MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
Military Encampment. 
Conflagrations and Suffering at Sea. 
The American ship Townsend was consumed 
by fire, in the Pacific ocean, on the 15th of May 
The crew and passengers took to the boats, with 
a small supply of provisions, but owing to the 
boisterous weather, two of the boats swamped 
soon after, and all on board (twelve in number) 
perished. The survivors in the other boats, af¬ 
ter being at sea forty days, and suffering incred¬ 
ible hardships, landed on the uninhabited island 
of Massafuera, where they succeeded in getting 
a fire, also a few crabs and some dock leaves, 
which were the only things to be found. 
Leaving this island in a single boat, the other 
becoming unscaworthy, they landed three days 
after at the island of Juan Fernandez, and were 
received kindly by the commander of the gar¬ 
rison, who immediately supplied them with 
food, which all so much stood in need of. They 
were also treated very humanely by the Surgeon 
of the garrison, Mr. Joseph Butler, a native of 
Poland, who attended the sick, <Lc. They sail¬ 
ed a distance of 660 miles in open boats, and 
out of four boats only one reached its destina¬ 
tion, and out of twenty-four that composed the 
number, only twelve remained alive ! 
The Spanish ship Victoria sailed from Buenos 
Ayres March 24, for Southampton, freighted 
with bones and animal guano, but was obliged 
to put into Montevideo, in consequence of dam¬ 
age from a collision with another vessel. A few 
days after leaving that port, the vessel took fire 
spontaneously, and was totally destroyed, the 
crew taking to a raft previously prepared, and 
to the only boat not disabled. After spending 
three nights and two days of boisterous weather 
in the fragile craft, the in mates of the boat were 
providentially rescued by the Sardinian vessel 
Profeta Elias, bounded for Montevideo, the cap¬ 
tain of which afforded them every assistance, 
and landed them safely at St. Catherines, noth¬ 
ing being known of the fate of the captain and 
Tiie Independent Military Companies of this 
city, consisting of one artillery, one cavalry, 
and four infantry companies, were last week in 
camp four days. The ground selected for the 
purpose was a level field, in the immediate vi¬ 
cinity of the House of Refuge ; and the snow- 
white tents of the soldiers presented a very 
pleasing appearance. A large number of citi¬ 
zens and strangers visited the camp, and wit¬ 
nessed the daily drills of the citizen soldiery. 
On Friday afternoon, at four o’clock, the com¬ 
panies broke up the camp, struck their tents at 
a signal gun, and, forming in line, marched back 
to the city, where the members speedily trans¬ 
formed themselves from soldiers into citizens. 
The encampment was a very pleasant affair, 
both to the soldiers and to outsiders. Fine 
weather prevailed, and the health of the mili¬ 
tary during the time was excellent. 
HHF* The salaries in the Departments at Wash¬ 
ington, with the mileage and per diem of mem¬ 
bers, amounts to $1,845,636. $1,300,000 are set 
down for the pay, mileage and other contingent 
expenses of the two Houses—or $1,000 per mem¬ 
ber—besides $80,000 for printing for part of the 
last session, and over $200,000 more for books 
voted and distributed to members of Congress. 
There are thousands more for reporting the de¬ 
bates in the Washington papers. The judicial 
expenses of the Government run well on to a 
million of dollars. 
The passengers to and from India are 
now conveyed between Alexandria and the 
N ile, a distance of 66 miles, by rail. The first 
departure from Alexandria occurred on the 4th 
of July, with the passengers who arrived on 
that day by the Ripon and the canal. The 
most tedious part of the journey through Egypt 
is now avoided altogether. The whole of the 
line between Cairo and Alexandria, 110 miles, 
will lie complete, probably, in about 12 months. 
