The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-09-14
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

MILITARY MEN in New York, express
the conviction that the Prussians will not
attempt to take Paris, either by lombard.
ment or assault, but will seek 10 achieve
the same end by cheaper and surer means,
that's, by isolating it from the surrounding
country, 90 as to starye and worry It out,
Gen. Sheridan Is also reported TO have
expressed himself to that effect tin letters TO
friends here, written rs late rs August
18th. So that. aNer oil, the enterprise
promises to be u muchlmOre prOtraCted
one than the public generally seemed to
expect. tlgg1 9gti'GHil =.
THERE are some symptoms ofpoliticali
uneasiness in England, or rather Ofsuet q
shaping Of tue clements as may lead to
revolutionary manifestations. Its known
that great'pressure has been brought to
bear on tho British Government to use is
influence in favor Of pacifcation between
Prussia and France. 1t Is charged that
the personal Influence Of the Queen pre-,
vented any steps III that direction The
popular voice in London, as nlay be infer;
red from our dispatches, Is decidedly or:
posed to q prolongalion Of tic war, and Of
course to the same degree III favor Of nc.
liation by the nentral powers, There are
many complaints that the Queen Is ne
Rlectinp her public duties at this crisis,
TmRTY.Two men, ranking Us scrgeants,
have already been enlisted in the signal
corps, and are to be assigncd 70 duty,inI
tho different parts Of the country. THEY
arc at present cncamped at Fort Wllipplc,
near Washington, and are under compe-
tent instructors. The most advanced will
be examined this week and at once us,
signed for duty at the most Important
points, The whole number Il IS thought,
will be ready for assignment by the last q
this month, and tho system OF, telegrapll;.
ing and signaling the approach Of storms
and making observations Of the weather
practically begun. 4, 4 4 hg5.1oG..I .foiT5,
Nor. long since DR.. Mckinley, Of ST.
Louis, compiled statictics otinebriation in
the United States. Taking three hun
dred men, we find that one hundred and
twenty-five never drink spirits atall; one
hundred drink moderately, but not to in
toxication; fiEty are occasional drinkers;
twenty.fivcp periodically, called "spreeing,9
and three are habitual drunkands, q There
is one confirmed inebriate in every fifty
nine Of drinking men. Counting off seven |
hundred women, six hundred never taste |
alcoholics Of any kind; thirty taste wine
occasionally; seventeen taste ardent spirits;
thirty.six drink ale or beer constantly |
fourteen drink ardent spirits periodically,
and three are habitual inebriates. N-3
WE have. read and heard various anec.
dotes accounting for the origin Of the
phrase, "Gono up Salt River but none
of them seem so satisfactory to us as the
following Shortly after tue admission p
Missouri, candidate for Congress was
defeated by an overwhelming majority in
that State. Indeed, so badly was he
beaten that he determined to leave the
district in which he ran forthwith, with
out consulting. his neighbors. He retired
to the neighborhood Of Florida, Monroe
county, Shortly after, on being inquired |
for by sympathising friends, they were in.
formed that he had gone up Salt river"
Salt river, Missouri, is formed by three |
branches, which unite near Florida 1t
flows thence east, and after o serpcntine
course of reighty.five miles, enters the
Mississippi river, in Pike county. Small
steamboats, can ascend from its mouth to
Florida! There being n Salt river in
Kentucky, which empties into the Ohio, a
similar story Is reported oil a gentlcman
who run for Governor there some years
ago and who was, like the w0ul0!be Con-
gresham, badly beaten.t:c9 u on4.ia5E
MYSTERIOUS hints have been thrown
out from time 10 time to the effect that
some Of the modern combustiblO and In
flammable materials viii playa no incon.
part in the defense Of Paris.
General Rosccranz's former staff engineer
is confident that the defenders hive com.
plcted preparations for hurting nitro.glyc.
crime among the beaegers. We haYc no
doubt but that this dangerous substance
might be made very available inwar, that
enclosed in canisters or shells it might be
thrown by. the hand or discharged from
cannon so as TO create havoc among OPP,
posing forces. But this is u game Of which,
TWO can play, and in this instance nitro.
glycGrinG would prove far moro seryicearI
Bic 10 the, PrllsstGlls ,tllan 10 the French.
The former, by means OF enrthworks and
othcr artificial shelters, could protect
themselves from tile various deatll.dealiDg
employed against them, until
the time Of the final assault But the City
Of Paris would be constantly exposed to,
destruction by them. Hundreds Of fires
could DO occasioned oil over the city, and
half Of the defenders would DO kept busy,
in keeping down contlagrations Doubt.
less in time, were resistance persisted 10,
the city would be wholly destroyed, It
Is matter ofsurprtse that nitroglycerine
has not been employed against Strasburg
and Metz. IL, NJ, ' .,.,,'s.y D,iIi
IT Is hard for any community to have
I