Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-03-30
9LEX.A.vDRI8 6.7ZETTE
AND VIRGINIA ADV ERTI S K R.
(For the Country


AND VIRGINIA ADVERTIS + R..
(For the Country.)
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RUNNING A STORE BY STEAM.-On the Up
per Sacramento River novel business has, for
number OF years, been conducted by Captain
George ". Case which partakes somewhat of
the romantic style Of the border traders of early
times. with this difference-that we'll ap-
pointed steamer supplies the place of the priml-
tive canoe, and the customers, instead of being
the redskins of the forest, are well to-do tamll-
les settled upon and owning ranches along the
banks of the Sacramento river. Captain Case
commenced trading between Sacramento and a
point few miles above Colusa about eight
years ago, by taking small barge load OF
goods as high up the river as he wished to 60,
paving steamer to tow him up, and then drop
ping down with the current from house to house
to do his trading, supplying the settlers with
whatever goods they wanted, and taking in ex"
change all kinds Of produce, especially butter
eggs, hides and petries-anything that could
be converted into cash and then re.converted
into more goods for another trip. Some four
years ago Capt. Case built small steamer at
cost of $4,000, and fitted her up for the
trade which he had found SO profitable and To
enable him to keep up With his increasing buSl-
ness. The floating store was supplied with an
assorted cargo Of goods worth from $4,000 TO
$4,000, and with the assistance of a pilot and
an egineer, round trips have been made about
once in two weeks ever since The settlers along
the river find this floating store a great con-
veuience, and one of them informs uS they get
goods from the steamer just as cheaply as they
could from merchants in town The Captain
and his steamer are anxiously looked for every
week, up or down, when he makes his regular
calls, does his trading and gosSipping, and posts
his friends on the news of the outside world.
The call made, business transacted and all
ashore given out, they haul in the bow line or
stern anchor, as the case may be, and steam
on to the next rancho The enterprise of Capt.
Case has been we'll rewarded, as it deserves to
be. for he owns a comfortable property in Sac
ramento, besides his steam store. fine stock of
goods, and being in the enjoyment of an un-
interrupted and increasing trade. -l0I0 Demo-
Crut.
CEREBRo SPINAL MENINGITIS is most
deadly disease, whether called by the above
high sounding title or its old name of Spotted
fever, or newly proposed one of ''cerebro-
spinal fever and instances of recovery from
it are rare A Brooklyn physician who has
succeeded in getting two patients seized by 1t
into convaleScent state, was at once inter
viewed by newspaper reporter. Following
somewhat the ideas of Chinese doctors, who
IL, tlo, toffh fha hrsf
physician introduces the following prescription
into the abdominal region: bromide of
of potassium, to prevent further congestion,
opium for the delirium. supportive treatment
in the shape of wine whey, beef tea, &c, to
sustain the system He also applies counter
irritation to the parts of the spine Affected
This cheerful treatment is, in his opinion, the
solution of the medical problem of cerebro
spinal meningitis, and any person attacked by
the disease who passes the crisis, may hope
with careful attention to recover full strength
in about two months. The doctors theory is
that inflammation, caused by the first attack,
can no more be cured than the neck when once
broken can be set, and must be allowed to
spend itself: but that additional irritation can
and will be prevented if his advice Is followed.
THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD AT THE PIANO.
The Poet of the Breakfast Table gives this
vivid description of the manner in which girl
of the period makes ready to play and plays
her grand piano: 1T was a young woman,
with as many white muslin founces round her
as the planet Saturn has rings, that did 1t.
She gave the music-stoo twirl or two. and
Huffed down on to it like whirl of soap SudS
in hand-basin. Then she pushed up her
cuffs as if she was going to fight for the champ
ions belt. Then she worked her wrists and
hands, to timber EN-, | suppose and spread
ont her 6ngers till they looked as though they
would pretty much cover the key board, from
the growing end to the little squeaky one.
Then those two hands of her s made jump at
the keys as if they were couple Of tigers
coming down on flock of black and white
sheep, and the piano gave great howl as II
its tail had been trod on. Dead Stop-so still
you could hear you hair growing Then anoth::
er Jump and another howl, as if the piano had
two tails and you trod on both of EN- at once
and clatter and scramble and string of jumps
up and down, back and forward, one hand over
the other, like stampede Of rats and mice
more than like anything call music.
\ TRYING SEAsoN-The idea. generally en-
etained, that the weather alternates between
the two sides of the Atlantic, Europe having
cold or dry when this country has warm or wet,
II uot DoIne out ny lHe leCoiuo VI 'uo piesCu'
month The University boat race on the
Thames, in which Cambridge beat Oxford,
came off on Saturday last in the midst Of a
heavy snow-storm.
Should the effect of the late season on agri-
cultural operations be the same on the two
continents high prices for grain are tolerably
certain to rule. Our farmers did good deal
of ploughing in the course of early winter, but
not enough to counterbalance the delay caused
by the almost unprecedented frosts of March.
Not only in the Valley, but from all parts of
Virginia east of the Ridge, is the complaint
general of prolonged winter and unpromlsn,g
spring. The drought of last summer made
provender scarce; and that makes the case
harder with stock -raisers. More snow, indeed
appears to have fallen in the eastern counties
than in the Valley. Winchester Ne,cs.