize vorm zupper." And whether they understood it or not,

gratituds which cannot be interpreted.

my

mother

Shc

I swear to you that when all was over, and they were sleeping soundly, I went into a remote corner and wept bitterly for the wrong I had so nearly done.

Well, they staid with us that night, and the next, and the next and my mother got up a little subscription among the neighbors. And we rigged them all out in good warm clothing, bought them tickets on the cars to Boston, and one fine frosty morning, we all sallied down to the depot, and saw them off on their journey, and I tell you there was a waving of ha[nds, and Polish gesticulations, and far, far in the distance, we could catch a glimpse of that great umbrella, with the little woman still flourishing it by way of farewell

We beard nothing of our Polish friends for a whole ye*r, Often, over the fireside, we would talk about them, and our neighbors sneered w® wondered if our spoons were safe, apd moralized upon foreign imposture and ingratitude. My mother got much for her cbwity but none of

aj)j^

.. the recent cold weather to the approach of the "little tilings" ceased to shiver or cry, the Comet which is daily. increasing in and looked wonderingly about with small size, showing that it is coming down on us editions of their mother's great eyes and with fearful rapidity. The writer says: the old man twirled his moustache as it "There can be little doubt that the exthawed in the heat of the pine fire, and traordinary phenomena witnessed in the made many bows and looked that worldlcss weather during the month is attributable ...

But .the little wife said nothing onlj sage of the comets near the earth. The she leaned on her umbrella and gazed at comet of 1556, is said to have brought with

gave her order, .0 .he

servants for the preparation of a sleeping-

seen

lv scorched through his threadbare trous- and is evidently nearing the earth with era and so continuity gating at ever,one, until at last she could stand it no long-

laughing, and broken English, all swept along, as it were, in a cataract of Polish.— It was that little woman with the great eves' No longer pale, though, but with ruddy check and the eyes, this time, looked larger and brighter than ever through their tears. They had been ever since in Boston, she breathlessly told us, and had been doing well, thanks to the blessed lady who helped them to get there. Tho husband modelled medallions, she composed polkas, and their only daughter taught music, and they had saved three hundred dollars, and bought a piano with it. And she had said to herself that on Christmas night their own way. she would come and speak her gratitude to the blessed lady who had sheltered her and her little ones, so she set off in the cars, and here she was. And then she commcnccd pulling things out of her pocket. Christmas presents for us all. There was a scarlSt fortune-teller for Lizzie, and a curious'card-case for Fanny, and a wonderful embroidered needle-case for my mother and there was a umbrella for Mr. John, she intimated, producing an enormous parachute. She knew he would like it, because when she was here last year— thanks to the blessed lady who had sheltered her—she had seen him looking very much at her umbrella, and she would have offered it to him then, but she was ashamed-, it was so old. But this was a new one, and very large!

And then she kissed us all round, and produced an elaborate letter from her husband to ray mother, in which she was compared to Penelope, and one or two classical personages, and told us every thing that had happened to them since they had left us until, having talked herself into a state of utter exhaustion, she went ofl to her bed-room, where she was heard praying in indifferent English that we might all ascend into Heaven without any of the usual difficulties.

She and her family arc still in Boston, where they make quite a rcspectab^ in-

come. And every Christmas sees her arrival with presents for the blessed lady,

anj jJcr gratitude are as large

as eter. It is, you see, a simple Winter story!

Till? COM KT AND COLD WEATHER. A writer in a St. Louis paper attributes

to this cause. Similar changes of the cli-

atc haye becn observcd tluring

the pas

compan.c^d wUh hcavy rainSf and

room and a liberal meal for the wayfarers qngntly inundations, and every one must and she gazed at mc as I stirred up the remember the unusually cold and severe fire with immense energy, (between our- weather prevalent at the time of the ap-

selves, I tried to bustle off the recollection {^3 The1come" now frothing" he of that cruel speech with which I first met

their appeal,) and made her husband sit

down so close to it that his legs were near-

earth

.g

tha(. of Charles

peared

conse-

which first ap-

in Perhelion, in 1264. It may be

in a clear evening near Sagittari,

iraportantand

er, and flinging away, for the first time, jcaj changes. There can be no doubt that low that ponderous umbrella of hers, she cast its meteorological effects are already bchcrself on my astonished mother's neck, coming evident. This comet and sobbed out a heap of Polish blessings, alarm on its first and second appearances and sobbed out a heap of foLst Oleyisgs, ,M ,hc

extraordinary geograph­

sutjec, 0f

mueh attention among

ha if he re is a vi in be on as on ha a astronomers the door, and flinsnng the reins over a post will certainly canonize her when she dies.

of Egyptian irbea't were plan- from frf-. to.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, INDIANA, APRIL 25, 1857.

