The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-25 00:00:00

DELAY IN MAKING WILLS.

A Boston paper says that a very singular resolve is now
before the Massachusetts Legislature, which illusttates
the danger of procrastination in making wills. One
Caroline Plummer, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, died on
the 12th of November last. On the day of her death her
physician took by her dictation a memorandum of her
wishes with regard to the disposal of her estate, and
also, at her request, carried it to an attor-
ney to be put in proper testamentary form.
This will was drawn accordingly by the attor-
ney, and the physician, accompanied by witnesses,
returned to her residence to have it signed and executed
with legal formalities ; but this was rendered impossible
by her death in the meanwhile. Her so sudden decease
was anticipated neither by herself nor attendants, nor the
physician. The paper intended as her last will is annexed
to the petition, and is accurately drawn from the memo-
randum taken by the physician and produced before the
committtee, who are in favour of giving legality to this
instrument. Another case, illustrating the. danger 'of
leaving this act till the last moment, occurred in
Boston only a few days since. Three gentlemen
were requested by a well-known citizen who
had been ill several months to call upon him. At first it
was thought that prior engagements would prevent the
visit, but upon the solicitation of one of them they resolved
to postpone their own business and visit his residence.
They found their friend in bed, and he was able to write
his name to the will, and they affixed their signatures as
witnesses. There was no excitement, and a pleasant con-
versation took place. They left to walk in the garden
before returning to their homes, when the invalid was
attacked by paralysis, and remained unconscious till the
moment of his death. Ten minutes after the will was
executed he was incapable of performing such an act.

FIRES IN THE SHAWANGUNK
MOUNTAINS.

During nearly all the first week in May exceedingly
destructive fires raged in the forests of the Shawangunk
range, in Ulster and Orange counties. Near Ellenville,
Ulster county, the damage was very extensive. Thousands
of acres have been burned over, and young timber,
cordwood fences, railroad, ties, houses, barns, &c., to
a Large extent destroyed. At one time, from the
village named, were seen fires raging at twenty-
seven different points in the mountains. One of these
fires was persistently fought by a company of men who
turned out for the purpose ; but it swept over the timber
lands of some of the property owners, completely destroy-
ing the trees, woodpiles, fences, &c., which it met in its
devouring path, The loss of a single one of the owners is
estimated at $l,BOO. Another owner lost 160 cords of
cut wood, besides all his growing timber. At one time it
was feared that the village itself would be destroyed, so
near to it did the raging element approach. But by
the efforts of the population the progress of the fire
in the direction of their village was arrested. At Drowned
Lands, Greenfield, Diigsville, and Oak Ridge, localities
situated a few miles froin Ellenville, much property was
destroyed. Large numbers of men were employed in the
woods watching and fighting the fires day and night. In
short, the Shawangunk region has been devastated by
these fires to a greater extent that in many years previous,
and the loss will amount to many thousands, possibly
hundreds of thousands, of dollars. For many days thick
clouds of smoke hovered over the valley and clung along
the mountain side, while by night the long lines of flame
stretching away for miles presented a most sublime spec-
tacle. It is said that these fires are kindled every spring
by parties interested in the huckleberry crop, who take
this means of promoting the growth of the berry that
furnishes them a profitable livelihood.

ANSON BURLINGAME'S SKILL WITH THE
PISTOL.

Speaking of the Burlingame-Brooks affair, a correspon-
dent of the Chicago Evening Journal relates the following :
—After the challenge had been given by Brooks and
accepted by Burlingame, and the point of meeting been
fixed in Canada, both parties claimed a little time to
arrange some matters before leaving Washington. Bur-
lingame completed his preliminaries in a few hours and
left with his friends for New York, where he
arrived about eleven o'clock in the morning ;
and not having practised with the rifle for
some time, it was suggested that he had
better repair to some gallery and try a few shots. The
party entered a gallery on Broadway, near Canal-street,
and Burlingame used the rifle ten times, nine out of
which he hit the exact centre of the target and the tenth
within one-half an inch. It was not known by any one
present what the object of the visit was, or who the
parties were. As they left the gallery the proprietor re-
marked that he had witnessed, in his time, some accurate
shooting, but nothing that equalled this. Burlingame
and his friends pursued their journey toward Canada.
Brooks and his friends left Washington some twelve
hours after; and on arriving in Philadelphia, were tele-
graphed by a gentleman, who, as it was subsequently as-
certained, left Washington with the Burlingame party,
and who was carefully watching all their movements of the
result of the shooting in the Broadway Gallery. At this
point arose the question with Brooks, of his possible arrest
on his journey through New York ; and to avoid this
contingency he thought it best to return to return to
Washington. On inquiring into the antecedents of Mr.
Burlingame, it was ascertained that his early years had
been spent in the west, where he gained the reputation of
being an expert marksman with the rifle. How much
the gallery shooting on Broadway had to do with the
return of Brooks and his party to Washington, is a matter
of little moment now ; but, happily for Massachusetts,
the result of this affair secured her from any further an-
noyances from such men as Preston Brooks.