South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-07-11
South 9ranfll 9ntelli9eneer.
RoMNEY, FRIDAY, JULY IL, 1873.

of the latest frauds.
A stallion named RED WING vas sold
in New York, on Monday last, for S12 900.
The operation of the internal revenue
law, as modified at the last session of Con-
gress, exhibits a return of the sum of Sl15.-
067,727 61-fve millions more than the
estimate of Commissioner DOUGLASS, and
eight millions moro than the estimate of
Mr.. boutwell,
w. f.. ARTHUR, member of Congress
from Kentucky, voted against the "salary
grab" but pockets his back pay for the
reason that it is bis solemn duty to obey all
laws passed by Congress.
GvA Lima correspondent of the Pana-
ma Star complains of the departure from
his post of Mr.. THOMAS Uaitod States
minister to Peru, now at home in Maryland,
on.the ground that the interests of Amer
lean citizens in Peru are neglected thereby.
DEATH OF a VIRGINIA JURIsT The
venerable jurist, Judge ROBERTSON, died
on the 9th instant, at his residence in Camp.
bell county, Va, in the SS,h year Of his
age. He was member of Congress from
1884 to 1889, afterward Lieutenant Gov.
ernor of Virginia and Judge of the Circuit
Court of Richmond city until incaplcitated
by feeble health and old oge. LII was n
gentleman of eccentric character, judge
of uusuliied erminc, and a graceful and
prwerful writer on law aud politics.
% Thursday evening, the 3rd instant,
at about half past ten, the inhabitants in
and around Catesville, Pennsy lvania, were
suddenly startled by most terrific explo-
sion Of the magazine OF the Cambria Coal
and Iron Company, situate some distance
from the village. The shock was like that
of a severe earth quake, and tho shaking of
the houses continued for some seconds as-
ter the magazine blow up.-Nearly every
window within radius of two miles of the
disaster was broken. On reaching the
place where the catastrophe occurred its
appearance was fearful. Every vestige of
the once solidly constructed magazine was
obliterated, and for distance Of 500 yards
in every direction the earth was rent into
great chasms sixty or seventy feet deep.
Giant trees had been torn up by the roots,
some of them being hurled to distance of
nearly half a mile, while others seemed as
if they had been overtaken by the immense
masses of earth and rock and partially bu
ried almost where they grew. At tie time
Of the explosion there were stored in the
magazine 700 pounds of giant powder and
seventy pounds of niiro-g lyccrine. Three
men seen in the vicinity, on that evening,
who were not recognized, are supposed to
have been the cause of the disaster. The
inhabitants believe them to have entered
the building in some way to steal powder
for the fourth of July, and that by un,
known means, either with match or candle,
they set fire to some loose powder.
PLAIN FACTS. The people Of the uu-
fortunate District of Columbia, less than
1872 ,0O0 in number, now have a public
debt which the Chairman of tho Ways aud
Means 10 the District Legislature estimates
and probably this is much less than the
truth-at over seventeen millions of dollars,
or Sl2S 7S to every man, woman, and
child of the population. This enormous
debt has been piled up notwithstanding
Congress at its last session gave them three
millions and half, while $4,000 900 has
been extracted from the people IN the form
of taxes.
Accordingt to the report Of tho Comptroll.
er Of the District the salaries Of executive
officers and tho contingencies OF the Dis
trict Government during the last year a
mounted to $3.50, $50 GO. During the same
period the salaries aud contingencies of the
Government of the great State, of New
York amounted ;oSl5s, $50 only. la fact
the cost Of this District Government to the
$4,000 people on whom it is imposed is
more than the corresponding expenses in
oil the States of New York and New Eng.
land together, and almost as much as the
aggregate in New York, New England
New Jersey, Ohio, Iowa, and Wisconsin
These arc simple figures, and they tell the
siory.-NeD York SIN.
On Tuesday, the LIST instant, the roof
Of the Round House Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad at Martiusburg fell in with
a terrible crash. Fortunately there wero