Locomotive, Volume 7, Number 10, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 February 1849 — Page 3

Benevolent Institutions. Quite an excitment prevailed a few weeks since, among our mechanics, relative to the course pursued by the. Trustees of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and especially by Alfred Harrison, in making private contracts ' with favorites, for the erection of their buildings. Mr. Harrison was appointed by the Trustees to let the work, and the plans and specifications for the erection of the buildings were left with him ; but he refused to let persons see them, or to receive bids for building and furnishing materials for its erection, alleging that he would select a person to do the work and pay him a good price for doing the same. The mechanics, considering themselves aggrieved by this course of proceeding, presented two petitions to the Legislature requesting an investigation into the matter. - The petitions were presented and referred to the committee on Benevolent Institutions, who, after investigating the subject, were of opinion, from the evidence' presented to them, that the contracts for the erection of the building were from five to fifteen per cent, higher than what the work could have been, let to responsible persons, J provided the same had been let at a public letting, J and reported back a bill, providing that all contracts for materials, or work,, shall be let to the lowest; responsible bidder at a public leting. A Resolution was also adopted in the senate, calling upon the Trustees for the authority for making the contracts for the erection of the building. The object of which was to ascertain the validity of the contracts, entered into by the Trustees of the Asylum, for its erection. The - report of the Trustees, in accordance with the resolution, was read and referred to a select committee, of which Mr. Walpole was chairman, but from some cause, thecommitee never made a report on the subject. But it was the opinion of members generally, that there Was no law authorizing the Trustees to make contracts for the erection of the building, and Consequently, that .fhe contracts were void. We therefore hope that the Trustees, in order to give entire satisfaction to all parties, and to relieve themselves from all blame in the matter, will re-let the work at a pulic leting, and give the same to the lowest -responsible bidder. Wood.. Although the roads have been good for the last two or three weeks and the streets have been crowded with wood wagons, still the price is kept up very high. It has been selling as high as $3,50 a cord $2,00 being the lowest. Thfs is a good price for wood in this vvoody.country, and farmers should make hay while the sun shines, for we venture to assert that it will be many years before it will bring the same price after this winter, and for these reasons : coal is now used to some extent, and by next winter there will be at least twice as much burnt here as now. - Again, the Peru rail road will be finished to Noblesville by next winter ; any quantities of wood will be brought down on it, as money can be made by selling it at $1 a cord the cost of bringing it 10 or 15 miles will be so small, and the value of wood that distance from town is just nothing the price of cutting and hauling will be the market price for wood. To "be, Sold. The engine house, and room the Council meets in, in the Circle, will be sold by the Constabie next week, to the highest bidder. Going, going, gone. ' ';

