The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-11-30
Letter from Petersburg.

PETERSBURG, VA, November %, 1874.
Your correspondent was about the only
man in the city devout enough to observe
Thanksgiving-Day,a and hence wrote no let
ter on yesterday, though the concluding ex'
ercises of the Farmers Council and remarks
on the personnel and the personalities of that
body might have afforded adequate material.
No observance appears to have been paid to
the day except that the Government Offices
were closed. So far as / am informed not a
turkey bit the dust on the occasion.
A sad and serious accident befel son OF
Mr.. John F. Slaughter. of Lynchburg, this
morning. This young man is in attendance on
the University School of Mr.. McCabe, in this
city, and started down the river this morn
ing in boat with some comrades and friends
for the purpose Of duck.hunt. BY the &C.
cidental discharge of a gun he was shot in
the left arm few inches below the shoulder,
and the bone shattered. 1t is supposed that
amputation will be certainly necessary, and
it Is feared that the operation lat the shout
der.sockeD will be Of critical character,
Mr. Slaughter, being notified by telegraph OF
the accident, responded that he would attend
at once with DR.. William o. Owen, of Lynch
burg, and Dr. Hunter Mcclure, of Rich
mond. DR.. Dunn is in attendance on the
case. Mr.. Slaughter is expected TO arrive IN
special train tonight.
The sickness of Rev. 81. 3. Cowles has
taken a serious turn, and the present condi-
ton of that venerable gentleman and servant
of God Is such that he is not expected to
live through the night. This fatal turn is
quite sudden, as only last Sunday Mr.. Cowles
(who is seventy.one years of age) rode ten
miles on horseback, dedicated church, and
preached two sermons. He was on his way
TO Conference when illness attacked him
here and he Is staying at the house of his
son-in-law, Hon. E. NJ. Mann, with Drs.
Leigh and Claiborne in attendance on him.
1t is thought that his disease is second at
tack of paralysis, brought on by oyer.exer-
ton in the discharge of his pastoral duties.
The following gentlemen have been ap-
pointed by Colonel E. Dromgoole, president
of the Farmers Council, as delegates repre-
senting that body in the Cheap Transports
ton Convention, at Richmond, on Tuesday:
Colonel Lewis E. Haryie, of Amelia; Hon.
E. n. HUBBARD, of Buckingham; General
William Muhone, of Petersburg; Major &.
T.. Ragland, of Halifax; Mr.. John Dodson,
of Dinwiddie; Colonel William p. BurWcll,
of Richmond; Colonel J. b. Zollicotfer, oil
North Carolina. =,
The other committees of the Council will
be announced by the president at an esrly
day. A.. ~
At an early hour this morning the GIN
house of Mr.. w. l.. PEBBLES, in DinWlddle
county. some three miles from the city. was
DESTROYED by fire. Twelve or thirteen bales
of cotton which were in the building were
burned. as also were five out of seven bales
which lay outside. The gin was turning out
seven or eight bales per day, and most OF the
cotton destroyed belonged to planters OF Inc
neiyhborhood, who will be greatly 1ncon-
yenienced. There was on insurance on tae
nroperty of $1,000, but its value was fu!iy
81 600 more. The fire was incendiary In It's
origin. .n.ea .
The Circuit Court was in session to. day,
and adjourned to Monday. 1t viii be 10 ses-
sion during next week. Some little nutteT
has been occasioned by the grand lury,s pre-.
sentiny some of the liquor merchants and
bar.keepers for disposing Of the ardent on
Sunday against the law. This IS o mere
periodical eruption Of virtue, which not oniy
amounts to nothing, bat actually lnfilets IN
Justice, as some few are picked out TO endure
the penalties for which, at most, the whole
trade IL equally iiable-in this city, IN your
city, in all cities, all over the country, as
everybody knows. -, 1--..Zr, ,-,-rs
Mr.. William r. ssotswood made bis mp;
pearance to-day at his place OF business, ant
must have been gratitied by the welcome
which met him on every hand. haddera
was before the Mayor yesterday. to answer
the charge OF attempting totake Dir. Spots
woods life, but his trial had 10 be postpoas'