The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-03-03
The 1eluorrat.

FRIDAY 49,. MARCH !, 1871
lfA POWDER BURNT HERo.-A young gen
tleman who assists Sheriff Irvine in guard
ing the prisoners at the Court House, Is the
hero of the following incident, which occur
red in the Sheriffs Office last Saturday
night: He had been using his powder flask
IN printing his pistol, after which he
thourhtlessly thrust it 1.-THE Hask) into his
breeches pocket and forget all about it. AT
ter goinr about the Offices on various er.
rands, he went back into the Sheriff's room
and sat down by the hot stove to warm him.
self, having been chilled by the night air
He sat but few moments lowering over the
stove, when q terrific explosion caused him
to leap to his feet in widest terror, as he
firmly believed that some one had fred at
him through the window. Being man OF
considerable nerve, he determined to get
even on his fancied assailant, and, grasping
his pistol which lay on table hard by, he
first ran to the windowSand peered through
the darkness into the night, but saw moth
ing. He then turned and rushed furiously
into the hall with his cooked pistol at a
F'ready aim" position, in rapid search for
the cowardly assassin who had thus attack
ed him in the rear during the silent watches
of the night. At this critical juncture,
while he was rushing madly about, seeking
dire vengeance, another young man, who
Was his companion on guard, and who sat
near by when the explosion occurred, and
who had followed him in widest amaze
ment, discovered bright blaze Of light is:
suing from the vicinity of the valiant he
ro's breeches pocket and climbing with rap
id strides up his scorching back; and, max.
ing break for him, soon extinguishsd the
fiery element, which had already burnt a
large aperture in his breecherloons, and al.
80 scared the flesh in the immediate neigh
borhood of the pocket. After the young
mans nerves had been quieted down, a dive
into his smoking bresches pocket revealed
to his astonished gaze his empty powder.
flask, with the tube blown out and the thing
otherwise powder burnt and demoralized l.
Since the occurrence it is net healthy to ask
the young gentleman how his wound is pro-
gressing.
3REruRSEp.-Last week Mr.. Ed. Trites,
of this county, returned from a two months
visit to Keosauqua, Iowa. His visit was
very unfortunate one, as he was attacked
with small pox few days after his arrival
there, and he returns to US bearing strong
marks of the roughness with which the
scourge handled him. Many of his friends
there were exposed to the disease by visiting,
him, before they knew its nature, and as a
consequence some twenty-five or thirty 9TH
ers were soon attacked, two of whom died
oil the others, however, were recovering
when he left. MIR. Trites says that there is
q general complaint of '.hard times" in the
part of Iowa which he visited, and that
many people are anxious tu exchange hab-
tation there for one on the golden shores of
the Pacific. If they could dispose of their
lands, hundreds would gladly imnigrate to
Oregon, but in consequence of the scarcity
of money it is impossible TO sell. But our
readers will not wonder at their inability to
sell when they are told that the price asked
is from 500 to 800 per acre for the same
quality of lands that could be purchased in
Oregon for SIS to $40 per acre. Mr. Trites
saws that he could not be induced to pass
another winter in Iowa, and considers Ore
gon infinitely superior, in every way, to any
other country through which he passed
This is the universal sentiment Of those
with whom we have eonversed, upon their
return from the Atlantic States; and we'are
firmly convinced that Oregon will yet be the
champion State in the Union.
Rrv. Ma. RoDERTs LECTURE, last w ednes.
day night, for the benefit of the Albany
Library Association, was very sparsely at
tended, the receipts being only about s25.-I
It is to be greatly regretted that so few of
our citizens were present, as they will prob
ably not soon have another opportunity of
listening to so rare an intellectual treat
Mr.. Roberts is very pleasing speaker,
rare oratorical powers and an ar
sistical style of delivery which cannot fail to
please those who hear him. His statement
Of the geologists' theory Of the terraqueous
globe and the various transformations through
which it has gone for countless ages past,
showed profound thought and careful study,
while his closing observations upon the
sublime science Of astronomy were truly
grand and beautiful. Would that he might
be prevailed upon to repeat his lecture, as
~e believe that those who heard him would
make special efforts to secure q better audi.
snce.
A CoLkIsIoS.-Last Saturday evening,
as the locomotive Portland" cut loose from
the passenger cars to permit them to run on"
down to the depot on the main track, and
turned Gown the switch, the fireman
[ who was running the engine at the time)
for some cause neglected to reverse the steam
alnta too late, and the locomotive ran at full
speed into box car, which stood on the
switch, knocking terrible hole into it, tear
;ng the wheels next to the locomotive off and