From a proclamation which appears in 
the Canada Gazette, we learn that the act pass¬ 
ed in June of last year, to regulate the curren¬ 
cy of that province, came into effect on the first 
inst. By it the dollar is to be five shillings of 
our present currency, and the cent one hun¬ 
dredth of a dollar; mill one tenth of a cent.— 
Accounts may be kept, and persons may sue or 
be sued, for all business transactions in either 
denomination of currency shall be legal. 
A correspondent of the Cleveland Plain- 
dealer, who is writing from La Points, on Lake 
Superior, states that, the white inhabitants yn 
the shore of the Lake, arc now agitating the 
question of forming a State separate and apart 
from the present organization—taking what of 
Michigan lies west of Lake Michigan, add the 
points of Wisconsin and Minnesota bordering 
on the Lake, and appropriately naming it the 
State of Superior. 
EfSP The Boston Herald says:—A wagon, 
freighted with gun-powder, the wheels of which 
were tired with leather, to prevent the possibil¬ 
ity of ignition from sparks that be produced by 
the contact of an iron tire with the pavement, 
was passing over Cragie’s Bridge, a few days 
since, on the toil of which was seen an Irishman, 
with a pipe and some matches in his hands, with 
which he was endeavoring to “ get up a smoke.” 
John Savelle, a medical student in New 
York, attempted recently to poison the family 
with which he boarded, by putting oxy-muriate 
of mercury in the tea-caddy. The mistress 
perceiving the powder in the caddy, made her 
tea from the contents of another one, and the 
refusal of Savelle to partake aroused suspicion, 
and led to an examination, which resulted in his 
committal to prison. 
Air. Peabody, of the Soil of the South, 
has recently presented the Columbus Times 
with a specimen of the orange watermelon.— 
The rind peals off like the orange, and leaves 
the whole of the rich luscious pulp in a lobate 
mass, which also divides into parts, and is most 
delightfully flavored. We never saw anything 
of the kind so beauliful. This watermelon is a 
——The price asked for the Sandwich Islands, 
is said to be five millions. 
-The whole military force of the United 
States, officers and all, amounts to 10,339. 
-Senator Seward has received the honora¬ 
ry degree of Doctor of Laws, from Yale College. 
-Hon. John C. Spencer is now lying very 
ill, at the Pavilion House in New Haven. 
-A single family in Sangamon county, Ill., 
haveseventeen thousand sheep of the best blood. 
-The population of Ireland, according to 
late returns, is less than 7,000,000, of which 
3,000,000 are Protestants. 
-A German translation of Col. Benton’s 
Thirty Years is in the course of publication at 
St. Louis, in weekly parts. 
-On the 1st inst. the safe of the steamer 
May Flower, at Buffalo, was robbed of $1,700, 
during the temporary absence of the clerk. 
-The fast trotter, “ Belle of Saratoga,” be¬ 
longing to G. B. Clark, of Buffalo, was sold in 
New York, a few days since, for $5,000, 
-A large number of the workmen on the 
new State House at Columbus, Ohio, have been 
discharged for want of funds. 
-It is computed that there will be 21,000 
miles of railway in operation in the United 
States upon the first day of January next. 
-A man in Baltimore beat his mother $1 ,- 
500 worth, in the opinion of the Judge before 
whom he was tried, a few days since. 
-A thousand soldiers have lately arrived 
at Havana, and two steamers with fifteen hun¬ 
dred more are daily expected. 
-Mayor Wall, of Williamsburg, L. I., has 
fined his own son ten dollars for suffering his 
dog to go at large unmuzzled. 
-The bridge across the Connecticut, lead¬ 
ing from Hanover, N. II., to Norwich, Vt., was 
destioyed by fire a few days since. 
-Tuesday of last week was observed at 
St. Johns, N. B„ as a day of fasting and prayer, 
on account of the cholera. 
-Com. Downs, of the Charleston Navy- 
Yard, who has been ill for some time past, ex¬ 
pired August, 4th. 
-John Van Buren contradicts, through the 
London Advertiser, the report that, he intended 
to participate in the Anti-Slavery Conference in 
London. 
