Litchfield enquirer., 1880-02-12
WESTERN CORRESPONDENCE.
.IYoxs, Iowa, Jan. 30, $

-LYOSS, IOWA, Jan. 0U, OU.
 Ed Eng-Our ferry boat was sunk by section of ice reaching nearly across the river, one slde getting caught by or under raft of logs. and swinging around behind the raft ed They have been trying for more than week to raise 1t, but have only got it part way up. It's bad job and going to be expensive.
 We have had few days of colder weather, improving the roads somewhat; but they are very rough and few country people find their way into. town, which makes trade dull and merchants blue. {.
 Two prominent farmers have been sent to the Insane Asylum from our county, recently. It is said the class most largest represented in the institution are from the rural districts.
 The Fusionist Governor of Maine was once resident of Lyons, from 1857-60, in the lum Der business. 1 was well acquainted with him. and bought his fast horse when he left, which retained fifteen years and from all appearances was able to make a better ''spurt'' than he did. He was very spruce young man and very pompous. He married a rich young lady in Chicago, one of two or phan sisters, who died soon after, leaving large property which he tried to retain posses sion of. but failed
 The legislature has just passed law, un- der suspension of rules, giving the judge power to fix the penalty in murder cases, where the prisoner pleads guilty, as in the case cit d in this correspondence a short time since
 A singular accident or incident happened here few nights since. A young lady was walking along on a side street, when young man approached her from behind, dealt her powerful blow on the head, and one or two more about the body, exclaiming ''now am even with you Mary" She fell insensible, ly-. @ ing an hour before being discovered. She was very i'll for some days, and her friends were telegraphed for, but she is now mending. As her name was not Mary, it is supposed to be case of mistaken identity of peculiar interest to some Mary in town.
 One of the most extraordinary accidents Janesville, Wis, the circus proprietor, He owned farm few miles out of the city, where he wintered his stock and animals, and fO- convenience of transit between his farm pslAiial city residence, built him a small steamer to run on the river connecting the two places About ten days ago he was re- turning from his farm on the little steamer, going very rapidly, the-river being unusually swollen, the craft urged on by wind, steam and tide As he attempted to pass under bridge in JanesvilIe, without noticing the rIse intle riverh head struck one of the beams smashing skull, nose and jaw He was taken to the Myers house. and physicians were sum- uO0ed who told him he could not probably live fifteen minutes He called for his lawyer to make his will. dictated to him the disposition of his vast estate, and then declared to his phyScians that he did not propose to die. It Es said the cap of his skull could be lifted two IncbeS. but the brain was little injured All JsaesSille has been in a fever of excitement over him, and for number of days his life hung ss ii were by single thread, but it is DoE thought the crisis has passed, and that he will recover, though terribly dsfgured in the fzcs and head
 It Is a little out of the season for tramps but one came So near getting his just deserts the other day. across the river in Illinois. that it is '-tOo good to keep" as the girls say. well dressed young man called at the farm house Of young couple and asked for the husband. His wife said he had gone to Morrison. He ha ha WAS told mt till towards night We'll, said he, I'm first-ciass tramp, and am coming in" Quick as thought she slammed the door in his face and locked it. He attempted to foEcH his was in lat failed he then went to the wOOd-shed. and got an iron bar and con- nenced Prying open the window, telling her he had bottle of chloroform in his pocket, and was coming in. She warned him to de- slss ur she should shoot him but he paid no attention, wherehpon she fired at him with revolver and he fell After while she pluck ed up courage 10 open the door, and saw him lying there, but attempting to rise. Soon af- ter he got up and started of muttering and curslng her, with an arm hanging by his side and attempting to remove his coat with the other. Al sight of the blood, she tainted. and wss tO4nd soon after, but the villain made good his escape, and has not been found since.
 Great fears are entertained of an ice famine down South Most of our ice houses are fll- cd bu; mostly with poor quality of ice. One OrtWo trains day pass south with the frozen beverage from the North bound for St. Louis.
 Maj Burnham has just left us going West. He expects to strike the Missouri River at Council Bluffs and make a circuitous route boueWard- via St. Louis He hopes to reach h"sne in about eighteen days. I propose to touch lightly on the narrow escape he had erOsSing the River here in consideration of the ASTCes of his many friends The River was running pretty full with ice, and the only mode of crussing was by skiff. Part of the way they had to cut channel through heavy Hce noe- Considering his avoirdupois, it was sosneshIng of an undertaking and one he did not care to repeat He was the s.last man oveT So far as l have been able to learn. The ferryman let him of for half a dollar which We considered ''dog cheap" He was proba- ply giad to get him safely of They cannot celArse as they used to before there was any r2ilrOad bridges When I first crossed ii was In company with your Milwaukee correspond. ens in the spring of '56, the ice had just commenced breaking up. The alternative was to crnss in skiffs. or to wait some days f'<the ice to run out, or to go north till you struck solid ice, or south till you found clear water We were in sight of our goal and too impatient 10 wait We found some daring adveuturers who agreed to pilot us over for S+ A large crowd gathered on the river bank to see us of, cheering us on with the advice freely given to speak for our collins before we ssar1ed It was late in the dav