, 1863-09-12
OF late if has been a subject of mucb

WIN duu htC HAlnSo NOiC OOho1i uOOOu anu
purchased simply as toys to please the eye,
or whether intended for public utility-to
aid in Suppressng fires. Of course the
purchase of an engine and the construction
of cisterns and suitable water facilties-at
cost of several thousand dollars-was
not done for "grandeur;" but it does seem
little strange hat the citizens of town
like Walla Walla would so far forget their
interests as to neglect to keep up fire or
ganization But such is the fact. We
have no Fire Company. The Engine
House certainly has not had a visitor with
in the last two months. The Engine must
be very rusty looking affair now. II. a
fire should occur in our present disorgan-
lied condition the Engine would be of no
service whatever. 1t might probably
serve to keep dozen or two men away
tinkering at it when they gould be better
employed with buckets. l4 d5Iij3 81.
Last fall and winter we had an organized
Fire Company, which, as long as the or
ganization was kept up was good enough,
and would have proved efficient and inval-
liable in time of fire but members dropped
off, one by one, until finally there was not
enough fremen left to pull the hose cart. -
A large number belonging to the Company
were '1oose men'S~9eut town-not perma-
nentIy located, and hence most Of them left
in the Spring for the mines and other To-
calities. q. uas aaa aH. u
We are informed that there is now a move
ment on foot to reconstruct" the old Fire
Company. This is as it should be- AS
winter approaches the danger of cOnAagra-
tions will be increased, and it behooves our
citizens TO see that we have well organized
fire department ready for emergencies. In
organizing Fire Company it should be
done with view to making it not only an
efficient, but also q permanent institution.
To be both efficient and permanent, it
should be composed, as much as possible, Of
resident property holders of the oity-men
who have a common interest in preserving
their property from the fiery element
Past experience should teach US that a
thorough going Fire Company can only be
had here by the permanent citizens taking
hold of the matter and allying themselves
to the organization. When this is done
we may expect to have No. Fire Com
pany, and not till then. .-
Since writing the above, the Secretary
of the old Company 1--WE thought it was
defunct) has brought in a notice that there
will be a drill on Saturday evening at 5
o'clock, and also meeting the same eve
ming at 7 IL o'clock. Firemen and citi-
zens generally are invited TO attend Turn
out, then, everybody. b..
ANOTHER KILL1Ne SCRAPE-Mr w.
w Clifford, gentleman well known in this
valley, was shot by another named Dewitt
c. French, on Tuesday last, on the Blue
Mountains some twelve or fifteen miles
from this place A dispute arose between
the parties in relation to some rail timber,
which French contended was upoh his prem
ises, and which Clifford was hauling off,
claiming that the timber did not belong to
the former legally; but if he could estab-
lish his claim to it by law he (GifCfd)
would pay all damages. 1t appears that
Clifford had a shot gun upon the ground
and some words about shooting ensued,
when French went away and procured him
self rife and returned Arriving upon
the ground he remarked eff there is any
shooting to be done now is the time TO do
it, and dropping down in a STOPPING po-
sition, fired Immediately at Clifford, the ball
passing through the central part of his
body. The deceased then handed his team
ster his gun, saying as he did so, that he
was shot. The teamster got him upon the
wagon and drove for home at the foot Of
the mountains, where the wounded man
died on Thursday morning last.
French had an examination before JUS
tice Massey, on Thursday, and was COM
mtted to the county jail to await the sit
ting of the U S. District Court, in Octo-
Der, to answer for the crime of murder.
RoBBERY-Three men, named Living
ston, Funkanstein and Schwartz, merchants
from Boise, were robbed on the road, while
on their way down from the mines this
week, of Sl1 900 They were encamped,
about two miles from Miller's on Burnt
river, and Messrs. Funkstein and Schwartz
were both sleep when the robbers came
upon thom Mr. Livingston, hearing
their approach rose up and tried to awaken
his companions, but was knocked down and
Invested of his money. The robbers, four
in number,) then took all the money be-
longing to the other two men and de-
camped Mr.. Livingston was unable to
identify any Of them
THE Crops IN GRAND RoNDE-Farm-
ers from Grand Ronde inform us that their
crops of grain promise fair yields. They
express the opinion that wheat, oais and
barley, can be produced as well there as in
any of the valleys of the Pacific. The
past seasons farming there has not been a