Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-24
i.ettcr from Fairfax County

Correspondence OF tho Alexandria Gazo.te. !
CENTREvlLLE. FAIRFAX Co., Va, Nov
22.-Nloro wheat has been seeded, | think,
than ln7 year sinoo the war, ard never saw it
look SO unpromlsiDg Mt this scasoo, owing TO
the lncst terrible aud protractrI drought 10 the
memory Of tho oldest woman. | say woman,
because BlIc IL much more reliab!G Il N man as
to dates, having always ENmG dutta-for i1-
stance, when Sarah Jano was married, Tony
slrained his knee, csc, CITE
Several springs Oh tho handsome estate of
MIR. d l.. MGonen arc dry, or nearly no, which
have not been 30 If about forty years. Water
h al 10 bo Eaulcl Tor "a steam saw riilo naar by.
two OF tErso niicy.
Much damage ID rUpcriy vas lorc hy tho
wind storm oa Thursday las. Tho irnp.e work
OF Mr.. FnnpnttOn's handsome new dwelling
| was blown down. fodder !h?cka ecatGr0d c7ct
TITO c2rn fields, aud hay stacks blown over.
We ARC GLAD to say that MIR. Il. NJ Chichcs-
ter, Who was paral ed SOHO dpyi ago, is in
proving, tn, has nOi yet rtrlvcril his spccch.
iln IL exceedingly popular.
The o5ttost for thc iudgeshp In this counly IL
WsXlas w1rm. and pctltlorG arc hting carried
around aud numtr :usg signed The present
Occupant, JUICE Sanrsier, will b.; opposed hy
Judge IL. II. CGckcrlIc, who presided ovtr iha
County ConI! several years eiLc,, and who IS
held IN high esteem in lhid section o his cju1ty
Much croGit is given Mr.. Edmund
Burke. Ct loar cii,, ccuaec FIR tho notiticncrs,
Tor opening tho gates It the 'Littlo River
luroplkc. Mr. Burke wss native OF this
cauny, eni bis father was said to BIO one of the
incsa popular men vino ever lived in it.
1t TIC pcr:smTn0n crop is any indication, and
macy pc!Siag hcli:Va rniigiOusly that it Is, this
will 90 al excessively ocll winter in Fairfax sud
very moderate ono in Fauquicr, moon signs
10 tbs contrary notwithstanding. Gamc il
abuddant this scas1a, iu* few cartridges arc
beng Killed. Except bY tho hawks. while tho
Old hsro s;arde slim oh8Doc. 3.
HE ELECTRIC EEL M. Marcy, who has for
SOHO years boon engaged il the study of these
very ei1Euia- aGaa!ic snimsls, has announced 10
me academy Of Sc;11cc3 tn 9. he has received {.
.ivinS spec!mo0 C. iho Gymnotus or electrical
col IRON feru. aId that it is lodged in his ieb1.
TStoTy st Inc College do Franco, where. by tho
by, any visitor IS admitted 10 inspect it. The
&ymnolus 10 that peculiar fsh which at lis ploas-
ure givoS olectrlal discharges. and thereby stuns
the animal 1t desires to mskei Is prey.
us principal homo is in tho rivers snc lapoo1s
OF South America, whore it is the terror of ell
other snlmais, not even excepting the crocodile.
OAo Va suesu eciS Two HietffS IN l0DSth (sX ieaD
csn give shock which will reduce to power.
lesaress the exon and horses that come down 70
the stream 10 drink at The points i. freuuants
snd tGu5 render thom An easy prev to THAR
aquatic enemies. Man himself, though not AZ
sensitive tG the shock as tho other animals. is
still liable TO very serious Inconvenience from
Its effects. NJ. Marcy has found during his in
VestlSsl!oEs inst gymnotus Of meter in length
has an electrical surface of about six hundred
squere ice., equal to 8 very powerful battery.
Inc animGl, owing TO its length and tho SUP.
pieness OF lis body, can produce different olec.
lrlcal enects according IS it is y straight line,
convex or concavo. as regards its prey. Its gen.
ersl mode OF procedure is 10 form 8 semi circle,
and place tho lsh il is inteHt on in the diameter
OF tho circuit. When the discharge is delivered
the prey, as ii struck by thunderbolt, is rem
dored powerless the gymnotus swims around il.
IS II to be assured of the efficacy OF the shock,
and then swallows his victim. These are not
The only fish which posses the singular power
OF launching electricsl discharges on their prev
or on their enemies Aauy others are known.
but far inferior in force 10 the terrible rymnotus
Among them gro the torpedo fish and some Epo
cies OF skste, which inhsbit the coasts of Great
Britain and France, aud some other species
winch s'e found in the Nile and Senegal.
DR.. j. W. Neil, Of Delaware, Ohio, WAS can.
tured ca Thursday night, while in the act of
Toboipz grave lc The cemetery. An assistan,
named Pas lcnnehan was also arrested. Ttcy
made furious resistance and fired Oh the of