St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-08-08
Letter from Philadelphia.
PHILA., Aug. 4th, 1873.

Letter from fQ1lauelpQ1a.
PHrLA., Aug. 4th, 1873.
Dear Caledonian The hot weather
is driving a large number of citizens
into the country, in search of cooler
atmosphere. A party of city Council
men, comprising members of the High
way and Survey committees, have left
for San Francisco and intermediate
points. Their principal object is to ex-
anime into the system of drainage and
sewerage of the different cities, as our
own system is far from being perfect.
The Committee on Plans and Archi-
lecture for the Centennial Buildings,
meets in this city on the 9Th of Au-
gust, in the rooms of the Centennial
Committee on Walnut ST., to examine
the plans handed in by the various
competing architects. The commit
tee consists of Alfred T. GoshOrn of
Ohio; VIM. Henry Parsons of Texas ;
Orestes Cleveland of New Jersey !;
Ezekiel A. Straw of New Hampshire
Asa Packer of Pennsylvania; and James
f. Dexter of the District of Columbia,
Secretary. Thirty-eight plans have
been received, and ten of the best are
to he selected and reward of $1,000
paid to each of the ten architects. The
second competition will be limited to
Il, =, -bi,.h ha t,lal
approved will be selected, and the sum
of $4,000, paid to the successful archi-
tect.
Last week Phila. was visited by a
delegation of three MennOnites, who
have been out West looking for set
Element for their followers. They rep
resent a society of about 10000 persons,
now in Russia, all of whom intend en-
igrating to this country, If their desired
arrangements can be made, and Il suit
able spot selected for their settlement.
They are followers of Simon MennOn
from whence their name is taken
Their schools are taught exclusively 10y
male teachers, and all children between
the ages of six and twelve are cOmpell-
ed to attend. They live together in
prising one community; these having a
dining table in common, perform their
household work together. Their mill
listers are those men only who feel
moved to speak, and receive no COM
peusatiou for their services. They be-
lieve i'll both the Old aud New Testa-
ment, and positively refuse to fight or
swear. Honesty and industry are their
principal characteristics; the former
being so highly esteemed that none of
their members are ever known to steal.
What blessing 10 have even the pros
pect of 10000 honest people i'll one
community, settled on our Western
Plains. But they cannot be very well
posted in regard to the progress of
American people, else their teachers
would surely oppose the emigration,
for after years will find their women
teaching their schools, while some of
the men telling trees in. the forest ale
sadly dreaming of what might have
been. Others more enterprising will
be building railroads aud steaming in
to Congress.
The down town population are still
under great excitement, i'll consequence
of terrible crime committed in that
vicinity last Thursday night. A young
couple, married last May and living
with the brides father, were missing
from the supper table, but the family
supposing they had gone out, no search
was made until late i'll the evening,
when the father becoming uneasy,
went up stairs to the parlor, but find
ing no one proceeded to the third sto-
ry, where in one room he found his
son in-law, Schusterreiter, dead on the
floor. Upon getting light bottle of
poison was discovered under a chair
near by. Entering communicating
room the body of his daughter lay near
the door, with her head partly severed
from her body. The dOor-knob was
smeared with blood, as was also the
paper and woodwork around the win
dow, as though the poor victim had
endeavored to escape from her cruel
murderer, who after committing the
deed launched himself into eternity.
The real cause will perhaps remain a
mystery. although many reasons have
been set forth by the ready public all
of which however have been contra
dicted by the wife's family, whose name
is Herring. Poverty certainly is free
from this charge, as her father was in
easy circumstances, although the
young husband had no employment at
the time, but left the house regularly
every morning and returned in the eve
ming, as if his business was extremely
pressing. AS he was not known to be
a drinking man, rumors of insanity
have been set atioat, but it would take
even more than Solomon's Wisdom to
explain many of the mysteries of these
days. TETIA Moss.
Pastoral Sustentation.