Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1884 — THE WEST. [ARTICLE]

THE WEST.

Gen. WM. S. Harney, the oldest officer in the United States army, being 84 years old, was married at St. Louis to his housekeeper, Mrs. Marie St Cyr, a widow 45 years old. She has been the old General's housekeeper some twenty-odd years—about as long as he has been on the retired list. The General's first wife died before the war. He has . two daughters manned to —Counts in Europe Wreckers opened a switch on the Ohio and Mississippi, near Vincennes, Ind., causing the death of Gad Fairbanks, the oldest engineer on the line.... The failure is announced of the Pioneer Lumber Company of Eau Claire, Wis., with $250,000 of debts, mainly in Chicago and Milwaukee. Governor Crosby, of Montana, in his annual report, to the National Government, estimates the increase of population of the Territory during the year at 4,000, and the present population at 84,000, He says the cattle in the Territory number over 000,000, and the value of taxable property which does not represent one-quarter of the ■wealth of the Territory is between $50,000, - 000 and $60,000,0(H). In other directions, Montana is steadily increasing the value of her material resources, and she will at an early day apply for admission to the Union as a State... .Three robbers attempted to break into a store at Tiosa, Ind., when a watchman who had been posted inside, fired two loads of buckshot, killing one of the burglars almost instantly, and wounding the second severely. The third man was found dead in the woods a short distance away. ....Robert Standring and his wife were discovered dead in the house on their punch, seven miles from Pine Grove, Colo., in small station on the South Park Road. The circumstances indicate that they were murdered for their money. Standring was one of the Colorado pioneers and •quite wealthy and widely known .. .. By the wreck of a freight train, near Ashland, Ohio, two brakemen were killed, and (the fireman, who jumped into the creek, .was seriously hurt... .The explosion of ten ions of giant powder, at a point four miles .from Toledo, was heard forty miles. Windows were broken in the city and limbs were blown from trees

A National Convention of cattle growers was held at Chicago last week, and was largely attended. A National Association was formed, and a committee appointed to attend the St. Louis convention with a view to bringing that body under the provisions of the organization. Resolutions were adopted indorsing the work of the Bureau jpf Animal Industry, and especially commending. the ability and energy of Prof. Salmon, it? chief. **> f In the Probate Court at Chicago Judge Knickerbocker, after hearing the testimony of Austin L. Patterson, A. S. Trude and F. C. McClenthen, subscribing witnesses, refused to probate the will of Wilbur F. Storey, dated Feb. 1, 1881. The reason assigned is that the testator was not of sound mind and memory at the time of making the will. On the petition of Anson L. Storey, Mr. A. L. Patterson was appointed by the court administrator of the estate, and gave bond in $1,000,000 for the performance of his duties.... Judge Brewer of the United States Circuit Court at Omaha, has rendered a decision denying the right of the Brighton Ranch Company to fence in about 52,000 acres of Government land and sustaining the Government’s right to remove the fences at its pleasure... Doxey’s Opera House (which cost $60,000), a number of business structures, and a livery stable containing horses, vehicles, etc., at Anderson, Ind, were destroyed by fire.... During a Democratic jubilee at Wellington, Kan , Mrs. John Schnarr was killed by a sky-rocket, and two other persons were seriously wounded... .The Grand Trunk warehouse, freight sheds, and five cars at Mount Clemens, Mich., were swept away by fire, with $25,000 loss. The explosion of a kerosene barrej which was thrown on a bonfire on West Quincy street,” Chicago, fatally burned six children, and injured and burned several others. Runnel and Adam Poole, brothers; Eddie and Aggie Burke, brother and sister; Annie Ward, and a little two-year-old son of James Daly were fatally and horribly burned and bruised. Mary Jane Burke and Stephen Hasse were slightly burned. The explosion was caused by the formation of gas in the empty kerosene barrel rised to feed the flames of the bonfirq. Four of the children were removed to the County Hospital and the others to their homes Josraflm Demlow and Caroline, his wife, were found on their farm near Chicago, the latter dead and the former unconmfioua from several wounds upon the headL It is not expected that th* fermer can recover. The murder-

ous deedfe at<? supposed to have been committed by tramps .who* were seen lurking about the neighborhood.... The Supreme Court of Utah has refused to grant writs of habeas corpus in the case of Clauson and Evans, the polygamists/and they were sent to jail.