SEMI-BUSINESS PARAGRAPHS 
walls have suffocated, burned and crushed out 
the lives of scores. Indeed, so rapidly have 
these horrors succeeded each >thcr, that we 
scarcely recover lmm one shock ere another 
arouses our Indignation or awakens our sympa¬ 
thy. Only those who arc compelled to travel at 
this season, will be apt to venture abroad; those 
who would seek pleasure abroad should remem¬ 
ber there is no place like home. 
■Wilmington, 8. C., on the 35th of December. 
Loss $40,000. 
Disasters, 
Oil the 23d of December a train ran from a 
bridge near Prospect, N. J., and took fire after 
falling 30 feet. There were 46 people in the 
cars, only one of whom escaped undisabled. 
Nineteen dead were taken out, twenty-six In¬ 
jured, and several missing. The dead were 
burned beyond recognition. A broken wheel 
caused the awful disaster_A car of the Chi¬ 
cago Express, when near Indianapolis, was 
thrown from the track on the 34th, and 30 
people were injured A train f;t \ • i in, 
Kansas, was run Into on the 25 th Two killed 
and live wounded tin Christmas Day t iie floor 
of a Baptist church in Williamsport, Pa., felt 
15 feet, carrying down 800 people. Fourteen 
were killed and forty wounded An avalanche 
took place at Central City, Utah, on the 36th. 
Tt carried away ten teams and t eamsters. Three 
men have been shoveled out. alive. The rest 
cannot bo got until Spring .. .On the Si'.th the 
roof of Whitney's foundry. In Philadelphia, fell 
In, injuring two men On the same day tho 
roof of Winch's .spike Mills fell in. A largo 
nurol.er of men were injured The shin Peru¬ 
vian has been lost off Capo Cod wilh 30 men. 
Loss $400,000 ..The bark Kadosh of Boston, 
baa been lost, anil seven men A great ico 
gorge broke at Memphis on the 35th, sweeping 
away wharves, and a large number of steam¬ 
boats, some 70 or more, were crushed, with im¬ 
mense loss. The value of the boats was $250,000. 
(.’olds and Coagfca.—Sudden changes of cli¬ 
mate are sources of Pulmonary and Bronchial 
affections .—Experience having proved that sim¬ 
ple remedies act speedily when taken in the 
early stage of disease, take at once “ Brown's 
Bronchial Troches" let the Cold, Cough, or Irri¬ 
tation of the Throat be ever so slight, as by this 
precaution a more serious at t ack may be warded 
off. 
Owing to the good reputation and popularity 
of the Troches, many worthless and cheap Imita¬ 
tions are offered which arc good for nothing. 
Be sure to Obtain the true “ Brown’s Bronchial 
Troches." Sold everywhere. 
CURRENT TOPICS, 
The Credit Mobiller Investigation. 
During the recent President iul canvass there 
have been accusations of corruption against 
Congressmen and Senators, involving also the 
good Dame of the Vice-President of the United 
States, as having received stock of the Union 
Pacific Railroad in consideration of services 
rendered in promoting legislation to the aggran¬ 
disement, of i/us corporation. These accusations 
have been pronounced unfounded. But they 
have attracted much attention and created so 
much scandal that Congress baa appointed nn 
investigating Committee to explore t he matter. 
This Committee has held a session, during 
which it is asserted thatOoLMcComb “ gave tes¬ 
timony that greatly nstonkhed the Committee 
and opened a broad field for future inquiry.” 
He asserts that-Oakes Arnes demanded and re¬ 
ceived a large amount ol the stock of tho Com¬ 
pany for the avowed purposed placing it among 
members of Congress in such a way as to influ¬ 
ence legislation in which the Union Pacific 
Railroad was interested. He either did so placo 
it, or represented that ho did falsely, and appro¬ 
priated it to his own use wrongfully. Either 
Oakes Amos has cheated the Pacific Railroad 
Company, or Congressmen aud Senators have 
been corrupted to an extent that ought to shame 
the country. No matter which is the fact, this 
exposition reveals some of the infamous 
methods used by railroad combi nut ions to se¬ 
cure legislation w hich enriches them and im¬ 
poverishes the Industrial elussesof the country. 
The people ought, to unite in compelling a show- 
ingof hands in fliiR umtterand tho political exe¬ 
cution of every man who is involved in such 
corruption. 
The Stokes Trial. 
