The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-10-20

MELANCHOLY AccIDENr.-We are
called upon to record another one of
those melancholy accidents which re-
suit from carclessness in handling fire.
arms and which'seem to be now of al-
most daily Occurrences. A few days
ago J. w. Mcknight flor many years
past resident of Sand Ridge, this
county, started across the Cascade
Mountains with his family, intending
to take up his future abode in Eastern
Oregon. On Tuesday evening last
they halted near Fish Lake for the
purpose of camping over night, and
the oldest son of the family, named
Alvin, undertook to draw the tent
from the wagon for the purpose OF
pitching II, when loaded gun, which
had been rolled up In the tent u short
time previous, struck against the wag-
on I'm such manner as to go off, dis
charging Its contents In the breast OF
Alvin. He reeled backward, was
caught In his fathers arms and laid
gently on the ground, when he gasped
the words, "Good-bye, mother,n and
expired. The next morning the strick-
en- family turned their steps in the d.
rection of their old home In this coun-
ty and yesterday buried their first born
in the family graveyard at Sand Ridge.
Deceased was Is years and months
old, and his sudden death will be
mourned by large circle of acquain-
tances.
LEcTuRERs.-Weh have only been
blessed (2) with two lecturers during
The week. The first one was Sam.
Colver, who larrups the Legislature
over the back because they passed the
Swamp Land Act and gave some other
man a chance to buy patch of land
in the neighborhood of his patch; and
the other was Prof. Cheney, who
slashes around among the stars and at
t.mpts to demonstrate that the Bible Is
an Astronomical problem fits proper
title being ''The Sun Book'0 and that
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah,
Job and Mrs. Job, and all the little
Jobses, Balaam and his ass, etc., were
all planets of a greater or less magni-
tude. He also maintains that Homer's
Iiliad is merely work of fiction and
that the Trojan War and the characters
who figured in that singularly prolong-
ed struggle for the possession OF the
''ravished Helen never existed save
in the poetic imagination of the Blind
Minstrel of classic fame. Tne Profess
sor challenges debate upon any and all
propositions which he advances, but
as he will scarcely succeed In destroy
ing the influence of the Bible by his
moon-struck attacks and as we are not
particularly interested in knowing
whether Achilles was q Greek warrior
or heather deity, the writer hereof
respectfully declines the controversy.
HARDLY REcoGNIZABLE.-It would
require quite stretch of imagination
for any one familiar with the country
between Harrisburg I'm this county and
the railroad bridge (only mile and a
half above) to recognize the "lay of the
land" in the following description from
the pen of Col. Jeems Pipes in the San
Francisco Golden Era of a recent date.
He says:
"At Harrisburg, about in the morn
ing / took INV first ride on an engine,
and OH how enjoyed it; everything
looked so bright and beautiful, flying
on the wings of the wind, or like an
arrow, whizzing, rattling over trestle
work, turning round sharp curves,
through holes in a mountain, over
chasms and precipices, out again on
the broad, bold prairie with lightning
velocity away we went 1 drank in
the balmy air like nectar, while the
marvellous landscape and the bright
blue sky above us were delightful to
the eye, and thrilled me with emo
tions"
Considering that the little stretch of
country over which he rode Is as level
as a floor, as devoid of mountains and
caverns as is the Nicholson pavement
of Portland, and as free of precipices as
the torrid zone is of icebergs, the
above rhapsodical description from the
pen of Jeems Pipes is hardly sufficient
ly accurate to recommend it to a lover
of orthodox truthfulness.
AcCIDENT.-John Collins, an en-
ploye in Joseph Webber's barber-shop,
met with serious accident last Tues
day night. He was passing up the
north side of First street, when he
came in contact with ladder which
was standing against Conner's new
brick building and which reached near
Iy across the sidewalk, knocking him
down and dislocating his shoulder
This accident is purely the result ol
carelessness on the part Of the person
who left the ladder in that position to
endanger the safety of unwary pedes-
trians. For many weeks the sidewalk
has been torn up I'm front Of that place
and a narrow plank left as the only
crossing, which is sufficiently danger
GUS in itself to people who may have to
pass that way during our present dark
nights, and to leave ladder standing
across the place doubly enhances the
peril. We trust that persons having
such matters in charge will be more
careful hereafter.
READ THIs.-Anything to ward of
the approaches of smallpox will be
valuable, and on this account the Salt
Lake Herald publishes the following,
received from Mr.. NJ. Peck:
"Any person having been exposed