-It is said that Dodge county, Wis., has 
raised a million bushels of wheat this season, 
and that thousands of acres have yielded from 
fifty to sixty bushels each. 
-Five dead bodies have been taken from 
the wreck of the steamboat Cape May, which 
sunk in the Ohio River, a few days since, near 
ROCHESTER, AUGUST 19, 1854. 
Timely Topics. 
To the great majority of our readers the most 
seasonable topics, just now, pertain to the 
weather, crops, and present and prospective 
prices of farm products. These matters are of 
far more importance to farmers and business 
men, than the result of the election in this or that 
State, or the manceuverings of any political party 
to secure the spoils, and “ save the Nation ” from 
the rule of an opposing, but perhaps equally 
patriotic organization. 
The excessive dry weather which has prevail¬ 
ed for several weeks, throughout a large extent 
ot country—the drouth extending over consid¬ 
erable portions of New York, Penn., Ohio, Mich., 
Ind., Illinois, and other States, — has materi¬ 
ally affected the crops and pastures, causing im¬ 
mense loss to the farmers. The damage from 
[this source alone 
A Miser.— An old man named Bomino lived 
recently at St. Louis in a very wretched man¬ 
ner. No one suspected him of possessing any 
pecuniary means, from the penury of his ap¬ 
pearance, particularly as he had no friends or 
relatives on whom to bestow his property. A 
few days since the old man died, and the public 
administrator, in pursuance of his duty, pro¬ 
ceeded to his late residence for the purpose of 
taking possession of and selling his personal 
property to defray funeral expenses, Ac., if, in¬ 
deed, enough could be found to liquidate the 
debt. Under a pile of firewood was discovered a 
wooden box of considerable weight, which was 
broken open, and found to contain about $1,700 
in gold. On instituting a further search on the 
premises, $4,000 in paper money, Missouri bills, 
was discovered wrapped in some old fragments 
of clothing near the fireplace. A bag contain¬ 
ing $100 in specie was eventually added to the 
treasure, and other small sums, in the course of 
the exciting search, were brought to light, mak¬ 
ing the whole amount found about $6,300.— 
Death parted “ the fool and his money !” 
can scarcely be estimated, as 
lit will amount, in the aggregate, to some util- 
rlions of dollars. In some localities, the loss of 
ft individuals and communities will be so great as 
■to check their prosperity for years. Their crops 
land pastures have been rendered almost worl-h- 
L less—and in addition to the loss already sus- 
IViined, many will be obliged to dispose of their 
live stock at a sacrifice. We trust, however, 
that but few and limited sections have been so 
severely afflicted by the scourge which is pre¬ 
vailing, to a greater or less extent, over a large 
portion of the country. 
The wheat crop was short in a considerable 
portion of the country now affected by the 
drouth,—and in not a few instances which have 
come to our knowledge, those who lost their 
wheat by winter-kill and the midge, now find 
their spring crops drying and starving, with a 
poor prospect for half a yield. In this region 
potatoes and corn are suffering greatly, though 
the drouth is less severe than it has been fur¬ 
ther South and in some portions of the Western 
States. Potatoes will probably command $1 
per bushel in this market for a year to come. 
The fruit crop is also likely to be materially 
affected by the drouth. The prospect is fair for 
a good Peach crop in Western New Y'ork, but 
it will be greatly lessened if the present dry 
weather continues. The yield of Apples will be 
less than usual, though the orchards promise 
well in some localities. 
— As to the prospective prices of wheat and 
other farm products, opinions are various and 
conflicting. The shrewdest farmers and busi¬ 
ness men are at loggerheads in the premises, 
and editors, though perhaps as well posted as 
the wisest, are unable to scan the future, or de¬ 
termine what it will bring forth. For weeks 
our impression has been that wheat would ere 
long fall to $1,75 or $1,50 per bushel in West¬ 
ern New York, and that good Genesee wheat 
would not go below the latter figure until 
another harvest. Such is our present opinion, 
notwithstanding the prophecy of many that the 
price will be lower. The prices of corn, pota¬ 
toes, Ac., will rule higher than formerly. 
