The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-20
DOMESTIC SUMMARY.

MARROW ESCAPE OF RAILROAD TRAIN-
On Tuesday night bridge over the Otterdam
creek, on the Weldon and Petersburg railroad,
was destroyed by fire short time before the
passenger train from the South was due. Mr..
Theodore G.. Parham, residing nearly mile
off, fastened to the scene. and in the darkness
of the night Immediately built fires along the
track to the distance of half mile thus proba-
bly, saving the lives of all the passengers, as in
few moments after the train came along at
tremendous rate. Fortunately the fires on the
track were seen, and the train stopped in time.
The passengers held a meeting soon after, and
contributed S5o.15 to procure a set of silver
plate, to be presented to Mr. Parham and his
wife, for saving them from what must have been
a terrible accident. The railroad company, it
is stated, will increase the sum to one hundred
dollars.
BosToN HARBoR FROZEN UP.-The Boston
Journal, of Tuesday, says that the harbor is
frozen over with ice four inches thick, placing a
complete embargo upon all vessels unaided by
steam. People were crossing on the ice.
WONDERFUL INCREAsE.-The grain trade of
Chicago commenced in 1888, when Is bushels
were shipped. In 1910 il amounted TO 10000
bushels, in 1850 to l,830,93S, in 1856 to
u, 583, 22l, and in 1853 to 20, 035, &c bushels.
ANOTHER OVERLAND MAIL RouTE.-A large
meeting of the citizens of st. Paul, Minnesota,
was held on the 18th inst TO facilitate the open
ing of a mail route from ST. Paul to Pugets
Sound.
MARRIAGE BY PRoxY.-Rev. DR.. Gregory
pronounced at De Veux College, Suspension
Bridge, the marriage ceremony between parties
who were not at the time within 5000 miles of
each other. 1t was done by proxy--the lady's
father acting as proxy for the bridegroom. The
affair took place the opening of the New
Year, under the following circumstances
" The bride, for seven years a resident of
California after the death of her former hus-
band, became engaged to gentleman residing
in that State, but having large landed proper
ty in Mexico. BY some arrangement between
the parties, the lady returned to her paternal
home, at st. GATHERINGS, Canada West, where
her intended was to meet her about this time,
and claim her as his bride. The recent troubles
in Mexico, however, being in the vicinity of his
plantations, demanded his immediate presence
in that country, and forbade his coming North
to fulfil his engagement. He therefore frankly
wrote to her of the circumstances which detain-
ed him, and enclosed a regularly executed
power of attorney which authorized the lady's
father to stand in the stead of the bridegroom,
and for him to enter into matrimonial VOWS.
The papers being executed in the United States,
it was thought necessary to have the ceremony
performed OH this side the Niagara, and father
and daughter came over to the De Veux Col
lege, and the lady became the legal wife of her
California lord. She will sail for her Pacific
home about the 9Th of February, and there join
her proxy husband, or seek him in the wilds of
Mexico. This is an uncommon event in this
country though it is sometimes practiced in
England. The lady is of English birth, and
highly ducated,-BufalO Courier.
LATER From THE PLANs.-.S. Louis. Jan.
l3.--Col. Sumner has left here, en- route for
Fort Leavenworth with orders from the War
Department 1t is thought that his transfer to
that post has reference to the disturbances in
the southern part of Kansas
A gentleman from Salt Lake ON November
2Gth gives painful account OF suffering among
men and animals on the plains, in consequence
of the cold. Men were found frozen to death at
nearly every station on the route. Ten of Ma
jor Islissell's men were frozen to death at one
time. The snow was very deep, and the weather
colder than had been known for thirty years
the mercury standing at u deg. below zero.
The RIGDoN MURDER IN BALTIMoRE-CoN-
yIcrIoN OF CRoPPs.-The trial of Marion
Crops, indicted, with Peter Corrie, for the
MURDER OF ponce Olncer hlgdOn, was closed yes
terday bya verdict against the prisoner of
Murder in the first degree The jury as was
expected from the unbroken and irrefutable
mass of testimony tracing the murder directly
to the accused, found no difficulty in coming to
an agreement. and, after brief absence from
the courtroom, returned and announced their
Observation-Disclosures american, Jan. II.
SLAVE BuRNING-We some weeks since pub
lished an account Of the murder of a planter
in Alabama by his slave. The following, from
the Union Springs Gazette, of that State, tells
of the summary punishment of the slave
"The deceased has the reputation of having,
even to fault, ever been kind and humane
master. On the day before the murder, Mr.. j.
had whipped this boy Milford, or. had him
whipped. for some misdemeallor, and had him
chained or locked till Monday morning, when
he went TO him. took off his chain, and told
him to go to the mill and go to work The
boy made some impudent reply, when Mr.. j.
told him if he did not stop his insolence he
would knock him down with lock, and turned