"NINE CHEERS FOR OLD ZIM J" OR, BREAKING DOWN THE SYSTEM. In a remote county of Pennsylvania ine scene is laid. The time was the year 1840 when party spirit rose 130 in the shade, in every hamlet throughout the length and breadth of Uncle Sam's glorious domain. The respective parties met at Bugsbury, (the county seat) and made their nominations for county officers. As there were many aspirants for a few nominations, it follows as a matter of course, that there were some bitter disappointments—to no one more than 'Old Zim,' who was confi dent of getting a nomination for sheriff.

Zimmerman—or old Zim, as he was familiarly called—was a miserly old codgcr, who was well to do in the world, yet he was up at every convention for nomination for something, from 'time whereof, the memory of man runneth not to the contrary.' He was reputed wealthy—that is, he owned a farm, and had money, but he never showed the color of it, except when he unfortunately got on a spree and then he would sow it broadcast—but that was only a biennial occurrence.

A few evenings after the nominations above noted, a knot of the dissatified were congregated at the Black Horse Tavern, discussing the merits and demerits of the fortunate nominees. 'Gentlemen,' said old Zim, 'merit and long service is no recommendation in this county. The wire-workers and schemers

my name ain't Zimmerman that's all. This determination was received with fa-

vor by the crowd, and Zim sealed it wi I

a'half'for red-eye.

Full soon he was in the field, announced by a card, in both papers, to his fellowcitizens, pledging himself to discharge the duties of the ofiicc with impartiality—in case he teas elcctcd.

Right lustily did old Zim go to work, and things appeared to go on swimmingly. He canvassed the county, and the people were profuse in their promises of doing their best for him. In one of these peregrinations, he met Wattles, the nominee of Zim's party, who was also on an electioneering tour. 'Ha, Wattles!' said he, 'my fine fellow, I'm sorry to sec you allow yourself to be the tool of an unholy and corrupt cabal—I am sorry to sec you sacrificed but I'll beat you, the patriotic freemen of this county will not bear dictation, so my friend if you wish to save yourself the disgrace of defeat, you had better resign in my favor.'

Wattles expressed his. own conviction that he should feel very much used up in case of such an event, but at the same time had made up his mind to stand the hazard of the die.

Election day at length came, and my worthy friend, armed with a hat full of tickets, stationed himself on the ground of his own precinct, and commenced dealing out his tickets, and urging his claims in the strongest kind of a way. Miser as he was, he made his friends swim in Monongaliela long before the polls were closed.

The election over, evening came apace, and the expectants gathered in the barroom to await the counting of the votes, and the returns to come in from the different townships. Old Zim was flourishing and treating the crowd, and expressing full confidence in the succcss of his effort to break down the system.

Seated in a remote corner were a number of wags, in a low but earnest conversation, and any one might have at once concludcd that something was about to fol-

Consultation soon broke_ up, and the plot began to develope itself. The clatter of horse's hoofs wcrc heard on the frozen

soli, horscmln

ted, and produced, to the surprise of every Lower Buffalo Township— W attics, 50— one, 1,200 to 1. The Government took McGregor, 40—Zimmerman, 190—majoritho affair in hand, and consigned the management of it to tba farmers of the government farm at Ramboullet. The result has been most astonishing. Each year the product has been magnified in such an immense proportion over the preceding year, that the minister of Agriculture is now enabled to distribute over France a large quantity of this wheat to each of the departments gratuitously, with instructions from the government farm as to the best mode of cultivation. At a late meeting of the Academy of Sciences, Baron de Menneville presented several stocks of this regenerated Egyptian wheat which were six feet high and bore each several fine cars.

