Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-11-26
A FAMILY DESTROYED BY PRAIRIE FIRE

THIS city from LlncvD Nebraska. yesterday at
teenoou says the L:avenhwOrth Times, We
learn the particulars of one Of the most horrl-
BILE deaths We have ever been called upon TO
relate. For the past two weeks prairie fires
have been raging through that section of coun-
try and destroying everything 10 their way. O1
last Wednesday family named Hcrndon, who
lived about Dlne miles from the couDty seat
we're oVer'akeo by one of these fires. and all
persisted except he father, who succeeded 10
reachlog creek, aud thereby saved his life.
The story, as MIR. Johnson gets it from Herndon
is as follows:
| ION last Wednesday morning Herndon dis
covered the grass to be Oh fir, ut some distance
from his house, but thinking nothing of 1t at the
time, DID net pay any attention TO it, although
his wife called his attention to it several times
during the fore part Of the day.
;. a heavy wind sprung up Immediately after
dinner. and was blowing the fir directly toward
| his house, and he then felt that his danger Was
imminent and concluded to start without delay
| a two. morse wagon was soon got ready, and
| they star: ed TO escape the devouring element
they being about ten miles in advance of the
fire. But along toward evening the wind in
creased to hurricane and the flames were Rap
idly advancing on the doomed family. The
| horses had now become unmanageable and were
rs likely start back in the path ofthe fire as ot
| Whatever was to be done must De done quickly;
and seeing he could no longer control the team
he told his family to alight from the wagon and
than they, first overlook Mary, the daughter,
and she soon pershed In few moments the
| clothes of Mira. Herndon had taken ire and
death soon came to her relief.
The father still kept on, but finding that he
could not save himself and his youngest child,
which he held ia MS arms he concluded to
abandon the child, which Was soon wrapped in
the arms OF death. Thus freed from ali encum-
ORANGES, he soon reached the creek and throw
ing himself into the water, saved his lie.
Imagine the feelings Of the broken-hesrted
father on going back, after the FIRE had passed,
and gathering up the blackcned and chsrred re-
mains Of those whom he had loved so dearly"
A LITTLE of the other side An "Euglish
servant" writes to the New York Herald
In Eng and, where lived fifteen years as ser.
want, the isdi.s Of the weslty classes never have
| anything t. d with tho housekeeping, never
have word TO say TO the servants, excepting
their ladies maid or children's nurses. A
hOuSekeeper superntends the servants, engages
and discharges them, ii all the places lived in.
The ladies newer spoke TO the servants, except
on meeting us they would return our respectful
courtesy by slight inclination and gracious
smile. al the reproof or praise WAS done by
the housekeeper who in every house lived in
was u strict dlSclplinarlan, much more gwen to
fault fnding than prsising; she in her turn was
| accountable t. the steward, whose business it
was to buy the provisions, oversee the men-ser
| wants, AID pay the wages, and be in his turn WAS
accountable to the family lawyer Our respect
fuI behavior in England Is due to seversi Causes
Among them we are taught from infancy,
Servants obey your masters, and accept cheer
fully the ststun in lite God has placed you in"
l never could make any one born in this coun.
try understand the slrvish devotion and reverence
to the nobility and gentry that taught the Eng
fish poor. am married and have children of
my own, and would cheerfuly cut my tongue
out if though it would teach them TO be tAe
slave that was tau ht to be The sermons that
are preached and the lessons taught us of sub.
mission and respect are sided by tho conduct Of
the ladies and gentlemen toward Us The great
distance they keep, their dignif d and gracious
manner on meeting u, e y the lesson that they
are superior t, u; and not made GU. o. the same
clsy that we are.
Now, if American ladies want their servants
t. behave as they do In England, they must
! keep housk eeper, and treat their servants the
same as tie English ladies do theirs. 1t is my
| opinion that no ludy Will receive submissive re-
spect who is her own hou ekeeper, and keeps
scoldiI and "beisg" rs the saying is, att,r
her servants ali day .ong. hope the ladi IS OF
| New York Will not be offended at IN English
serra, giving them advice, but 1t is ony fair
that sometimes the servants should be heard IS
well MS the m>tresses As all thu paptls are
tul OF abuse of the servants, l thoaght 1t would
do 40 harm if an Elg.lsh servant should tell
how Eng ish ladies treat their servant; IN Eng
land. Very respectfully,
AN ENGLIsH S;RvANT
ENGLISH EMIGRATION TO THE UNITED
STATES 1T Is mcDtluued "a rcmarka bic tao:
that ia 1878 the number OF emlgrautS from
England was more thao four times greater than
that from Ireland. An abstract from a parlia-
mentary return gives the figures thus Dur
ti,1 ~
from the Uuteu Kingdom Was 3l0,6l2, which
was greater than that Of aoy previous year
since 1854, the asr of the SO called Irish ex
odus. Oh these 232 $50 left England, 24,526
Scotland, aud SO, POI Ireland, 233 073 Of them
going 10 the Uoited States, 81 POS TO British
Norm America, 26, 42S to Australasia, and
1903 to other places. Oi married men
thrr" were 81, 235 emgrants Unmarried w"mcu
4O.375 Of single mrn l3 002, of single women
81 III, ADD OF children 63 lO5 " Hitherto by
lar the larger percentage OF emigration was
from Ireland whereby that country has be- o
so remarkably depleted that the population,
which was s 49, IA thlrty-three years before,
had fallen to fl 1916 in 1871, and is not now
more than 5000, 900. Emigration on a large
scale from EugIaud Wales and Scotland is
comparatively reccut movement.
The dimiuutlon OF emigration from Ireland
is 10 one respect gratifying to the friends OF
that country, inasmuch as it Indicates more
comfort and coutent at home than have here
totore, for many ages, existed there. The to-
creased English emigration is noteworthy, as
that people generally have been reluctant to
change their homes, and sill more remark ablc
is the fact thar of the 3lO,6 emlgrants FROM
the United Kingdom in 1873. 233 073 came TO
the Uutcd States, small minority ouly going
to the British possessions aud other p aces.
The English aud Scotch, like the Irish, are an
Industrious and USEFUL population.
FIGHT IT Our LIKE Pa AND Ma Do.-A
story is told OF daughter OF promueut per-
son now 10 the lecture field, which is ptcutlar
y interesting and suggestive of UNCONSCIOUS
wisdom. 4 gentleman was Invited TO the lee
turers house to tea. ImmeIiate y Oh being |
seated at the table the little girl astonished the
faulty circle and the guests by the abrupt ques
tioo "Where is your wife, Now, the gen
tlemao having been recently separated from
the partner Of his life, wss taken so completely /