Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-18

| ~, WAS mere liilS Wtth lOI inc phl DOoC "a
getting a list OF charter members 10 or
/ ganize q Junior Order United American
! Mechanics council. 1t is understood that
I enough names have been secured, and
that q council will be organized at King
/ George Courthouse in the Very near fu-
| ture
Mere has been an epidemic Of colds
| and sore-throat In this and adjoining
counties for two weeks past, and, while
the disease has not proved fatal. SO FAR.
n good many people are quite sick, ana
believe their malady Is the same form or
grip" that was so prevalent during the
winter of 1SS9-'9O.
I'D 70 this time the death-rote in TINS
county THIS year has been the lowest OF
which there is any record, except among
tha very Old people, who died from old
ace rather than from any particular ais
ease.
Mr.. John T. Minor, OF this place. filled
his large ice-house early this week with
very fine ice. and a number OF other
houses in this county were partly flled
bv noon Wednesday. No one here seems
Co remember the filing of ice-houses so
early in December of any previous year.
Some Of the navigable creeks have been
blocked from shore TO shore WIN
ice since last week, and considerable Ice
has been seen in the Potomac and Rap
pahannock rivers.
Mr.. Joseph Billlngsley, long resident
of this county, but for some years past
of Washington, d. G., mas entered the
Rantist ministry and is preaching in
Westmoreland county. He is "a son OF
Rev Joseph A. Billingsley, who died
here. at an advanced age, several years
ago.
dredgers deserted an oyster vessel In the
Potomac, below here, and were roofing
their wav TO Fredericksburg. en- route
for Baltimore, etc, when the captain,
their employer, overlook them, mace
them get in a vehicle, and return with
him to the vessel. gentleman IN the
neighborhood, Of the occurrence writes
that when oystermen run away from
vessel 10 escape the cruelty Of captains,
thew are frequently pursued, as In the
case above mentioned, by captain and
hired vehicle and driver, and the latter,
y private citizen, represents himselI 10
he an officer, arrests the fleeing men, and
takes them back to further endure severe
treatment. A majority OF these hlred
dredgers are ignorant, and, therefore, IL
never occurs to them to require the
parties making the arrest to snow war
rant or other authority
The travelling statesmen made some
what larger sales in the Northern Neck
this month than they did in December
Of last year, but their collections were
smaller than those Of year ago. "A
larger volume of business was done by
our merchants from November LIST to
December 18th. TINS year, than was done
the corresponding period OF 1877, Due
much less money changed hands during
these six weeks than did in the last haiI
G,.cf holt Of DGpCmbpr
last year the merchandise being eX-
changed for country produce this season
instead of cash. Heads of the various
branches of business here state that
there is less money in circulation TINS
fan than ever before In their experience
Miss Willie Butler, of Fluvanna county,
Is visiting her kinsfolk In this neighbour
hood. and expects to spend the mondays
here.
News comes from Stafford that few
cases of typhoid-fever still inger, ana
that Mr. William Callahan. OF Garrison
VILE that county, Is critically Ill with
this dread disease.
cantain William de Gruchy, of Wide
water Is visiting friends in this county.
Owing 10 the early advent OF winter,
and the prospect Of a long continuation
OF hard weather. coarse provender ior
cattle is In such demand that cornstalks,
containing nothing but the shuck, are
bringing fabulous prices here. What Is
generally left in. the fields to decay is
nov easily salable at prices heretofore
poid for good, marketable provender:
blade fodder, always sold here at ~
cents per 100 pounds, Is now onered ~
nothing less than s. cents 10 u per ~,
nounds, TIE people are actually alarmed
n,ay the prospect for a hard winter, ana
some are making preparations as II they
.ro about 10 enter never-endlng season
OF severity never before known: Many
+, farmer refuses 10 sell any OF his corn
or other produce. fearing that an UMPIRE
ccdented winter may require an unusually
Iaree suppiy for home consumption.