The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-06-04
SUMMARY OF NEWS
Eastern and Middle States.

Northern New England has suffered a great
deal recently from forest fires. The destruc-
ton of timber in the pine forests east OF Frye
burg, Me-, has been immense. Great fires
have also been raging in the vicinity OF Con-
way, N. H., and Bartlett, N. H.
Henry j. Cross, city treasurer OF Salem,
Mass, committed suicide by hanging himself
to his office railing.
Boston has reduced her debt during the pnst
year s., AS, 206. "a. II now amounts TO 81
$780, Sig, and the sinking fund to $l0,794,O3o.
James Hall, William Adams and Rosa
Stengelin, aged forty, eight and fifteen years,
respectively, were drowned by the upsetting Oh
O steam launch in Little Hell Gate, New York.
The steamer Ashland, from Fall River,
Mass, went ashore at Point Judith, 4. l., and
was totally wrecked.
Judge Asa Packer died at Philadelphia, aged
seventy-two years. Mr.. Packer was born IN
Mystic, Conn.,, from where when about sixteen
years Of age he journeyed on foot, with oil his
earthly possessions done up in a knapsack on
his back, to Susduehanna county, Pa, where
he apprenticed himself to his uncle, q carpen-
ter. In two or three years he had mastered
his trade, and can to New York to work ut
it; but the city was not to his taste, and he
returned to Susquehanna county. At the age
OF twenty-three he married Sarah NJ. Blakelee,
the pretty daughter OF o farmer living in the
neighborhood. For four years the pair earned
only a scanty subsistence, young Packer work
ing a small farm and doing odd jobs at his
trade. At the time Of the opening OF the Le-
high canal, in the spring Of 1883, he became o
canal-boat driver. With his earnings he grad
ually was enabled to buy interests in a number
of boats, and retaining these he ave up driv-
ing and opened a store and a boat yard. After
ward he contracted for the building of locks i'll
the upper Lehigh, and soon his tame as a con-
tractor became great throughout the region
In 1888 he built boats at Pottsville for the
TRANSPORTATION of coal to New York direct. In
1910, leaving his bodybuilding business to his
brother, Mr.. Packer removed to Mauch Chunk,
and for many years engaged in the shipment
OF coal. In 1852 he alone began the building
of the Lehigh Valley railroad. In 1850, when
it was completed, he was all but ruined, but,
aided by Commodore Stockton, he survived
his Temporary embarrassments, and his road
rewarded him to that extent that for many
years he has been accounted the richest mar
in Pennsylvania. Mr.. Packer was twice
elected to Congress, and served under the adj
ministration Of Mr.. Pierce. He built for him.
self q beautiful residence at Mauch Chunk,
which was his home.
At the baby show in New York 100 infants,
of various degrees of beauty and size OF lungs
competed Tor cash prizes.
In q communication signed "the Russian
Revolutionary Committee" the Russian consul
in New York has been threatened with dire
consequences for uttering "certain slanderous
insinuations and base falsehoods in New York
society against one of our most honored and
trusted friends" If this communication is
genuine, it would indicate TINT the Nihillsts
have an organization in this country.
There are now 2l2 fire insurance companies
doing business in Massachusetts, nine having
been admitted during the past year. One
thousand seven hundred and twenty EIGHT fires
caused q loss OF So, 6S3, 265, of which S 2, 1885,
1872 were paid. The total insurance amounted
to 81, 700, 226. Three hundred and ninety-seven
OF the fires were incendiary.
At Niagara Falls, N. Y, H. P. Peers, n
Canadian, Jumped from the center Of the Sus-
pension bridge into Niagara river, n distance
of 1872 feet. III descent was made in tour
seconds, and Peers was picked up by O boat,
unlurt. A la1ge crowd witnessed the daring
feat.