The Drouth. 
From all parts of the country we are receiv¬ 
ing reports of excessive drouth. It does not 
seem to be confined to any special region either 
North or South, but extends itself, with occa¬ 
sional exceptions, in all directions. The corn 
and potato crops are likely to receive (if indeed 
they are not past remedy) extensive damage ; 
the pastures are parched and dead, presenting 
to the eye a brown and very unpleasing aspect. 
The weather has been peculiar in this locality ; 
first the sun shines out with intense and burn¬ 
ing heat for several days ; then clouds rise thick 
and fast, presenting the appearance of a threat¬ 
ening tornado or a heavy storm ; then a stiff 
breeze scatters the vapors from the sky like a 
routed army, and anon lulls down again into a 
quiet, cold, almost frost-like night, to be suc¬ 
ceeded by a cloudless day, and again repeated 
by the same routine of phenomena. Saturday 
last threatened rain ; Sunday was cloudy, 
windy and warm, followed by a cool night and 
a cloudless sky on Monday. 
Successful Diving. —The Buffalo Republic says 
a gentleman who was passing out of the steamer 
Northern Indiana, at the wharf in that city, on 
Wednesday of last week, accidentally dropped 
his wallet into the water. He immediately of¬ 
fered one-lialf the contents to any person who 
would recover the lost treasure ; whereupon four 
hands connected with the boat commenced 
diving for it. Three of them, after several un¬ 
successful dives, gave up the undertaking ; but 
the fourth, the barber of the boat, persisted, and 
at the eighth dive brought up the prize. The 
gentleman, true to his word, immediately count¬ 
ed out to the lucky barber one-half the money, 
which amounted to between four and five hun¬ 
dred dollars. 
DlARRUCEA AS A PRECURSOR OF ClIOLERA.— III 
addition to the evidence already in possession of 
the faculty, that cholera occurs without the pre¬ 
monitory symptom of diarrhoea, more or less 
severe, two important proofs are referred to in 
the last number of the N. Y. Medical Times.— 
One is a letter from Dr. McLoughlin to the Reg¬ 
istrar-general of England, stating that in 1849, 
3902 cases of cholera were examined into, and 
not one was found where the disease had come 
on without being preceded by diarrhoea. The 
other is a letter from the same gentleman to Dr. 
Mott, of New Y ork, dated in December last, in 
which he says that of 900 deaths from cholera 
which took place in London during the preced¬ 
ing four months, not one had occurred without 
the previous existence of diarrhoea, which had 
lasted from some hours to several weeks.— 
Med. and Sur. Journal. 
Novel Case of Kidnapping.—0. C. Dennis, 
an employee on the State Line Railroad, has 
been on trial at Erie, charged w ith kidnapping 
a man named Cooper, under the following cir¬ 
cumstances. During the troubles at Erie and 
Harbor Creek last winter, a train wont up from 
Buffalo with hands to repair the damage to the' 
road at the latter place. A party of rioters 
went on board the train for the purpose of seiz¬ 
ing the person of Mr. Dennis, who thereupon 
signalized the engineer to put on steam and run 
back to the New York State line, which was 
done, and Cooper then ejected from the cars. 
The jury have found a verdict of guilty in the 
case, but the Court granted a new' triaL 
The Cholera. 
Wk are happy to announce an abatement of 
the epidemic in very many localities where it 
has heretofore existed throughout the country, 
and there is probably no place where the dis¬ 
ease is still increasing. Active sanitary mea¬ 
sures by the officers of cities, and prudent care 
of themselves on the part of the citizens, have 
tended much to an abatement of the scourge. 
