Locomotive, Volume 9, Number 9, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 July 1849 — Page 2

Cincinnati July 25th, '49. Me. Editor. Since writing my, last letter the cholera has been disappearing quite rapidly. Many learned physicians prophesied weeks ago that there would be no more cases after the first of August. The following report will show the decrease of mortality of this city for one week ending with this morning's report. They are correct as represented. - ' Cholera. Other diseases. Total. July 19 59 . 40. 99

20

21 22 23 24 25

43 32 36 33 29 20

29 28 31 25 26 20

73 60 67 58 55 40

252- 199 451 About four-fifths of the above number of deaths are foreigners. If sickness decreases as it has for a few days past, by the first of next month it will be healthier here than it usually is at this season of the year. The merchants anticipate and are prepared to do a heavy business .this fall. The breaks of the Miami canal are now mended, the water was let in last night, and boats commenced to-day making their regular trips. The White-water canal opened for navigation on last Monday. The water has been out of both some time,' leaving in the channel a few ponds, and stagnant water is by no means conducive to health; but they are now in a healthier condition, and business will once more resume its wanted appearance. Five scoundrels took lodging at the Gibson House night before last, and in the night robbed a stranger of all the money he had, $60, and two gold watches worth $200. Several public houses have lately had robberies committed in them. The city is infested with theives ; and scarcely a night passes away, unless we hear of robberies and burglaries. ' On last Saturday the son of Capt. Blair Summons

was arrested, charged with an attempt to poison his fathers household, consisting of his father, mother,

sister and her husband and child, Mrs. Reeves, and

another person, whose name I do not remember. It appears that the night before he had bought

some arsenic at a drugstore, for" rats poison," and

the same evening put it in the tea kittle. The

whole family partook of the tea and were se' verely affected. Mrs. Reeves, and the son of Ro

bert Armstrong have since died. The rest of the family it is thought will recover. The perpetrator of this horrible act, James M. Summons, is in the

hands of the city authorities, and will meet the penalty of the law. Yours, . Proceedings of the City Council. July 23, 1849. This beinr the day appointed to hear and determine ap

peals from the amount returned by the City Assessor, for

l4y; tnere Deing no appeals maue, me cuuncu proceeuea with their business.

Daniel Keeley was permitted to fill in the sidewalk opposite his lots on block No. 40, and to use the earth to be taken from Ohio, north of New Jersey street. h Allowed Bishop & Moore $2 50 for removing a pauper. Permission was granted to fill in side walk on block No . 52. The Marshal was ordered to use the refuse brick from the Drake House to prevent the water from the canal on the north of Washington street from backing on the vacant lots. Also, to fill in near the old Culvert west of New Jersey street. The Marshal was ordered to notify the Trustees of the Seminary to abato the nuisance caused by the water from the pump on their grounds, without unnecessary delay. The Marshal was authorized to contract for 4000 feet of lumber for the use of the city. Resolved, That Drs. Thompsom, Harrison and Funkhouser be and are hereby constituted a Board of Health for the city, to serve as such for one year from the date of their respective appointments. And the Council adjourned.

THE LOCOMOTIVE

Jl pi a n j EJ f f 53 M i? j j jjjja I

SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1849. Cholera. The imported case of cholera, re

ported by the Board of Health, on " the authority of the attending physician," is a German girl, the sister of the man that died last week, and but re

cently arrived in this city, having brought the diserse in her system. She is attended by Dr. Mothershead, assisted by Dr. Bullard, and although it was as decided a case of cholera as the other, she is now much better, and will most probably recover.

