Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-10-29

has been announced was model compositor.
A fellow workman, writing to the Printers
Circular furnishes interesting facts connected
with the life of deceased This writer says
deceased was a printer of rarely equaled abi-
ties, and that after years of travel through
various States, he had failed to find com posi-
tor so uniformly correct and tasteful in his
work. From boy he eviuccd pride in his pro-
tesSion that placed him at its head as compe-
triot, published at Trenton, Mr. Alcott was
employed as compositor, and the ability he
thece displayed was the subject Of universal
comment. He would compose from six to
eight thousand ems of bourgeois type daily,
and this quite frequently without a single
ere, typographical or otherwise. The most
difficult or intricate manuscript failed to elicit
from him any queries or comments but when
his proof was taken, it was always found to be
masterpiece Of composition. The foreman
would frequently impose large quantities OF
matter composed by deceased without taking
a proof.
We are told further iu the sketch before US,
that Mr.. Alcott was a varied reader, and it was
a noteworthy fact, that in addition to being
informed on every day topics he was
we'll read in the better class of literature. Here
is the secret of much of deceased's success as
clean compositor. He stored his mind with
useful information. He SO qualified himself
for the duties of conpositor, that when a
piece of manuscript of poor chirography was
handed him, he had the intelligence to dis
cover its defects and supply any omissions
which the writer may have made. 1t Is too
frequently the case that composltors pursue
their vocation as mere automatons-plcklng
up type mechanically as it were-and never
pausing to exercise the reasoning faculties with
which God has endowed them. Had the craft
more such men within its pale as Mr.. Walcott,
authors and proof-readers generally would en-
JOY comparatively happy time. and many OF
the errors which now find their way into print,
marring the sense and paining the reader,
would be unknown OF all men else, printers
should be intelligent and we'll read.
A NOVEL CAsE-Some months since two
gentlemen from New York settled upon q
farm purchased of Mr.. NJ. NJ. Rose bury, Of this
county--one by the name Of Craig, and the
other Johu Stigeler. They had been In this
country but few weeks when MIR: Craig ap-
piled to Messrs. Payne i Meredith, attorneys
at law, to bring suit to set aside deed trom
himself to Stiseler, which he claims to have
been frauduleDtly obtained His attorney filed
a bill in the Circuit Court. alleging that Stige-
ler, as agent for.King, had negotiated an ex-
change with Mr.. NJ NJ Rosebury of house
and lot in New York city, belonging to Craig,
for FIVE hundred acres of land, and that the
said Stigeler represented to Craig that he had
given in exchange for the land nine thousand
dollars of his own money besides the house and
lot Upon this representation, which the
claimant AYERS was utterly false, ne says ne was
Induced to make the deed to the defendant,
which he is now seeking to have annued. A
few DAYS ago Craig brought common law ac-
tion against Stigeler for fifteen hundred dollars,
and had an attachment issued. Under this
attachment Stigeler was arrested, and
being unable to give the bond required
was committed to the county Jail. Both the
gentlemen, although haling from New York,
are, we believe Swiss, and doubtless one at
least has curious ideas of American law.-Mu'
nassaS Gazette
How TO DIsINrECT A HOUSE. com.
mon salt and black maganese, about equal
weights, and take about pound of the mixed
nowder for each cubic yard in the house.
Place it in a pan deep enough to hold thrice as
much in any room where you can arrange to
upset a vessel of acid into it by pulling string
outside the house. This will be oil of vtriol or
boiled sulphuric acid (speci6c gravity l;S), a
weight double that of the maganese Make all
openings except chimneys air tight, and leave
no water or wet things within, or polished
metals, unless you want then dlmned Ihen
pull the string that pours the acid on the pow
der The object is to fill the house with chlo-
rine gas, which, being heavy, even while warm,
will accumulate from the ground upward ex-
pelling the air by the chimneys., However
tight the lower openings, you will probably
smell a little of it as warm sea breeze. by
mex. morning the law of gaseous diffusion Will,
even through the ohimneys only, have disposed
All Of its traces; and it will, meanwhile, have
found out every unclean atom, lurk "nere IL
NAV, and killed every germ or sperm, zymotlc
or animacular, deader than any other kllilng
known.
PAPER CoLLARs.-Walter Hunt, who is
said TO be- the originator of the first successful
naner collars, was one of that useful race OF IN
veptors who seldom receive their full reward.
He had been experimenting for years IN ma
chinerv for sewing purposes and, 1t is claimeo'
nrcfected an invention which, but tor MS pc,
cuniary em5arrassments, would have proven
the first successful sewing. machine. ne was
compelled to abandon this held' however auu
after obtaining some twenty patents iol nem
aud useful inventions, ne turne9 nis g, s''e f 40
to the manufacture of collars a. ana cuns VI tIo r"
per. Leland & Bidgway, OF Boston, WEI! r. sue sr
periments: lust on the eve or SUCCESS .ee5
became alarmed at his expenditures, ana reius
cd to furnish more money. b. II. Vsentlne
E Co Of New York, then came to the rescue
Thew 1 purchased n Hunts pateut and n machinery n
and BEGUN manfacutriDg collars. Their 9as,, p;sL
ness 1855 was about $1,000 a week; Wh,co Ta q
increased in the hands of Valentine osJ;r GG, .
successor, to $50, 900 week in the sucoeeo''s
year.
HEAVY BUSINESS, ,-rbe freight shipments
LL L..nahas ~ the Orange road contln-
ue very e heavy each way Thousand; OF nDs Ds
Teht eI 'fv re;vbts hts seem to be on the increase On
Taesday last the train Of the IaP bs
stem going NORTH was detained mere oEe Consist s
an hour transferring express frelghts, epsi gbt
ing of live poultry, butter eggs anu I'"vs ,ra;n %
produce, from the Manassas Dra'c" 'ia'''