In this city, very little of the malady has exist¬ 
ed at any time, and that little seems to be now' 
happily on the decline. One of the most ex¬ 
tensive and respectable medical practitioners in 
the city, assures us that he has not had one case 
of genuine cholera in his practice this season, 
although he has met with many cases of the 
ordinary cholera morbus, most of which yielded 
readily to proper medical treatment. 
Affecting Incident.—A n English paper says, 
that whilu the 46th regiment were in rank in 
the barrack square at Windsor, prior to march¬ 
ing out for conveyance to Southampton, en route 
to Constantinople, a motherless child, six years 
old, clung to its father’s legs. He was peremp¬ 
torily ordered to send it away, but resolutely 
answered, “ I will not.” Lieut. Hutton, touched 
with the scene, took the child and placed two 
ten pound notes in its hand, with the hope that 
some one would befriend it. This, however, 
{ moved unnecessary, for having afterwards made 
iis own mother (who was staying at Windsor) 
acquainted with the circumstances, she adopted 
the little fellow, in time to give the father an 
assurance that the child should be well cared for. 
-Mr. Hargreaves, the Australian gold dis¬ 
coverer, has arrived in London. He is a hand¬ 
some man, in the prime of life, and received 
£10,000 from the Sydney Government for his 
discovery. 
-At Kansas, on the20ih July, while Judge 
Walderman, who was in pursuit of runaway ne¬ 
groes, was attempting to dismount from his 
horse, lie accidentally discharged his gun and 
killed himself. 
-Gerrit Smith, in settling with' the Ser- 
gcant-at-Arms, was entitled to about $500 legal 
mileage, but only took about $90, being $8 a 
day while coming and going, and actual travel¬ 
ing expenses. 
-English papers received by the Canada, 
mention with regret “ that there is a necessity 
for seeking subscriptions to relieve the low estate 
of a living celebrity—the benevolent Father 
Mathew.” 
-Twenty-five Roman exiles, who were 
banished by order of the Pope, after four year’s 
imprisonment, without trial, and without per¬ 
mission to communicate with their families, ar¬ 
rived at New York a few days since. 
-A few days ago an old salt, Capt. David 
Harris, of Ipswich, on his 81th birth-day, rowed 
out into the bay some lour or five miles, caught 
about 50 handsome codfish, and was on his way 
home before sunset! 
-Admiral Smith, in his “ Mediterranean,” 
says that, the star-fish has been drawn up alive 
at the depth of 340 fathoms; ‘where the weight 
of water collapses a copper tube at 200, and 
crushes it flat at 300 fathoms. 
-Mrs. Caroline Southey, widow of Robert 
Southey, the Poet Laureate, died on the 20th 
ult., at Buckland, nea^Lymington. She was the 
daughter of the Rev. Dr. Bowles, a canon of 
Salisbury Cathedral. 
-On Wednesday week, three British 
steamers, the Niagara, Alps and Canada, were 
in the port of, Boston. On her recent voyage 
the Alps had fourteen hundred tons of freight 
at fivo pounds sterling per ton. 
—>—The dwellers in the vicinity of Clear 
Lake, Iowa, aro gripvously disquieted at the 
presence of six hundred Sioux warriors, all 
amply armed. An adequate military force hits 
been ordered out .to remove them. 
Information YWnted — Of James Burdjck, 
who left his home in Bcachville, C. W„ on the 
14th of June last, to see a Doctor at St. Mary’s, 
which place he arrived at, and left on the 19th 
for London, C. W., since which no tidings can 
be had of him by his wife or parents. Any in¬ 
formation respecting him, would be thankfully 
received by his afflicted wife and parents, and a 
numerous circle of friends. If alive, is suppos¬ 
ed to have gone to some of the United States. 
Address Enoch Burdick, Bcachville, C. W. 
