American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-14
Tcommunicated.l

lLUttVJS pTcncHt INV LOT newspaper post
age is in itself sufficiently foolish. III foolish
because no human being can understand it. 1t
is foolish because the thousand and one conditions
and distinctions, so far as capable of being un-
derstood, cannot be remembered, even by post
masters much less by the millions needing the
use of the post Office. tbs foolish because many
parts Of it, when understood and remembered,
will not be used Persons will not be likely to
pay hye cents for sending a newspaper, when
the same matter can be sent in letter for three
cents, such cases being liable to occur. lts4 sif
As foolish and as ridiculous as is this law in
itself, it is made more so by the dictum of Mr.
FiL Henry Warren, or some other solicitor,
occasioned by the incomprehensiblenes Of this
national arrangement affecting the commercial,
intellectual political, social, and moral inter
| ests Of our citizens, more than all the laws of
our nation besides put together. The post Office
dictum upon transient letters will certainly
bring upon the head Of the dictator the whole
| weight of the American press-Poe's latest and
| all-which cannot fail to suggest seasonable
retreat from step fraught with so much danger
by its certainty of leading not only to odium
but defiance. To say the least, it is impracti-
cable, as is already found by A MERCHANT
FEMININE CHIvALRY THE Louisville Courier
gives the following account of an affair which
transpired at Lexington, (Ky.) on Monday Of
last week a0atEa ea .rt Gna6a 7sr sIlggt ".
al"A short time since young lady of some
fifteen years. a Miss Merrill ran off with q man
whose name we did not hear, and was married
at Aberdeen, opposite Maysville. More re-
Gently, some difficulty having taken place be-
tween the parties, the man stated publicly that
the marriage was sham, and cast reflections
on the character of his wife. Incensed thereat,
and burning with a desire for revenge, the in
jured lady begged her brother and ,brother-in-
law to resent the insult; but they failing to
comply with her wishes, the resolutef female
took the matter in her own hands. She pro-
cured pistols, and having familiarized herself
with their use, she sailed out in quest Of her
husband. Meeting him on Main street, she
drew pistol, and placing IT at his head, pulled
| the trigger. In her hurry and agitation she
had only half cooked it, and it would not go off.
In another moment it was properly fixed and
discharged, but the man having in the mean
time turned round, the contents, consisting Of
three buckshot, only grazed his arm and back,
inficting flesh wounds without doing any serious
, damage. Thinking she had killed him, the lady
gave herself in charge of a magistrate; but soon
ascertaining he was only slightly hurt, she drew
t another pistol and started after him again. He
had employed his time to good advantage, how
ever, and succeeded in making his escape and
, secreting himself. The citizens of Lexington
: were SO incensed against him, that, in order to
avoid being ynehed, he fled the city that night"
FOURTH OF JuLY.-AtLowei Massachusetts,
one or two decidedly new features were intro
duced in the celebration of the 4th of July.
t The whole town seems to have participated
in the festival, with an evident determination
to make it as vvacious as il is ordinarily noisy
and dull Besides the military and civic dis
n plays there was n parade of q company, the
"Antique and Horrible Artillery" I" whose fun
consisted in wearing all the quaint and old
fashioned garments that could be raked and
scraped together in the country. Hats of enor-
nous size, and dickeys Of prodigious height and
Stiffness alternated with knee breeches and
hooped petticoats. The captain wore a coat
which, on the 18th of June, 1775, covered Ban
croft, of Pepperell, Bunker Hill soldier. One
of the soldiers wore richly embroidered vest,
which was once the property of Gen. Sullivan.
| Ancient vehicles were put in use, well as
ancient costumes, and dilapidated chaises and
carryalls were filled with the most venerable
couples.
But in contrast with the older dresses came
some five hundred young ladies from the fac
tories, dressed in the new style which has taken
the name of its protector Mrs. Bloomer.
How THEY MAKE THEvEs.-At New York
they have secret society of Chevaliers d. In
dustrie in an obscure part Of the city, where
they train the rising generation Of the lower
orders TO become expert thieves. The founder,
known as "Little Felix" an arrant wretch, is
at present rusticating in that pleasant, calm
villa, called Sing Sing prison, where he viii sing
to the tune Of close confinement
Says an exchange;
zone Of the modes Of conveying to the pupils
thoroughly practical as well as theoretical
knowledge Of the art is so ingenious as to merit
detail: Across two poles, in the centre Of the
training room,' is extended long, thin line Of
4 wire, communicating at its extremities with two
bells Over this line are thrown several gar
ments Of various shapes and sizes, the pockets
Of which are filled with certain marked coins of
different values. The room is then rendered
perfectly dark, and the pupil, who has pre-
yiously been kept in an ante-room, is then re-
quired to enter the training room,' and to ex-
tract from any one Of the garments aforesaid
any desired coin which operation, il unsuccess-
fnlly performed, causes the bells to ring, and
thus discovers the clumsy or timid youngster
who cannot keep up with bis class.
aIn consequence of some treachery on the
part of one of the band, the chief Of police was
put upon the scent Of this promising society,
| few days ago, and the capture Of the majority
Of its mem bers, and the complete dispersion Of
the remainder, have been the satisfactory re-
suits"
The MoDRL Hu.sBASD.-Mrs Smith has COM
pany to dinner, ana there are not strawberries
enough, and she LOOKS OF Mr., Smith WIN
sweet smile, and offers to help MN, "a. u.
same time kicking him gently with her snPpeT
under the table, He always replies, no
thank you dear, they don't agree "i'" me-
ILLUSTRATORS OF THE NEW POSTAGE Law
\ Yesterday. when our post office messenger took
to the Post Office the usual exchange hles OF
tbc Da,lv Sun. sent to the Office Of the Sand
wich Island papers, by way Of California, he
was informed that they could not go unless they