Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-29

NS" Marriage and Death Notices, when not
exceeding eight lines, fifty cents.
EXCHANGE OF LIQUORS. s.-The Richmond
Enquirer enumerates long list Of articles which,
In the aggregate it estimates as costing the
people OF Virginia annually the enormous sum
Of something over $50, ,000, 000,-enough to
pay the State debt nearly twice over. 1t in
cludes in the lists unnecessary ribbons for the
ladies, shows, theatres, segarS tobacco, and
whi<key.
It says that the cost of intoxicating drinks,
to the people of Virginia, is stated by the su-
perintedent OF public instruction to be $l9,O ,OOO,
900. We have seen the figures put much
higher than this.
The Commissioner of internal revenue places
it at twenty four dollars for each man woman
and child in the State It's population is
300. 5000. This would make the cost of intoxi-
eating liquors to the people of Virginia S2S,
100000. This is the amount which actually
comes to the knowledge Of the officers who
have in charge the collection Of the public rev.
cnucs. The amount that never pays a cent
urrevenuc is not far from being as great as
that which does So that its actual cost is not
far from $40, ,0O0,0 We need not go furth-
cr then than this single item Of the Enqul-
rcr ) list to tind money enough to pay the
debt OF the State.
If We add to the cost Of the article itself the
consequential damages which flow from its use,
we would find money enough not only to pay
the debt of the State but to finish every mile
of its railroads contemplated aud under con-
struction.
We really think that this luxury is so eXpen-
Sive that some means should be found, and ap
piled, of curtailing it.-Lou1oun Enterprise.
A BLIND Spot IN Your EYE.-To convince
you of the fact we will ask you to close your
right eye, aud look steadily at the spot to the
right, as here represented
Hold the journal from twelve to ff-
teen inches from yonr face keeping your
eye steadily affixed upon the dot; bring
the paper slowly nearer your eye, when
you will fnd ut Il certain distance-about six or
even inches from the eye-that the left spot
will entirely disappear; but as you brlug the
paper nearer to you, or carry off, it will become
Instantly visible again.
1t has been found experimentally, that the
reason Of this blindness is. the image in the
example given falls directly upon the spot where
the optic nerve enters the eye, and this point
being blind, no image Is formed there. The
optic nerve is considered by most people to be
the seat OF vision, whereas it is only used III
photographed upon the retina, to the BRAIN,
where the mind takes cognizance OF it, and we
are said to see.
VIRGINIA DIVISION ARMY OF NORTHERN
VIRGINIA. following is II list of officers
of the Virginia Division Association OF the Army
OF Northern Virginia.
President -Gcn'i FitZ Lee, Richland Mills,
Stafford county.
Tn)
Chesterfed and G.n'l. James ii. Walker
Pulaski
Treasurer Major Robert Stiles, Richmond.
Secretaries -Gcn'l. James II. Lane, Col.
Executive Committee -Gen'. Wm. B. Tai
iafcrro, Gloucester, G.. H.. Gcn.l. ID. A.
Weisigsr. Petersburg Genl VIM II. Payne,
Warrcnton, Col +. w. NJ. Holiday, Winches
ter, Col. James II. Skinner, Staunton.
IRON INSTRUMENTATION reports in
the Iron Age it appears that Ohio is making
great progress in manufacturing. The city OF
Cleveland, on Lake Erie, is especially active IN
iron production and trade. One rolling mill,
consuming 40 tons of coal per day, turns out
80 tons of steel 4O tons OF bar iron, 10 tons OF
STEEL and iron wire, tons of nails 20 tons OF
spikes and bolts, and 60 or 20 tons OF pig iron.
A new screw company, with capital OF
81 900, OOn has just been inaugurated in that
city But the greatest triumph of Cleveland
enterprise is the building, by the King Iron
Bridge and Manufacturing Company, Of a rail,
road bridge at Waltham, Mass. 1t sounds
strangely for Western manufacturing COM
lany to compete with Massachusetts manutac-
1urcrs on their own ground.
CrRIorS.-On Monday Feb. -, as the But-
falo express landed at Hornellsville, n. T., all
the passengers but lady and small boy who
was asleep left the palace car to dine. A gen
teman paced to and fro upon the platform at
the side Of the car, and the woman, it is said,
fancied that he insulted her by his actions.
Without word of warming she drew revol-
Yer aud fired at the man through the window
o, the car. The ball broke the large plate glass;
but missed the man. A crowd Instantly sur
r,uuded the car, but before the mystery was
explained the train left the depot; The gen
teman who had been fired at paid for the brok-
en- window. desiring that nothing should be
said about the matter The gentleman was
named Livermore, and the lady was Mrs.
Fay
WEST VrRGINIA.-In the West Virginia
House of Delegates on the 10th instant was
passed
An act to prevent the collection of debts from
the citizens of the State OF West Virginia Dy
the citizens of the State of Virginia.
Mr. White, of Marshall, moved to amend
the title of sad bill so as to read as follows: An
act to prevent the citizens Of West Virginia
from paying their honest debts. But the
amendment was lost. -,
The Constitutional Convention of West 'lr-
gna has voted az to 26) to omit from the
new Constitution the clause in the present Con
s'itution requiring the State to pay Its legltl-
lrate share of the debt of Old Virginia
GrANo.--It has been generally supposed
that the guano deposits in the Chlncha ASanoS
and Professor Edwards suspect that they are
made I'D of the bodies Of decayed animals and