A Rich Contract. —The Paris correspondent 
of the Tribune writes that Mr. Beverly C. San¬ 
ders, of San Francisco, who left Paris for the 
Russian capitol in the month of January last, 
lias succeeded in effecting an arrangement with 
the Russian Government which will secure to 
him an immense fortune, if he is permitted to 
enjoy for any great length of time the contract 
he has made. By this arrangement he becomes 
Russian Paymaster for the western coast of 
America, and enjoys certain rights in connec¬ 
tion with Russian commerce, which, it is antici¬ 
pated, will prove extremely lucrative. Mr. S. 
is living in the most princely style in St. Peters¬ 
burg, and frequently gives dinners a I'bnprovistc, 
which frighten even the wealthy Russian noble¬ 
men by their costliness. 
Elections. —In North Carolina the elections 
have gone Demoeratic in all departments of the 
State government. Bragg (Democrat) is elect¬ 
ed for Governor, and the Democrats have ten 
majority in the Senate and six in the House. 
This secures them a Democratic U. S. Senator, 
the first from that State for many years. In 
Missouri, Benton is defeated for Congress by 
Kennett (YYhig.) The Anti-Bentonian Demo¬ 
crats also run a candidate, but voted largely for 
Kennistt for the express purpose of defeating 
the “ great Missourian.” The Iowa election is 
doubtful. So far as heard from, the Whig can¬ 
didate for Governor is some 300 ahead of his 
opponent, and the party have strong hopes of 
carrying the State, (which lias heretofore been 
largely Democratic) on the Nebraska issue. 
Amherst College. —The Springfield Rr/mb- 
tican’s correspondence relative to the commence¬ 
ment at Amherst College, states that President 
Hitchcock has resigned his position as the head 
of the College. He has filled the post since 
1845, and done much to place the College in its 
existing high, honorable and strong position, 
both intellectually and pecuniarily. He retires 
because his health will not permit the continu¬ 
ance of the heavy cares and duties which the 
place imposes. 
Beginning to Pay. —The general impression 
has been that the experiment of making the 
Clinton State Prison pay for itself, or even its 
running expenses, by the manufacture of iron, 
would be a failure. But the prospect is now 
more favorable. The Albany Express says, 
that the experiment has been brought to a suc¬ 
cessful issue, that on the 28tll day of June last, 
the first specimen of iron was obtained, and 
that at the present time, with but one furnace, 
12 tons per day, of the very best quality of 
iron, are being run. 
Riot in St. Louis. —A fearful election riot oc¬ 
curred at St. Louis on the evening of the 8th, 
between the Irish and the Native American 
parties. It is rumored that five 
persons were 
clearly ascer¬ 
tained. Some sixty houses, mostly Irish drink¬ 
ing groceries of a low order, were demolished. 
At last accounts eight military companies were 
in possession of the scene of the riot, and en¬ 
forcing order. 
Close Work. —The Niagara Falls Iris says 
that, a slave escaping from servitude, arrived in 
that village last Tuesday week, and reached the 
fiirry just in time to get into the little boat as it 
was prepared to leave for the Canada side. His 
master was on the same train in pursuit, and 
reached the ferry only in time to see his chattel 
midway across the foaming waters of Niagara. 
We learn that the slave was last seen by the 
master at Cleveland ; yet,'although both were 
on the Fhme train, the slave succeeded in elud¬ 
ing his vigilance, and placing himself beyond 
pursuit. 
Another Nuncio Coming* —A feud is said to 
have arisen between the foreign and American 
born Bishops of the Catholic Church i;i this 
country, and that the difficulty has been refer¬ 
red to the Pope at Rome. It is also said that 
the Pope will despatch another Nundo to this 
country, in the hope of healing the dissensions, 
notwithstanding the bad success of Bedini. 
Academies, ac. —Attention Is directed to ad¬ 
vertisements of tlje East Bloomfield and Wal¬ 
worth Academies. These institutions are well 
located, and in charge of competent principals 
and'tea'chers. See announcement, also, of the 
Tracy Female Institute. 
