Worcester daily spy., 1861-12-24
GENERAL NEWS SUMMARY.


/ IL
The Medford fire worshippers nre still on
the alert. Sunday they crossed the town line
into Stoneiam, and set fire to an ice house on
| Forrest street, owned by Michael Benson,
which was totally destroyed. Damage $1,000.
| partially insured. The fire was set at nine
o'clock in the morning, and was one of the
| boldest acts of incendiarism committed in that
| town.
| On the 18th inst, seven children, four sons,
| and three daughters, Of the late Major Samuel
Hastings of Lexington, met at the house OF the
you"gest daughter. The oldest son is in his
18th year-the youngest is in his Goth. The
grandfather Of the above children died ut the
age OF 80, in the year 1920
Mr.. Joel Fox OF Dracut suddenly expired on
Saturday noon, while standing near the stove
in the Lowell post Office building. He was rs
years of age, and leaves family.
HAMPDEN COUNTY.
The two story wooden block ON Main street
in Springfield, principally occupied by d. H.
Brigham & Co.'S clothing store, and dwelling
house in the rear, at an early hour Sunday
morning, were wholly consumed by fire. The
entire loss of the Messrs. Brigham was about
S25, 900; insured for S17, 900. of which 1000
was i'll the Peoples Mutual OF Worcester. The
block was owned by d. w. Barnes and was
insured for $4,000, Of which S2500 was in the
Peoples Mutual. The adjoining property
was considerably damaged b. water and the
intense heat.
jonathan Ferry, well known as doctor
Ferry" was killed by the cars at Palmer, ON
the 18th, while in a state of partial INSANITY
He left his home at d. A Calkins in Wilbra.
ham, and went to the Palmer post office for
his paper as was his custom, and on returning
home by the railroad train, was struck by the
engine of the express train from the east, and
died in a few hours. His age was 49,
a melancholy story is related of Miss
Bowles, OF Belfast, Me-, who, last week, was
sent to boarding school by her highly re.
specialize parents, preferred rather to run away
to MilYaukie, made an improper acquaintance
in the cars, and is now an inmate of brothe
in Springfield. She is only sixteen years of
age, and speaks French, German, and Eng
lsh.
VERMONT
Messrs. Ellis, Britton, and Eaton, Spring
field, VT, submitted a proposition to the gov.
ernment to employ liberated negroes. They
say that if the government will contiscate the
improved estates of rebel planters near Port
Royal, S. c., TO the extent of twenty thousand
acres, they will lease the lands and employ
five thousand liberated negroes to cultivate
them on terms favorable 10 the government
and to the men employed.
RHODE ISLAND.
The Providence Post says boat containing
two men named respectively Henry Lee and
Arnold Cornell OF Newport was upset in a
squall on Friday night, when both men were
drowned. Both men leave families TO mourn
their loss
MISCELLANEOUS.
Officer Robert Swift, vino went out in charge
Of portion of the stone feet, returned to New
Bedford, Saturday morning, having left Port
Royal on the l7th inst. Four of the vessels,
he says were sunk at Tybee Island below
Savannah for the purpose OF securing toun
dation for building wharf to land ordnance
and stores on the Island The remainder of
the fleet were at Port Royal, under orders to
sail that evening for Charleston in tow of
steam tugs.
Mr.. Robert Browning, husband of the laie
Mrs Elizabeth Barrett Browning, has made
his residence permanently IN London, where
he is preparing Tor publication large number
of poems, left in manuscript by his wife at her
death. Ii is said that some OF her most beau
tiful and finished productions were written
shortly before her decease
The dwelling house OF Gill Moore, in Sa-
rahsville, Noble county, Ohio, was burned to
the ground few nights since, and Mrs. Moore
with her four children, who were unconscious
ly asleep inside, were all utterly consumed
In Bavaria, Clermont county, Ohio, the boys
who are too young to go to the war have
formed company which they call the "Saw-
buck Rangers The members OF which agree
TO saw the wood of women whose husbands
are at the war.