The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-12-08


Mr. DEAR GATE CRY Permit me, - for
merly practical teacher, and ono interested
in education, to call the attention OF your
readers once more to the superior excellence
of the performances at the Atheneum last
Friday evening. The singing, the reading,
and the defamation, were each OF tho best
such as can only be secured by good taste in
the first place, and thorough training in the
second and both these are due to teachers
teachers that appreciate their work and know
how to perform it. Knowing something OF
Public Schools and Academies in New York
and New England, am prepared to shy that
the exhibition Of last Friday evening would
do credit to the best Of them; nay, more,
that such q standard Of excellence in each OF
the three departments named, is rarely at
tanned in any Of them, do no, believe that
there il city in the United States that en-
joys better Public School than keokuk.--
And since it is emphatcally good teachers
that make good schools, il is to be hoped
that discerning public will not be nsensi-
BILE to the merits OF our very effabe Superin-
tendent and bis accomplished coadjutors--
especially that it will not suffer any Of them
to 90 long unpaid, nor commit the unpardon-
able sin and folly of driving away such a
corps Of public servants by neglect and in
Justice. Whatever other straits we may be
reduced to, We cannot afford any resrench.
ment in this line Nor can the poor janitor,
let me add, afford to wait all winter for his
meagre pittance.
Fellow citizens, let us be Just as we'll as
generous. MERcuRY.
sir John Franklin.
DIR. Rae, the famous overland arctic ex.
plorer, delivered lecture before the Geo.
graphical Society, in New York, on Thursday
evening, and exhibited some of the relics OF
the expedition of Sir John Franklin, which
he had secured, consisting of spoons and
forks, with the family crest Of the lost navi-
gator two silver and one gold watch cases,
two needles with thread in them, bnttons
and other small articles. lie said that he
had met several parties Of Esquimaux, from
whom these and other relics had been OBJ
tanned. lie did not believe that Sir John
Franklin's party had been murdered, but
was inclined to believe the story Of the Es-
qaimaux, which was substantially as fol-
lows:
A party Of Esquimaux were OF killing
seal. They saw forty white men pass by
with sledges. When they (the Essuimaux)
had finished sealing thsy followed the tracks
of the sledgss until they came to low point
OF land, where they found lot OF bodies In
. very wasted condition.
DIR. Rae concluded that they must have
died in June 1850. Sir John Franklin left
England in l845. He had only three years.
provisions, which could not be made to last
four years in that climate without extensive
additions. No expedition had been able to
stay four years 10 SO high a latitude without
getting the scurvy. The Esqaimaux agree
ia saying that there was no old man in the
party; so Sir John must have gone before.
He asked the Esquimaux why they did not
feed them, but they answered that they were
almost starved themselves. Starvation, he
found, carried of the Esquimaux Mt times.
Terrible Eighl with u Rear.
A correspondent Of the Lewisburg (va.)
Era, writing from Nicholas county, tells the
following story:
A few evenings since, Mr.. VIM. O. Barnett
went out with his dog in search Of game, aud
having come within gun. shot of huge bear,
fred upon and mortaliy wounded it, the bali
breaking the back Of the beast and rendering
the hind legs entirely useless. In attem ptiug
to reload his gun it was accidentally dis
charged. The dog WAS now engaged in a
death struggle with the bear, and Mr. Barnett
approached and endeagored to dispatch the
latter with his hunting knife. As he was
about to make stroke bis foot slipped, and
he fell almost into the arms of the mon.
ster.
Raising himself partially up, in a sitting
posture, his right arm still grasping his knife,
with which he aimed at the head 81 the bear
several effective blows-one, however, missing
his mark, intlicting deep horizontal cash in
his own right leg, above the knee. Az soon
az the bear, eager for revenge, discovered
this mistake, he caught the leg in his Jaws,
tearing it horribly. Finally Mr.. h. succeed
ed in disengaging himself, while the bear,
very nigh exhausted, retreated several wards
down the mountain steep, where, from the
effects Of the shot and cuts, he instantly ex-
pred. MIR. b. feeling his helpless condition,
and fast growing WEAK from loss Of blood,
resolved, in his weak state, to prove more
than conqaeror, reloaded his gun dragged
himself down the hill, and shot his antago on.
ISL the second time, the bear being some mo-
ments dead, although his antagonist could do
no harm. Mr.. Barnett was dangerously
wounded aud four miles from any house. As
final expedient, he tore strip from his
hunting shrs, and dipping it 10 the blood
which howed from his wound in the leg, be
tied il around the dogs neck, and with much
persuason sent him away. The faithful ami
NAL. apparently conscious Of the Importance
OF his trust, went directly 10 the house of one
OF bis masters friends, and in every possible
way made known his crrand. Help arrived,
and MIR. Barnett was carried to his home, but
It is feared that bis Injuries will prove fatal.
Baltimore Pictured.
The Lonisyllse Courier il All artist. See