South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1880-02-20
: Letter from Washington.
wAsuIseros. Feb. 1e. 1880.

4 n
Mr.. Reagan's Interstate Commerce bill
1 is in some respect an improvement on
the bin self, but has defects OF its own
besides many that were In the original
biz. 1t provides for the exercise of dan.
I. gerous powers by the Federal Govern.
ment. VIII De expensive in execution, and
will open the door 10 unlimited fraud.
The subject is 50 important that. ike a
treyision Of the taft and other matters,
| hope it viii receive attention during q
year or so by q carefully selected com.
mission.
Tho subjects likely 70 be discussed
this week are the new House Rules-of
course, and the Ftz John Porter case,
although the latter may go orer. It is
SAID that some radicals will attempt to
make party capital out of this subject,
but that Is hardly likely. as many sturdy
Republicans are favorable to the bill.
| The Indian Territory question will no,
be discussed for some time, but will
cause a considerable debate, commen-
cling, probably next week.
1t is not strange, another Of order No.
prohibiting interference in political
matters by Federal Officials, is receiving
a great number Of letters demonstrating
against the activity of Secretary Sher.
mans subordiDates In working MP a
boom. Some Of these letters are earnest
and argumentatire, as if the writers
thought Hayes was not horcSt IL his re-
form prctcstatious, and some arc sarcas.
tic, and some simply convey information
as TO violating of the order. IL is not
thought Mr. Hayes will take any action
4 Blaine Club was organized here on
Saturday night, and is expected TO have
considerable influence on political affairs
in several States. Mr.. Blaine has the
support of large numbers of people with
IN his own party, and few beyond it.
while the National Administration and
the Machine, are against him. Many oil
the most able men OF the radicals have
been and are now for Blaine. While the
masses favor him, the machine men, like
Cameron, Gorham. and Boss Shepard
are Eercc for Grant, and the Treasury
syndicate are for Sherman.
General Ruggles has asked Congress
10 appropriate few thousand dollars tc
enable him to test his invention for pro
ducing rain whenever desired, By the
sending up in small balloons and explo-
ding in mid air large quantity of dynss
mite, and n bill has been introduced
granting the necessary aid. MEMO.
Extracts from letter in the Petersburg
Gazette in relation TO the late Railroad
. meeting, held Mt Moorefeld:
, The object of the meeting was TO in
dhce persons wEo owned land or miner
al value to donate portion thereof to-
wards the bcilding of the road. A con-
| siderable amount OF land and money
t. was subscribed. and it now looks like
something is going TO be done. =
Capt. Chipley came 10 the front and
said it was time somebody was doing
something, ind, FOR his part, he would
give one half OF his mineral land, whic,
is six or seven thousand acres. lie also
r made proposition TO Hon. Jos. Sprigg
As Mr.. SPrigg had no lands 10 do,
nate. the Capt. proposed that Mr.
, Sprigg buy the church land, and give il
20 the Company. Mr.. Sprigg accepted
{ this proposition, and said lac would buy
this land, which contains about seven
, thousand acres. and give il to the rail.
!, road company SIS suggested. Mr.. ID. r
McNieil and the Iron Company gave
l half their interests TO the company
5 which altogether amounts TO .bil
, thing. The completion OF the road is
now no longer in doubt.
As for iron ore. there is every Ger.
tainly of the existence of the minerals
) The miners have found ore at every
| point where they have looked FOR it
both brown and red hematite. There /:
said TO be enough to last n thousand
years.
MUTTON FRoH SoUTU ANHR1CA.-The
French company, "HAlimentation," has
recently landed from the steamer Para