A French, lady explained in my hearing the other day, this great multiplying power of the Egyptian wheat by the long rest it had bad! It is a great and important diaoovery for the study of agriculturists

i4y

r„de op to

the door, and flinging the reins over a post

A I I«Alt DisttiVKHV. rushed into the bar-room, where he was In 1852, a few grains of wheat were dis- soon raised to the top of a table, and si-

covered in the tombs of some of the mum- ienCe commanded, mies found in the south of France, supposed to have been two thousand years old.—

^Here,' said he, drawing a strip of paper

ty for Zim 100!' Nine chcers for old Zim!' 'Huzzah! liuzzah! huzzah!' 'Gentlemen,' said old Zim taking off his hat, 'I'm obliged to you for this expression of your—that is to say, let us take a horn

all round.' Of course the crowd acquiesccd in this proposition, and the welkin rang with loud huzzahs. But haik! scarcely had the crowd imbibed before another horseman came galloping up to the inn 'Beegum township, 100 majority fpr Zimmerman!' 'Nine cheers for old Zim!' 'Hip, hip, huzzah!'

The excited candidate was wild with joy

Thus matters progressed until those who were completely 'sowed up' were laid out and the remainder found their way to their homes, some charitable friend of the Sheriff elect, toating him home on a shutter to his domicil.

Early in the morning, the village wags met at the tavern to 'take the hair off the dog that bit them,' as well as laugh over the 'saw' played on old Zim—but they had scarcely commenced worship, before in stalks the old gentleman, still under the delusion that he had carried the day—nay, more, he insisted on spending a Y, by way of a morning whet. The wags were determined to keep it up as long as possible, and again they drank and congratulated him on his complete succcss. ,'

'Aye,' responded one of the bar-room loafers, 'they do the picken' out, and expect us to do the voting.' 'But, gentlemen,' continued Zim, 'they will fetch up agin' a snag or a sawyer one of these days. Yes, gentlemen, by the eternal, I'll upset their apple cart and spill out their peaches. I'll sec whether it is the people or a set of broken down political hacks as makes the county nominations. By Judas, I'll run as a volunteer candidate Democracy has again triumphed, as Watfor Sheriff, and if I don't lay 'em out then tics' (Dem.) majority over Tibbcts (W hig) 1 r\ ft* ... hA/i tllVAO

In the midst of the 'noise and confusion' in bounded an inky printer's devil, who deposited an extra on the table, containing the returns. Eagerly did old Zim seize it, and hover over it, but for a minute. The conclusion read as follows: 'By the above it will be seen that the

is 150. Zimmerman (volunteer) had three otes in Bccgum, two in Dublin, one in

ower

jjuffal0

and

C(j tQ castl)y

total of seven votes.' The extra dropped from old Zim's hands, —rr

lie moved towards tlfe door, and looking

ureIy

'Gentlemen, you may go to II—11!' and

rushing from the bar-room, lie was never

again heard from in Bugsbury.

PEARL EXCITEMENT IN NEW JERSEY.—The Patera (N. J.) Guardian says quite1 an excitcmcnt has for the past fortnight existed in the upper part of that city, oving to a sort of pearl mania. Some parties a few weeks since, in examining the meat of the fresh water clams, which so abound in the brooks in that vicinity, discovered a pearl of uncommon size and beauty. Upon further searching, others were secured and the fact becoming known quite a number of the townsmen got wild upon the discovery. About three hundred have becn found, one as big as a marble, for which $200 has been refused.

The N. Y. Tribune says: The alleged finding of real pearls in the shells of muscles near Patcrson, N. J., is creatine no little excitement. A friend assures°us that one pearl as large as a small marble (not a picce of chalk) has been shown to Tiffany & Ellis, the well known Broadway jewelers, who estimated its value at $1,000, and offered to advance $700 on it—It lacks the peculiar tint of the Eastern pearl otherwise its value would be almost incredible. The man who owns it has already sold small pearls to the amount of $200. Everybody is on the search, and whatever may be the result there is evidently no lack of muscle at the diggings."

