The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-11-08
DOMESTIC MISCELLANY.

Valley Railroad-As the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, and the city Of Baltimore have both now
made their subscriptions TO this road, its compile
ton is assured, and it will be put under contract
from Stanton to Salem as soon - possible. So
ends this long sought and important improvement
important to all parts of the Valley of Virginia,
and to none more 80 than to Lexington.
Fires in wiscOnsin.-The Green Bay Adrocate
Of October 18th, has an editorial upon the great
FIRE At Peshtgo, which was so destructive to life
and property, from which We abstract the follow
ing:
PHENOMENA OF TIE FIRE.
There are some phases of the great calamity
which fell upon this region last week, worthy of
scientific Investigation. The testimony of the
cOOer-headed survivors of the fires az PeshtigO,
the Sugar Bush and WillamsonviHe, is united as
70 one phenomenon. They say the fire did not
come upon them gradually from burning trees or
other objects to the wiOdward, but the first notice
they had Of it was u whirlwind of fame in great
clouds, from above the tops of the trees, which
fell upon and enyeloped everything
THE ATMOSPHERE SEEMED ONE OF FIRE
The poor people inhaled it, or the intensely hot
air, and fell down dead This is verified By the
appearance OF many OF the cOrpses They were
found dead In the roads anC open spaces, where
there were n0 visible marks of fire near by, with
not trace Of burning upon their bodies or cloth
ing. AT the Sugar Bush, which is an extended
q N IN
were found IN the open road, between fences which
we're only slightly burned. No mark OF FIRE was
upon them, but they lay there, as if asleep.
This phenomenon seems to explain the fact that
so many we're killed in compact masses. They
seem to have huddled together in what was evil
IDENTIFY regarded az the moment as the safest places,
away from buildings, trees, or other inhammabe
material, and there TO have died together.
We hear the universal testimony that the pre-,
vsiling idea among the terrOr-strckeu people of
those places was that the last day had come.
Growing Library.-The Library of Congress
has 230 coo volumes, aud additions are made at
the rate Of u 900 volumes annually. A large pOr-
ton OF this vast collection is trash, worth
the Shelt.ToOm lt occupies. Under the present law
copy OF every work published must be sent to
the library, and thus 1t Is easy to see that much
worthless stuff must accumulate.
Ready for all Things "A lady has started paper
at Portland, Oregon, which she calls the Nao
N0TthUeSt. Her sautatOry opens in this vigorous
style: We have served regular apprenticeship
at WOrkBg-WaShing Serubbing, patching, darn
ing ironing, plain sewing, raising babies milking,
ohurBug, and poultry raising. We have kept
boarGeTs taught school, taught music, written for
the newspapers. made speeches, aud carried on an
extensive millinery and dressmaklng. We can
prove by the public that this work has been we'll
done Nov, having reached the age OF thiTty-Six.
and having brought up family OF boys to set
Tyre, aud daughter to run the mllenery store, we
propose to edit and publish a newspaper; and We
intend TO establish it as one Of the permanent In
stitutions ct the country.
The Wonderful Developments which the discovery
OF gold 10 California anu Australia oecasiOned, by
the sudden and enormous migration of gOd-Seek
erS to regions previously almost unknown, fresh
within the memory Of all. The discovery of dla-
mond field last year, induced large deportation
OF labor from England to its distant colony In
II A Al. f,M
Ia journals, The excitement over the recent dlScOv-
eries at Winnipeg is on the increase. This new
III Dorado is represented as richer in gold than
California OF Australia The new field Of wealth
is but a short distance from Silver Iset, in Lake
Superior one of the richest silver regions in the
world, about one hundred and fifty miles from the
copper mines OF Oatonagon. Hundreds, il is said,
are swarming to that place, and labOrers employed
on the highways aud government works have given
up work and emgrated in body to the new gold
fields.
Charles seribner & Co. have undertaken the publ
cation OF "A Library OF Travel, Exploration and
Adventure, to be edited by Mr.. Bayard Taylor,
and 70 be Illustrated With a prOfusion OF original
engTaviDgs. The work is intended to furnish
complete and picturesque account of the most eel
ebTsted regions visited by modern travellers, each
volume to De devoted to special country, and
forming a separate unit in itself, independent OF
the remainder Of the series.
Hurd EoughtOn, the publishers Of the Ameri-
can edition ct Dr.. William Smiths Dictionary
Of the Bible" edited by Professor II. 3. Hackett
aud Ezra Abbot LII d.. began the work as a
subscription work, issuing It in parts, aud after It's
completion. they followed the same plan OF publ
cation. They now announce that they have put
the book in the regular trade, and that hereafter
buy ers can ind II at the book stores.
Insurance and suicide-An important principle
has been determined by the courts in regard to life
insurance, where death is caused by suicide. Says
the BROOKLYN Times: An Insurance Company
that sets up the plea of suicide, in order to avoid
paying the policy, must show that the insured
committed suicide expressly to deiraud the com
pany. lii he committed suicide as Prot Mahan,
IRON insanity, II affords no valid plea against the
legal claim Of the policy This is an important
principle and one that seems preeminently just,
Destruction Of nmber.-It is estimated that not
less than $1,000 square miles in the Northwestern
States have been completely devastated by the hre
A Useful Maohine.-It is computed that the In
veltiop OF the late Henry Burden, of Troy, n. y,
for horse shoe machine, the patent OF which has
been extended for seven years from the SOth OF
June, 1871, has saved the public $50, 500 600 dur
ing the last fourteen years.
Value Of Old Timber Trees.-An English paper
says that 80 oak trees were recently sold atauctlor
az Rurchley Park and realized prices as follows
The whole 80 brought 1920, averaging Slll
each. The scarcity of timber in our country, both
from enormous consumption and the devastation
by 6res, will soon make some of our old timber
lands and big forest trees left standing very val
liable property for the owner We need law II
this state not only giving bounty upon new tree
set out, but compelling every one who cuts down
tree to replace it, by setting out another new one
The Apple Crop of Michigan.-The fruit growers
Of Michigan are in a glow Of excitement and en-
thusiasm. The crop is the largest ever produced
and the quality of superior degree. Every 10
shipped off has brought back orders for more
Michigan apples have fine reputation in the mar
ket At DOwagiac there has already been shipped
nearly 5000 barrels. Other fruit towns hay,
shipped from 2 GOO to 5000 barrels, and the ship
ping of winter apples has just begun. They ar
now paying in the different towns, for fall fruit
toSI50 per barrel; for winter apples, $3.50 to 81
In some Of the towns there is not full supply o
barrels \ few Of the heavy fruit dealers hav
been obliged to start cooper shops for their suppl
Of barrels, and very large amount OF winter ap
pies Will not be shipped in the season Of gather
ing, for the want of barrels which are now s9lin
for forty to fifty cents.