A Fatal Affray. On last Saturday afternoon an affray took . place in front of. Beck's gunsmith-shop, between John Pogue and John Sparlan, which" resulted in the death of the latter. The circumstances, as near as we can gather them, are as follows : ' ' . - , . Sparlan has long been known in this community as a dissolute and dangerous character, and, from some cause, having a spite at Pogue, has been trying to catch him; to whip him. , Pogue, who is an industrious, hard-working man, has kept out of his way, until Saturday, when they met at the place mentioned. Sparlan made at Pogue with a woodsaw, when the latter stabbed him in two places with a pocket knife he had in his hand. Sparlan died on Sunday night. , - " '- Pogue voluntarily appeared before Squire Sullivan, and gave bail in the sum of $1000, that he would appear on Monday. ' " y ' ' s On Monday, the time set for trial, no person was willing to make affidavit that Pogue deliberately and without just cause committed murder, and there being no other grounds on which he could be retained according to law, he was dismissed. T'; At the session of the Grand Jury the matter will be investigated, but it was so clearly a case of self-defence, that Pogue must be acquitted. - . , The sympathies of the public are entirely With Pogue, who feels ' deeply the crime he has committed, although justified for so doing. ( ', , , t The Runaways. We have full accounts of the runaways, mentioned last week, in the " Peoples Friend,? of Covington, at which place quite a scene occurred. Baldwin," Miss Eliza Ray's intended, left the stage and company at Hillsborough, 14 miles east of Covington, and the ladies, in charge of Wiseman, stopped at the Sloan House. : Wiseman was out of money by this time, but by selling his fiddfe he procured "enough to get a licence, which he did' by misrepresentation. The knot was to have been tied in the evening, by Judge Rawles, but during the day the ladies would talk,, and let the whole secret out. On learning the facts the clerk got the Judge to retain the licence,1 and not marry them, which he did. The feelings of Charity Ann, about that period. of time, may be better imagined than described. On Friday night Charity Ann and lover stole away for parts unknown. ' Miss Ray has returned home ; she arrived here on Sunday last. r. . . . The Friend says volumes might be written of the sayings . and doings of the parties, their fears and anxieties, doubts, apprehensions, &c, but we have made but a short story of it. ,' ' " , The Coroner. In the case of the death of John Sparlan, no trial was had of the person at whose hands he died. Tho.Law says it is the duty of the Coroner to call a jury on all bodies who have died from wounds or, bruises, or who may be found lying dead in the county The object of this is to get information then, in a form that it can be presented to the Grand. Jury, that cannot be had after the body has been interred. Tnis has not been done, and much evidence will be lost in. the case in consequence. We would refer the Coroner to the Revised Statutes, in which his duty is laid down as plain as day."

- Humiliation and Prayer. Thursday last was set apart as a day for humiliation and prayer by the Pastors of the different churches, to petition Him to avert the threatened scourge. . ; , In 1832, when the Cholera was making havoc throughout the land, several towns to our knowledge, set apart, a day for humiliation and prayer, and appointed committees to visit every alley, street and cellar in their town, and have them throughly renovated, and lime scattered in abundance to purify: the air In those' towns the Cholera did not make its appearance, while in little towns in every direction there were many ' deaths. These are known facts, and our readers can draw their own conclusions from them.. , .. . . ; , We were glad to see that the day was very generally kept may it have the desired effect. . It always "pains us to hear of an ungentlemanly act being committed by those who should, by birth, education, and position, claim right and. title to the name of gentleman. We have just heard of a case to which" the above remark will apply.' To let the parties know what we mean, we need merely men tion that we allude to an occurrence that took place on Washington street near Drakes Hotel, on last Friday evening a week, where a couple of young men offered a direct insult to a gentleman, and lady

under Lis protection, who were quietly walking along. . Their . names have. been given us, but we withhold them, as it is the first offence, in the hope that 'it will be the last. We cannot express the feeling we have towards gentleman who would wantonly insult a lady, and would stop at no mean3 to hold them up to view of the world. . , California. Isaac Owen, of the Bloomington company for California, will start from that place on the 20th ' February ; spend the 25th in Terre-

hautei and rendezvous at St. Joseph, Mo., on the 23d April. Those wishing to join can be at any of these places at the time mentioned, with' the , necessary outfit. i - ..' : r- ' We" understand several from this place intend joining this company for California. " The New Grave-Yard has been enlarged by're-

tUl. Panoo KoL- unmo Art Vnrrls ' MfiW

lots have been fenced m, and other improvements made.' " " """" ' ' .

Some very handsome monuments and tomb stones , have recently been' erected, that give the yard quite a handsome appearance. .:. - w Taney Dress Ball. The B'hoys are talking of getting up a fancy dress Ball, some time soon, in this city. ' Should they succeed, we, of course will be there, with pen and pencil, to note the .actor? and actresses. Hugh O'Neal' Esq., is spoken of as a condidate for Congress, for this district, by the Whigs'. ' Good News. The Albany Knickerbocker says that ! Young Ladies and . Widows . will remember that Leap Year has gone by, and act accordingly."

- Smoke. The cost of cigars smoked in one day

jn New: York City is estimated at $10,000. ' ( ; r " . ' ' ' , J"; ' Imagination is to love what, gas is to a balloon that which raises it from the earth. ' 11