SPIRITUALISM AXi» CHIME. A letter from Knoxvillc, 111., of a recent date, gives the following account of a scoundrel and his victim, and the death of the latter

Elizabeth Jones, a young unmarried lady, living at Elba, in this county, some time since became a convert to Spiritual doctrines, up to which time she bore an unblemished character and was esteemed a modest and intelligent young lady. Since last May she has been residing in the family of one A. J. McBridc, also a Spiritualist, and author of a book on Spiritualism. He is a married man and has one child.— Miss Jones has been in feeble health for some two years past, but better within the last six or eight months. During her sickness McBridc has becn her Spiritual doctor, prescribing for her according to directions from the spirits. On the 3d inst. she was taken very sick and on the 9th she died. She vomited considerable, raising a dark, grumous fluid. The peculiarity of this, and other circumstances, excited suspicion that her death was unnatural.

An inquest was held, and upon a post mortem examination the stomach, liver, and lungs showed no symptoms of disease sufficient to produce death. Upon opening the womb a female child of perfect form was discovered. It appeared to be in the sixth or seventh month of gestation. There was congestion of the womb, and it had evidently been subjected to constitutional medicines, which resulted in inflammation.^

The evidence before the Coroner radicated that McBride was the father of the child and implicates him in the death of the mother, either by drugs to producc abortion, or poison to conceal her shame. He has escaped.

10- The first daily newspaper published in Virginia was in 1790, and the subscription prico was fifty dollars pet annum.

THE SPIRITUAL HAND. It: "Come let mo clutch thc«." Mr. Willis, a student of divinity in Har vard University, has, for a year or two past, been figuring as a fourth-proof spiritual

snd excitement, he again invited the party to drink. Another horseman came—another, and still another—each one bringing an over ueeu uguriDg aa a luuiiu-prwi 3|uiiuu whelming majority for old Zim, from the medium in Cambridge, Boston, Salem, and A L:— various other places in Mass. His reputatownships he represented.

ITUOUl^O ug 1 G£/A V/OVUVvUa I Alas! that it should be some mad wag tion was so excellent^ to induce Prof. Eustie nf the Lawrenae Scientinc BCnooI. and under various disguises, that brought old Zim the glorious news. The colnmn, as footed up, gave old Zim a thousand major

Didn't he spend a cool thirty? The landlord's till groaned under the weight of old Zim's deposits. 'Gentlemen,' said he, 'my heart is full (his head wasn't anything else,)-and I can only say that the glory of this contest be longs to me. But I feel a ('Brick in your hat,' said a wag) pride that I have been the humble instrument of breaking down the system.' (Nine cheers.)

tis, of the Lawrence Scientific School, and other gentlemen connected with the University, to attend one of his private circles in Boston last week.

Solemnly formed itself around the table the circle of converts, impressible ladies incredulous professors and medium Willis For a time everything went on successfully. The table was moved, the raps were distinctly given, and some remarkable disclosures of fact and doctrine made. But a few of the company were not quite satisfied, and Mr. Willis was anxious to astonish the learned professors with a higher proof of his powers.

The lights were extinguished, and the circle waited "in solemn silence all."— Presently Miss A. who is a bit of a convert to the new faith, was sure that a spiritual hand had touched hers then Miss A. felt the ghostly fingers. Slowly the spiritual hand stole around the circle, until it reached Professor Eustis. A touch had sufficed the others, but he was anxious to make the stranger's better acquaintance. With true Yankee heartiness he shook the spiritual hand with true Yankee warmth he kept shaking it, grasped the shadowy flesh more and more tightly. The fingers struggled to free themselves, but the Professor held on till the lights were lit, and he saw himself clutching Mr. Willis's naked foot. Miss A. went into spiritual hysterics, and the circle broke up in confusion.

This story has come to us through "spiritual hands." If it is true, it would seem to furnish the faculty with an ample excuse for suspending the divinity student irom his connection with the University.— N. Y. Post.

THE INDIAN TROUBLE IN IOWA.—The Fort Dodge Sentinel, of April 9th, has the following:

.. fi o—- town of Springfield in Southern Minnesota insufficient to hold the vast, ponderous us crmina

some

one in this borough, for the inhabitants it unfortunately hap- weight of iron upon it. For relief from the

himself,) making a pened that many of the heads of families terrors you have conjured up, you turn to

ere endowed with the true spirit of their Revolutionary Mothers. A detachment of government troops from Fort llidglcy, of about one hundred,

wcrc Qnc

jn

a(lVance

of our party.—

They were at one time within a day's travel of the Indians, as indicated by the camp fires, but being entirely without provisions, were compelled tiiW abandon further pursuit. Perhaps a "more unprovoked outrage has never been witnessed in Indian warfare, and it remains to be seen, whether the frontier settlements are to be protected by the entire destruction of the wandering savage ^ribes, or abandoned by the hardy settler for want of that protection. Expecting soon the return of the entire party, we await further comment until we are in the possession of all the facts in detail.

