Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1869-12-20
Ganernl Items.


miles beyond Winchester. The grading on
the route is nearly completed. 1877
The season just closed'ppsents sad record
for the Gloucester, Mass, fisherman. Sixteen
vessels were wrecked, involving pecuniary
loss Of more than $s4 900, and 6fty-siI fisher
men were drowned, leaving twenty-five widows
and twenty EIGHT fatherless children.
OF the late George Pesbody's property IN
England under e4OO, 900, he wills el5O,Ooo to
London charity, payable in three years the
balance is divided in small lesacics toindlvid-
uals and among bis relatives in America. Ills
property in America is estimated at less than
$1,000, 600.
The Grand Lodge OF Masons commenced its
sessions at Richmond Monday night. There
are two hundred and eleven representatives
present from two hundred and thirty three
lodges, and commissioners from West Virginia,
Louisiana and Ireland. The question OF adj
hitting lodges composed exclusively of colored
alleged Masons, under the jurisdiction of the
Grand Lodge of Virginia, will be reconsid-
cred.
DEAp.-Mr. Abel Jackson, who was stab
bed on Tuesday night at his resident in Peters
burg, Va, by VIM. P. Mann, died Of his
wounds on Friday. The parties to the ARRAY
were old friends, and both of them were about
70 years of age. Mann has been committed
to Jail.
The Rockingham Register says a " Rocking
ham girl married to Clarke farmer, in send
ing the money for her subscription to the Reg
lister, incidentally informs us that her husband
raised $50 bushels of wheat the last season on
u acres of land, being very nearly "a bushels
per acre. That is capital farming, quite as
good as many of the best Rockingham farmers
have ever done"
Wells County, Indiana has got some of the
soonest women yet discovered A young man
from the East married one of them few days
since, and in forty-eght hours by the Their
mometer, she gave vent to her feelings, which
was boy. The man says he has learned
something that he never knew before.
Mary Travers colored, tSays the Hdrrenton
Mder) was arrested in town last week on the
charge Of obtaining bounty on fraudulent pa
pers, carried TO Washington, tried before Com
missioner Hnan, and held to bail in the sum
of $1,000. 1t rs alleged that her child was
bar to her recovery Of claim, and
that she procured evidence ofits sickness, death
and burial; and that Investigations made after
she secured the money, disclosed the fraud, Q
doll baby instead of q real child being found
in the coffin.
Judge Grier, of the L. S. Supreme Court,
has rendered to the President his resignation
of his seat on the bench, to take effect'the lst
of February next. This is done under tho
recent act of Congress, which provides for re-
firing members with salary, when they are
over seventy years of age.
A fund is being raised in New York city to
defray the expenses of Netherlands defense.
A letter says:
"Seth b. Hunt, Esq has put his name
down for FIVE hundred dollars, and 4. r. Emo
lsEsq.. for one hiindrc,l' dollars. The prisoner
is said to be wholly, without REQUIRES of his
own The amount his friends are DESTROYS Of
obtaining is five 'theusan1dollars..' ~
We like. one sentiment, at least, in the New
York Independent. 1t says: In order to in
crease our circulation, we shall not hang around
the skirts of associations, societies or rings, OF
cliques, or any body of men, or of individuals
pleading for influence or endorsement. We
ask no help as a charity to us from any quar-
ter, and we ask no one to subscribe to our
paper unless he thinks he can get his moneys
worth in sound. practical useful knowledge"
The Stanton Spectator says that Maggie
Mitchell a negro woman, left her child, a year
old, in the hay-loft of Edward Burke's stable
in that place, on Tuesday night week, aud told
her mother that the Gipsies had stolen it.
When found next morning, it was nearly frozen
The South Carolina Legislature has passed a
bill to pay in coin the interest on the State
debt, which amounts to something over six
millions also, bill requiring insuranc com
panics doing business in the State to deposit
with the State $4,000 of its bonds
An internal revenue assessor and United
States cavalryman, who were searching for
Illicit whiskey stills in the mountains of Lee
and Marion counties, West Va, a few days
ago, were shot and badly wounded by bush
whackcrs.
Rev David Trout, died at his home, in Front
Royal Warren county, Va, on the 9Th inst. He
had long been on the retired list of ministers
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. not having
preached only on special occasions for anumber
of years, owing to many bodily infrmities He
was a very exemplary man.
The Rev W. C. Meredith, and Col. +. W.
NJ Holiday, of Winchester, will sail from
Baltimore, January 10th for tour in Europe.
ENGINEER CORPS DisBANDED.-The engi-
neer corps in charge of Assistant Engineer
Addison Marbury lsays the alexandria Ga
zetel having finished running the experimental
lines Of the proposed extension Of the Alexan-
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