We would like to know what better authority the

Board could have than the attending physician? and whether they could not report the case without

quoting their authority. Lat week we reported a

case because we were satisfied it was cholera; we

did not give our authority because we did not doubt the word of our informants, and we supposed our readers would have confidence enough in us to believe what we said. The Board should report in the same way, for the people look to their reports for correct information. If they doubt the fact of cholera existing, they should not report at all if they are satisfied on that point, they should report on their own authority, and leave no room for cavil or doubt. This disease was abating at last accounts from the river. At Cincinnati and St. Louis, where it

appeared to be the moft fatal, the number of deaths

daily reported were from 20 to 30 they had been as high as 120 daily. In the towns in the interior of the state we do not hear such alarming accounts

as we did, and we hope the disease has spent its force and is now abating. Don't forget the day for Humiliation and Prayer on next Friday. It will be generally kept throughput the Union, and should be strictly kept here, as we have been very fortunate in escaping the prevailing epidemic. ' " Young Mr. Norris and young Mr. Culley, who went out with the California emigrants from this place in April last, having become discouraged, have concluded to return, and are now on their way home." The above we copy from the Sentinel of Wednesday. Our information does not agree with the Sentinel in this matter. We understand an extract

from a letter was received, stating that the young men started back, but that they fell in with a company from Covington that agreed to take them to California for a certain sum, which they agreed to, and are now on their way to the diggings. If the young men were coming home they might have been here by this time, as the letter was dated the 8th of June.

What has become of the hog law ? we see the porkers hold undisputed sway over all the water holes, and places in the gutters that have lately

been filled up. We don't go in for the motto of

" root hog or die," for we want them to die if they don't stop rooting.

Some Plain Facts. We insert a paragraph taken from the N. Y. Tribune, which refers to Clergyman of high distinction, who has failed to meet his pecuniary obligations to mechanics, merchants, &c, for more than a quarter of a miilion of dollars. This failure seems to be traced to extravagant living, beyond $12,000 a year, which he received out of his wife's annuity. We are pleased to state that any extravegance of this kind is rare among the American clergy. They usually live within a very limited support, and are industrious and economical. Still, from the humblest village to the largest city there have been frequent instances of like impositions upon the laboring classes. Our own place has been, and still is, subject to be swindled by pretenders, who obtain the labor of the poor and needy, to aggrandize themselves and families without a proper return. Who has forgotten the famous Banker who issued his one dollar shin plasters in 1836 and 1837; rolled in his carriage with splendid out-fits of dogs, guns, gold watches, guard chains and finger rings, which were furnished by honest industry for his one dollar notes that have never been redeemed ? Passing over prominent instances of this kind, we regret to say there are other impositions more blighting to labor, from some who have been hardened in the professions and business, and who have never been known to pay a bill without repeated duns and disputations who have almost supported their families in ease and luxury on no other capital than an abusive tongue to the humble creditor who called lor what was due him, and was driven back, abandoning his claim for a few loads of wood, a few pounds of butter, the proceeds of his milk cart, or mechanical labor performed, rather than encounter the stale excuse that the article had been

paid for, or was not good, or more charged than de

livered, &c, a year after it had been used.

It is said by those , who well know, that there are many tailors, shoemakers, butchers, bakers, black

smiths, hatters, carpenters, miliners, merchants, school teachers, and church subscriptions paid for

in just such coin, by families who make costly parties ; whose sons and daughters never did a day's work, and whose hirelings have dragged out months of hopeless expectation, and left without being paid. Such conduct does not only operate hard on the immediate sufferers, but it is a severe tax on those who promptly meet their pecuniary obligations, for the laborer or mechanic who meets these frequent losses must increase his prices to make up the deficiencies. It becomes, therefore, all honest men to single out such leeches, and give them no countenance and we heartily commend the article here appended to our l'eaders. It is a lamentable truth that the popular morality with regard to Debt and Non-payment is disgracefully lax in this Christian land. We have become so habituated to look to the Law for the collection of debts, that most men have no idea of any pressing obligation to pay a debt than the legal obligation We understand that a man who can't pay is not culpable in neglecting to pay, but our ' can't1 has a very slippery significance Many a man cant pay the mechanics and merchants whom he owes, simply because he lives extravagantly, hiring servants to do the work which belongs to his sons and daughters because he lives in a more expensive house and spends more money for food, clothing, &c, than he has any moral right thus to dispose of. .Many