BORING OF ARTESIAN WELLS.—A letter in a Charleston paper gives the following description of the manner in which Artesian wells are formed

This style of well is said to be an invention of a Frenchman, whose name I do not now remember. It is dug, or rather drilled, with a hcavy steel drill of 1,800 lbs. weight, 20 feet in length, and a half-foot in diameter. The drill is raised above the surface of the ground, by means of pulleys attached to a wheel, which is worked by a small engine, to the height of forty or fifty feet, and then allowed to drop.

After going to the depth of the drill, strong poles are attached to the upper extremity. In this manner it is raised and allowed to drop. The man who is digging the well informed me that he had drilled through 75 rocks, averaging '38 feet jn thickness. He has completed one 1,250 feet in depth. Iron tubes are inserted as he advances, and in this manner caving is prevented. The well now completed, throws a jet of water to the height of 153 feet above the surface. I put my hand into the reservoir into which it fell, and, to my surprise, I found the water quite hot— clearly showing that the intestines of the earth are heated.

The borer is now preceding with a well ten times as large as the one completed.— The one already completed he intends boring to the depth of 1,800 feet, when the water will be thrown to the height of 300 feet. It is expected that this alone will furnish an abundant supply of water.

Galli-

DeBAU' IIEKY AND DfATH. The polis (O.) Journal of Saturday says: On Wcdnsday evening last as Tom Westlakc, who at the time resided on the Portsmouth road, returned #home after a day spent in debauch, was astonished to find the door of his house fastened by the string of the latch having becn drawn in. He rapped and receiving no answer, proceeded at once to a back window which he raised and crawled through, and while "•roping his way in the dark, stumbled over the lifeless form of his wife, vho had during his absencc, fell and expired on the

I* .1 1%ama1 A /t 11 rl 4 TP/" I

ished with cold and hunger, while an infant three months old was lying covered in bed, showing the last kind act of a dying mother's affection to her child. There was no fuel on the premises and not a particle of food in the house to sustain animal life. could give a volume on the misery and suffering of this poor woman, as related by the neighbors, but deem it not in our province to invade the domestic hearth or the Banctity of the tomb, by holding up this wretch of a husband to the gue of an outraged and indignant public:

NUMBER 40.

WHAT DOE- II MEAN!'

There is an unusual activity in 4sch of the United States Navy Yards, from Maine to Louisiana. Nearly all the reserved vessels of war are being fittedL for sea with great dispatch. The Miflmsippi, which was to have assisted in laying down the sub-marine cable, has been ordered to the West Indies, together with the new propel* lor Minnesota, and the sloop-of-war Germantown. The Powhattan, the Colorado, the Roanoke, steam frigates, and the sloops Marion and Perry, have also received or* ders to prepare instantly for sea! Five war steamers, and three sloops, exclusive of the regular African squadron, (which is soon to sail,) forms a very formidable naval force, and the American people, natu* rally of an inquiring disposition, would like to know the reason of this warlike preparation

The public have been informed that this fleet is destined for the West Indies.-— The latest dispatches from Europe state that the first division of the Spanish expedition against Mexico sailed on the 23th of March, to rendezvous at Havana. We imagine that it is to watch this Spanish expedition that our war steamers are ordered into the West India waters. It will not add any to the peace of mind of the valor* ous Dons to discover the muzzles of those tcn-inch shell guns watching every move* ment "with feverish lips," as though auz*/ ious to exchange a few compliments in the shape of hard and hollow ware. The Mexicans boast that they have the guarantied aid of the United States, and openly defy the Spaniards. Things look suspicious.— If Spain goes to war with Mexico, she mxj lose Cuba. Depend upon it, that West India fleet is to look after the Spaniards.

LOCOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE. Riding on the engine of an express train is exciting business. We made intercession with the powers that be, the other day, and secured a passage for a distance of ten miles on "the machine:" It is interesting to watch the track ahead, and imagine yourself go**' ing down the banks from some obstruction Vou look at the steam guagc and wonder if a hundred and ten pounds of steam is a sate quantity. As the speed increases, the, sway of the engine attracts especial notice. lltiln llral\nAOn #llA tvO/llf Ifl tAIf

Since our last, some of the returned vol- SWilJf U1 WU UUglUU airuiibio UVMVV. untecrs from the vicinity of Spirit Lakes, j£very little roughness of the track is felt, more than confirm all previous reports of and the machine goes knocking about frOm the Indian depredations. After the de-

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struction of the entire settlement on the

to side with force enough to tear the

rails from the ties. The flat ribbon of rail,

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iii9 iruiu wv tn-s. xut uu» aaUUUta

Spirit Lakes, the Siouxs next attacked the extending so far before you, seems utterly

were not at home, having left sometime th« and venture a remark. He previous for provisions, yet the fact that some nine or ten of the savages were kill-

nine or ten oi me sa\agus »m-

edj

round full at the gaping crowd, said leis- amnt nf tli^ir

sufficiently proves that even the women

the engineer and venture a remark. He: docs not look around, his hand is on the lever, his eyes steadily fixed on the track. Just then the fireman rings the bell for a crossing. You can see it swing, but in the. crash and thunder of your progress you hear no sound, and then you think that the engineer perhaps did not hear your voice.

The fireman is constantly busy. He piles up the wood in easy distance and then "stokes." As the dry sticks arc cast in the furnace, the devouring flame seises them with a ficrce avidity, eats into their, substance, penetrates their pores, and tears them to pieces almost in a moment. It wr an awful lire, unlike any you ever witness*: ed.

You take another look at the track and gain a new sensation, for wherever the rail is a little settled the engine sinks down upon it, and it seems as if the wheels and* trucks were giving away, and the whole? machine about to crush down in one fatal smash up.

These are daylight observations, but tho night is the time to enjoy a locomotive ride. The light from the engine lamp extends only for two or three rails forward —beyond that all is darkness, and you go plunging on into the black unseen before... you, without a possibility of a forewarning of any danger. You can see the switch lights, or that of another locomotive, but a log or a drunken man may be on the track,' or a rail may be broken, and you none the wiser until with one tremendous crash you meet your doom upon it.—-Buffalo Com* mercial Advertiser. rc

far The Boston (Black cpublican) correspondent of The New York Evening Post thus mourns over the Connecticut election. He says:

Wcfeel rather'blue over the Connecticut election, which not even our victories in St. Louis, Portland and Wisconsin can make palatable—We have not been beaten in Connecticut, but then we have won no victory there. The Democrats seem to have a firmer hold of Connecticut than of any other New England State. Coming, as they do immediately after the Dred Scott decision, the Congressional victories of the Democrats are a disgrace to the State of Connecticut. She has broken the line of New England. Thrc old excuse of "sploshy weather" is brought forward but what is a party good fer that can't stand an April rain, and which is ever to be at tho mercy of the elements? In New Hamp* shier, with a severer climate than Connecticut, the weather has no such effects. The elections being held early in March, the people of New Hampshicr have to travel through the snow to the polls, and their vote is always larger than that of Connecticut though they have one less Congress* man.

MURDER WILL OUT.,,—Simon Dillon, who is sixty years of age, was arrested at his residence in Clay couuty, last week, for the murder of his own son,—a youth of la years,—committed ten years ago. At this time, Dillion gave the boy a severe flogging, after which the boy was missing, and the father reported that he had ran off. But

floor o°f that miserable hovel. A child two he has never been heard of md ''J11 Years old was found leaning )n a 6Cttee with long years, the neighbors its face buried in its hands and almost per- upon the old man with suspicion Reccnt- .. .. in a i_ fnr the remains ot tn

lv, search was made for the remains of the boy and they were found in the defendants cellar, where they had been covercd up. Dillion was lodged in jail to await his trial.

A PATRIOT.—-The*"}10,000 to a Mexican officer of rank," among the items of tho secret service money paid out by General Scott in Mexico was, it is stated, paid to no other than President Santa Anna, the man whoso.Mt{Utiagi began and ended is his *rc