The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-23
DOMESTIC SUMMARY.

rels, lime, and cement, were stored The fire,
from its location, created considerable alarm,
but the flames were put out with very little
loss. Surrounded with other shops, the spot
was bad one for FIRE to break out, but the
pronptness with which the 6remen responded
prevented the flames from spreading.
The State Department has received two large
cases OF presents from the Emperor of Japan.
The cases are filled with silk robes, exhibiting
every variety OF japanese manufacture. The
cases were sent by Gen. Cass to the Patent
OhIce. letter of thanks will be forwarded to
the Emperor, to be presented by Mr.. Harris.
A letter from the Emperor accompanied the
cases. 1t is understood the Japanese Commits
sioners will arrive at an early day.
The LATE Frost AND ITS EFFECTS. We
continue to-day our extracts from the country
press, to show the extent and effects of the late
| frost.
In giving these extracts we omit everything
but what relates to wheat and rye In every
| quarter the information is uniform that the
corn, potatoes, and garden vegetables, were cut
| down and we ask the reader to bear in mind
that this is the fact everywhere, within the
region of the frost visitation, and hence there
is no necessity for repeating it in every extract
The only variation is in regard to wheat and
rye, and our extracts are from papers in all the
injured territory.
The impression left on our minds, after wait
ing a week and looking over the whole field, is,
that the disaster is a tremendously heavy one
within the injured district, and that the local
loss will fall with terrible weight on the suffer
ers. Happily, the country is wide, and the
frost has visited but comparatively narrow
strip OF it, The general production will not
therefore be measurably affected; but this will
not mitigate the injury inflicted upon the in
diyiduals and communities whose lot is cast
| within the smtten bounds.
The outline of the territory visited by the
| frost is now pretty well defined. Beginning on
the top of the great Alleghany range of noun
tains, and running north to line parallel with
the lakes and south to a line parallel with Lex
ington, KY, it extended west to the Mississippi
Beyond that, either east or west it did but little
damage; and its force seems to have begun
fading out at Dayton, Ohio, from which point
westward it fell but lightly and did but little
| damage. From Dayton eastward to the Al
leghanies, including the entire country between
| the Canada shore on the north and the Ohio
river on the south, with slight margin on
| either side, the heaviest portion of the frost
fell and 1t was the central portion of this ter
ritory that suffered most, the frost growing
lighter and tapering off both north and south
of the central line. The smitten territory,
therefore, embraces Western New York West
ern Pennsylvania, Western Virginia, and the
whole of Ohio; but the portions worst smitten
are Western PennSy lvania and Virginia, and
| tho central or backbone counties of Ohio. Jn
the portions last enumerated the wheat and
| rye are almost entirely cut off; while in the
other portions the injury to those grains is
varied, in some cases amounting to very little,
nd th.atJ l,,l
| " total loss PatsJu1yh Gazette
| The improvement Of the Falls of the Ohio
river with view to the better accommodation
| of the vast amount of trade that will continue
| to seek water accommodation between Pitts
| bnrgh, Cincinnati, st. Louis, Louisville and
| New Orleans, is claiming new attention at the
| West, and various projects are being discussed
| and urged upon the attention of the Genera
| Government
| On Monday morning last, the wife of Mr.
William Read, OF Montgomery county, Md.
| gave birth to three female children. The
mother and children are doing well. Three
years ago, Mrs K. presented her husband with
| twin sons.
| There seems to be much excitement at Nor
| folk concerning the mysterious murder of the
female slave OF Mrs. Palmer. On Monday, Mrs
p. was brought before the Mayor and held tc
bail in 5 900 to appear before the Hastings
Court.
| Judge Law of Evansville, Indiana, in re
| cent letter to the Commissioner of Patents
says: " | met, at the house of friend, the other
day, pawpaw brandy. If it had age, should
think it would be superior liquor. The dis
| tiller remarked that the pawpaw, which is in
| digenOus to our bottom lands, yields more spirit
to the bushel than any other fruit, and that he
| has contracted for 900 bushels to dst the
coming season. A bushel of the fruit will yield
two gallons of spirit"
| We notice in our exchange papers, this sum
| rner, an unusual number of cases Of death by
| lightning reported.
| The General Post Office is in receipt Of in
telligence of the robbery of the post office at
Newport, r. l., by burglars. 1t is not believed
that many valuable letters are lost. Special
agent Holbrook will investigate all tie circum
stances of the affair, and report to the Depart
ment.
| The General Post Office has adjusted the
| accounts Of postmasters for the quarter ending
| December 81, 1853. This adjustment shows
an increase in the revenues over the preceding
| quarter amounting to $93294,7G.
| On Sunday night last, incendiares attempted
to burn the railroad bridge across the Misss-
| sippi from Rock Island to Davenport, and for
this purpose brought to the spot the following
| horrible list of cOmbustibles: One wooden
| bucket two-thirds full Of tar one two-inch
| anger eight lbs. Of coarse blasting powder, in
an indigo box, done up in two separate papers
one willow market basket, with two dasea pint
bottles filled with varnish, each bottle wrapped
| with cotton wool, inside Of which was pull erized
saltpetre one two gallon jug, filed with cam
| phene; several punches Of laths: a quantity Of
| tarred oakum in sacks several pounds of roll
birthstone, partly pulverized one grappling
| hook, one clothes line cord, aud Que rope thir,
teen feet long.
| NJ. George Sumner, brother of Senator Sum
ner, has been selected by the city authorities OF
boston to deliver the Grafton at the forthcoming
anniversary of the Declaration OF Independence.
The Courier, in abiding to the fact, says
eve believe it is fltyone years ago this
year since Mr.. Summers father, the late Sheriff
Sumner, delivered Fourth Of July Grafton be.
fore the Republican Association of Boston,
HOWELL Cons SLAVES IN LucK.-Mr Sec
retary CQbhs negroeS are in better financial
Condition than the Treasury over which he pre-
sides, The Macon (Ga.) State Press says :
eve have been informed by our worthy
Mayor O. G. Sparks, Esq, of the firm Of
Hardeman Il Sparks of this city, that he has
sold the crop of cotton belonging to the negroes
Of Col. John b. Lamar and the Hon. Howell
Cobb, to James Rea for $3,9696l, This is all
clear money to them, and We are likewise in
formed that the same negroes sell sugar cane
sirup, chickena, and eggs, which amount to at
least one half as much more"
One Qay Later from EurOpe