Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-05-26

ana -SOluS WOIhlus uhui WIZ neepc
himself well posted upon the subjects be treats;
and his agricultural disc yurses are full of prac-
teal suggestion, that are worth money to farm
ing communities. We wish the desire Tor
knowledge on the subject was universal ms cad
of lands depreciating in value, failure OF
crops aud other disastrous evidences of in-
ability to make the farm pay, we mi ght be
able to chronicle spirit Of progress and pros
perity uucquaIed by any community of the
same proportion 10 the State. MARTIN.
WERE THERE ANY HEROES AT MILL. RIV-
ERA correspondent of the Boston Cube,
who has taken pains to investigate the matter,
concludes that the praise that has been be-
slowed on Cheney and Collin Graves for their
ride down the Mill River Valley was unmerit-
ed. He writes: ,,,.,
when | was in Williamsburg yesterday
convcrsed with man who keeps shop near
MIR. Spellman's house. This man, right hon
orable one, said that he did not see Cheney
ride up to Mr.. Speliman's house, SO that he
Was unable to say how long he remained. But,
happening to look out, be saw the horse stand
ing at Mr.. Speman's door, and recognized 1t
as Cheney's His curiosity was aroused. In a
| short time Cheney came out of the house and
rushed to livery stable across the street lie
began to hammer at the door, but 20 one came,
as the keeper uf the stable had not arrived.
Cheney then ran to the keepers house, which
was next door, and stated what had happened.
The stable man Immediately gave him the key
of the stable and told him to take any horse be
could lay his hands on. Cheney went to the
stable, but, meanwhile, my informant had
| found out what the trouble was aud had run oil
in the direction Of Haydenvllc.
| ID, ha az III
wagon and i,b wagon coming towards Viii
liamsburg. The former was driven by Collin
| Graves, and the latter by young fellow by the
name of Day. He told them hurriedly what
had happened, and urged them to turn around
and go down the valley to warn the people OF
| their danger. Both hesitatcd somewhat, SEEM
ingy not believing that there was anything the
matter, and apparently, unwilling, whether
there was or not, to incommode themselves.
| In minute or two, however, the noise OF the
| approaching water was heard, and then both
turned around their teams and started, in sheer
fright. Oh the run towards Haydeuville. My
informant stated that he returned towards his
shop then, and that when he reached the sta
BILE he saw Cheney leading out horse, but, be-
fore he could mount, it became evident that
any attempt to reach the village below would
be useless.
"Poor Cheney is not over bright. One of
the most prominent mn of Williamsburg
told me that he regarded Cheney as an ex-
tremely weak minded man, and that Cheney
offered his services to Mr.. Spellman for
any money that the corporation might see
fit to give him, and as that was the kind OF
man wanted his offer Vas accepted. So the
gatekeeper and the milkman are not such
heroes after all, as they have been represent
ed to be, and what is to be done after this with
the cords of unfinished poetry about the ride
is one of the puzzles OF the hour.
THE ENGLISH NOBILITY. The London cor
respondence of the Cincinnati Commercial tells
some curious stories illustrating the decline of
the old nobility 10 England. At this moment
there is going up at kensogton mansion
which belittes all the residences Of the nobility
makes the neighboriog houses of the How
ards the Argys, the Airlies, &c, look like por-
tiers lodges,-.lookss down upon kensl93gton pal
ace, where little Victoria first learned that she
was Queen of England, and turns it to com.
parative iusignifcauce. 1t is preparing to hold
the magni6ceDce of Sir Albert Grant, baronet
by the will of Gladstone. For his gallery, pic
lures of enormous magnitude are said to have
been already purchased -one of them for Els,
600.
Where all this capital came from may be To-
ferred from the fact that some time ago Sir
Albert was introduced to an American named
Harpenden, who went to London to sell valua-
Bile property in California, with silver close to
the surface, worth e200, 900. 90 Harpendens
being introduced, the Baron started the Cali
tornia Mining Company" with nominal capt.
tai Of Ell ,O0O0 900. This company was cou pos
ed of Albert Grants seven clerks. 1t bought
the property for 9230 900; then sold it to the
Mineral Hill Silver Mining Company for s4S0,-
900; those being the two acts of the company
during its existence. But it turned out"
said the Vice Chancellor, that the latter COM
pany was completely swindled. The E20O,O00
of silver ore had no existence, and the COMPANY
came to ruin" It's not stated that the seven
clerks received baronetcies, or that they con-
template building palaces at keusiugton with
their share of the loot
A GEM OF A BEDROOM The decorations
Of one of the bedrooms in Cardiff Castle, now
being reconstructed by the Marquis of Butte,
are described 10 the Architect, which says that
the adjacent bath room and bath are lined with
alabaster and that in each window of the bed
room is the form OF jewel, 10 which is cipher
ed figure to represent its nature. The wall
stories are OF the precious metals, and twelve
glass nobs in the vaultlug are significant of
twelve precious stones peculiar to the signs of
the Zodiac. Portraits Of celebrated goldsmiths
and jewelers. are to be recognized. At the
springing of each vault aud over the chimney
place is shield bearing the Butte arms and
surmounted By his coronet, while the face Of
the stone all round it Stimulates the earth, and
is jeweed here and there with polished bits of
mineral, procured from the Butte estates. The
room is not yet furnished, but rough models of
the furniture to be placed in it are there, and
each article is to be carefully thought out be-
fore being entrusted to skful workman. |