The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-21

ssrcasm are great. and they sparkle amidst
the strength of logic like gems that deck the
brow of purity and beauty
-><---
ICE BREAK AT ST. LOUIS.
The ice carnival held here Sunday had been
preceded by a similar one, and far more dis
astrous, at St. Louis upon Saturday. The
river closed about A. NJ. of that day. Three
hours later the crowds we're passing it upon
foot. In another three hours the ice had again
broken from its mooring and was passing
down stream. There was about three hun
dred persons on the ice at the time ofthe |
time of the break up. Luckily, however, it
moved in a solid mass, and though with many
perilous adventures the crowd upon the river
escaped. A deck band - as killed bv being
=. ack by an iron ring, when one of the boats
| was torn from its moorings.
The destruction Of steamboat property is
immense, seven vessels were totally destroyed,
| and thirteen others damaged in vanous
amounts from $4,000 TO $4,000 each. No
disaster to the shipping interest of equal mag
nitude has occurred in St. Louis since the
winter of 1861, when twenty seven vessels
were destroyed. To add to the confusion one
of the vessels took fire bu, fortunately soon
after sunk. The vessels Totally lost are the
Highlander, St. Croix, Geneva, Calypso,
Sioux City, Empire City, hnd Admiral. Those
damaged are the Belle Memphis, South Wes-
ter, Argonaut No. ., Mollie McPike, Diadem,
Cora, BanIock City, Hattie May, Montans,
Big Horn, Omaha and Metropolitan. Some
of the above boats will probably prove total
loss.
Sundays st. Louis Press says: "There
we're at one time fully twenty thousand peo-
excited, many got on the floating steamers,
whilst others would get as near the edge of
the river as possible. Chains six inches in d-
ameter, and ropes of the same size, were
snapped in two as if they were merely sewing
thread, whilst on the boats, the spars, blocks,
ropes and material were flying in all direc-
tons. The Alton Packet Company's wharf
boat was literally mashed into fragments,
and the keokuk, Memphis and ferryboa'
wharfboats were all more or less injured. AT
dark the ice had again closed up the river. "
The Quincy Whig has had a conversation
with Major REYNOLDS, Assistant Commission
err of Freedmen at Natchez. His District
embraces twenty-five counties in Mississippi
and two parishes in Louisiana. The Whig
says the Major is reliable gentleman.
Hence we give facts in the South as he sees
them.
He says that the negroes in his district are
much more industrious than the poor whites.
They are notdisposed to renew their contracts
or make others until they find whether they
are to be paid on present contracts. The
"Black Code" recently enacted in Missis
sippi, alarms their fears and conArms them in
their purpose to be jealousy careful in ma
king contracts This is not proof of laziness
but rather of business tact.
'sThe prejudice against the Yankees IL
his district is little else than Il used to be
Once, it is true, ,there was power to make
f this hate practical in the shape Of tat aud
feathers, or at the end Of rope now, ntte
impotency makes this hate only ridiculous
, The Major gave an instance Of Southern hat'
, ofthe Yankee. A planter whose peeqniar.
J interests held his political prejudices in abey
ance, made contract with Union officer tt
manage his plantation, his old hands agreein,
to stay and work for Yankee. The plant
er's neighbors soon heard of the arrangement
| and before the officer could commence opera
tions, they waited upon the planter and in
| formed him that ha MUST hack down from thi
contract or they would burn his buildings
The planter backed dorn. 1t is insisted tina
the Southern people understand the negro
character, and should be allowed, withou
Congressional interference, to manage them
We suppose they should be moreover allowed
to manage the Yankees. Here is sample o
e their management.
. Major hEYsoLps states that the best mer
e South, nextt to Union men, are confederate
E soldiers The sneaks, stay at homes, etc.
T correspond in meanness and dunscrupulousnes
to our copperheads at the North. They ar
eut IHcu WIZ ccpCSiniy PCASSNoso hAS hC6AS
> are most unrelentingly opposed to Yankees
> and will do more than all others to curse tn,
: recoustructing States
: TIE "TRArroR'' LAWSUIT IN Bosros,-.Ir
6 the Supreme Judicial Court this morning
Chief Justice Bigelow set aside the verdict il
the case Of Sturtevant agt. Allen. The sui
will be recollected as one brought to recover
Ldanages ofthe defendant for reporting ths
plaintiff q secessionist and traitor to the
United States Marshal Of this district, in con
sequences of which the plaintiff claimed tha
. he was arrested and confined In Fort Lafay
ette eight days. The jury gave . verdict fo
$50 on the first count, for injury TO reputa
! ton, and fbr $32, 800 on the second count, fo
? arrest and imprisonment. A new trial ha
4 been ordered. Boston Journal, Dec. IL.
al
8 A negro claims that subsequent 10 the &C
of emancipation, he being ignorant Of the fac
that he was free, was induced by his owner
Mr.. Hunt te pay twenty-five hundred dol
/ &.nA3S<S L. :, -, ,l,r rv