Some weeks ago Henry Riddle, who had
been for many years superintendent Of public
schools in New York city, published a work
on Spiritualism, which caused great comment,
and a resolution was introduced at the next
meeting OF the Board Of Education, requesting
him to resign, but it tailed TO obtain n majority
of votes. Mr.. Riddle, however, has seen fit
to resign Of his own accord, and the Board OF
Education has accepted his resignation, pass
ing resolutions complimentary to his efficiency
while in office.
Western and Southern States.
Louisvi le, KY, has been visited by c water
spout, following an extraordinarily heavy rain.
Part OF the city was inundated to the extent Of
three.teet, and considerable damage was done.
At Terre Haute, Ind, eight p~ersons-four
colored men and four white nomenclature
been arrested, charged with intermarrying in
defiance OF the State law. The grand jury also
indicted two colored ministers for performing
the marriages.
The business part of the town OF Farmers
vile, La, has been destroyed by fire, and an
estimated loss of $4,000 incurred.
While Mr.. and Mrs. Price were riding near
Brooklyn, Mich, the horse became frightened
and threw the carriage, over an embankment.
Mrs. Price received injuries from which she
died the next night, and her,husband's skull
was fractured.
Alphonso Davis and Henry Andrews, white,
and Lewis Carlton, colored, were hanged for
burglary on the town common Mt Hillsboro,
N. e., in presence OF 5000 spectators. All
three men proclaimed their innocence OH the
scaffold. While the execution was going on Il
terrific thunderstorm ragged, making the scene
wild and terrible. On the same day John j.
West was hanged Mt Boonvillc, Mo, for MUIR
dcring n tramp lust October; at Plnqueminc,
La., Robert Cheney, colored, suffered n liku
punishment for assaulting q woman in June
last, and at Provo City, Utah, Wallace Wilker-
son, who shot IL man named Baxter, two years
ago, was himself shot to death in the Jail yard,
the law OF the Territory giving a murderer,
after conviction, the choice OF being hanged or
shot. Wilkerson's cxecutioners were three
concealed marksmcn, who were about thirty
feet distant from the chair in which he sat.
Samuel Durrell and Josiah Manning, two
young lnen, who had taken refuge under q
large sycamore tree, during q thunderstorm.
Mt fredericksburg Ind, were struck by light
ming and instantly killed.
L. Longbehm, n German living on a vege-
table rancho, about five miles from Antioch,
Cal, took his little boy and girl, aged respec-
lively six md four years, into the fields, beat
them to death with a club, cut their throats
and then went back to the house and blew his
own brains out with a shotgun. The family
had always lived happily together, and it is
supposed that Longbclm WIS suffering from
an attack of insanity.
Reports from the Northwest state TINT the
prospects for large crops in that region arc
very tlattering.
William Morgan, cashier OF the st. Nicholas
Hotel, Cincinnati, and his brother, John Nor
gnn, while rowing a skiffo on Licking river were
upset and drowned in endeayoring to avoid q
passing steamer.
|. William Nelson, n colored man, was fined
3d. 900 ut Tcrre Haute, Ind, and sentenced to
the penitentiary for one year Tor marrying a
white woman.
Orlando Cassler, who, il July last, muir
dered and robbed George l.. Monroe, was
hanged Mt Seward, Neb. About halt nm hour
before the execution, which took place mt l.30
p. 81, a mob suddenly tore down the i%nclosurc
around the scaffold, and quietly witnessed the
proceedings to the end. Cassler asserted on
the scaffold that he was innocent, and that his
life had been swore away. He WIS cool and
resigned throughout.
At the Iowa Democratic State Convention
held in Council Bluffs, o ticket headed by H.
Fl. Trimble, for Governor, was nominated.
Resolutions were adopted calling upon Con-
gress to stand firm for the freedom OF the bal
lot; declaring that both the government and
the States should be sternly restricted to their
respective spheres in the exercise Of power;
favoring the substitution OF treasury notes for
national bank notes, etc.
About &c, 1000 persons in Richmond visited
Hollywood Cemetery on Memorial day, listen
ed to IN address, and strewed the graves OF
| Confederate soldiers with flowers.
At Severn, Md, John Stinchcomb quarreled