Thk past week Stokes, who shot James Fisk, 
Jr., has been on trial in New York and bus been 
giving testimony In bis own behalf. He insists 
that the shooting of Fisk was unpremeditated— 
that he did not know that Fisk was near him 
until he met him on tho stairs, and that he did 
nut fire upon him till he saw Fisk draw his re¬ 
volver and attempt to cock It; that he did not 
know that lie had been indicted through Fisk’s 
agency, although he had that afternoon made 
inquiries of his counsel, because he desired to 
leave tow n on business and did not want to be 
brought back on a requsitlon; hence ho had no 
Intention of leaving town in case indictments 
had been found against him. Hence the fact 
of the indictments having been found against 
him, since lie did not know the fact, could not 
have been and was not the motive which in¬ 
duced the shooting. It was done in self defense. 
This Is the impression bis testimony is Intended 
to, and if it is true does, convey. 
Notice.—There la noplace in the United States 
where a person can get any kind of a gun, revol¬ 
ver, pistol, or ammunition of any and every 
kind, at lower prices than at the Great Western 
Gun Works, Pittsburgh, Pa. J. H. Johnston, 
the proprietor, la a practical gun maker of 25 
years'experience. The guns have a widespread 
reputation In every State and Territory in the 
Union. The prices are ir> cheap, too, that every 
one, however poor, can bo suited. Write for a 
catalogue and see for yourself. Advertisement 
on last page. 
FOREIGN NEWS. 
miiccllanconii Foreign New*. 
The Orleans princes have had their property 
restored. President Thiers Is spending the 
recess in Paris_Germany Is anxious for an 
emigration treaty with America—The river 
Thames has flooded the House Park at Windsor. 
_Spain w ill Introduce no reform* into Cuba 
while a single insurgent remains The Em¬ 
press of Russia will visit Naples. .Spain will 
abolish slavery in Port o Rico.... England has 
notified Russia that she«shnll support the inde¬ 
pendence of Afghan Bismarck will retain the 
ministry of foreign affairs_The Pope has con¬ 
demned the governments of Italy aiul Pni -la. 
_The Liverpool packet Germania lias been 
lost on the coast of France. Thirt y lives were 
lost The Czare witch of Ru-sla Is very ill .. 
The King of tlie Hardiviell Islands died on tho 
11th of Doceniber The bill for emancipating 
the slaves of Porto Rico ha- been read in tho 
Spanish house President Thiers ha* received 
the Japanese embassy On tlieUith the Ozarc- 
witcb passed a comfortable night... A United 
States w ar steamer has boon sent to the Sand¬ 
wich Islands_Switzerland has suspended dip¬ 
lomatic relations with the Pope. 
The New Wilson Under-Feed Sewing Machine 
is the machine that is to-day—with Its perfect 
operation, beautiful, easy, noiseless movement, 
and unparalleled range of work—making firm 
friends and advocates in hundreds of thousands 
of families In all parts of tho globe; It Is the ma¬ 
chine to buy if you wind, the best. Salesroom 
at 707 Broadway, Now York, and in all other 
cities In tho United States. Tho Company want 
agent* iu country towns. 
Postal Telegraphy. 
The proposal that Government shall take 
possession of the telograplis of the country and 
make them public property and run t hem pro 
bona publico, as letter* are now carried, is under 
discussion. This is being done in England. An 
English 1 olographic journal says that In theory it 
is good to have the Government own tho tele¬ 
graph; but In practice It Is bail, tt takes a 
longer time to send messages than formerly. 
Tho man who expects, In England, to send a 
message fifty miles by telegraph quicker than 
he can send it by railway is generally disap¬ 
pointed. 
Watch No. 4*84—bearl'.g Trade Mark "Ed¬ 
win Rollo, Marlon N. J.”—manufactured by 
United States Watch Co., (Giles Wales & Co.,) 
has been carried by me six months; Its total 
variation from mean time being only two-thirds 
of a second per day.— David II. Peck, Ferry 
Master Central R. R. of N.J., foot of Liberty st., 
North River, N. Y. 
The Vienna Exposition. 
Conqkbbs is asked by Gen. Van Buren, the 
U. S. Commissioner to this exposition, to ap¬ 
propriate $K)0,(XK) for the purpose of paying the 
expenses of transporting the articles of Ameri¬ 
can exhibitors to and from the Vienna Exposi¬ 
tion next year. We hope Congress will do no 
such thing. Americana have played into the 
hands of foreigners long enough, bet Buch 
Americans as think it will pay them to exhibit 
there pay their own way. We soe no reason 
why those who staj' at home should pay their 
exponses. These Corn missions (such as Gen. 
Van Buren holds) are not to be commended to 
the American people to be taken in frequently 
repeated doses. They cost us too much aud ac¬ 
complish too little. Lot Van Buren subside and 
Congress attend to llio internal affairs of tho 
country. 
— Since writing the above we notice that tho 
House Coin mil lee on Foreign Affairs has agreed 
to recommend tho appropriation of $100,000 to 
be placed in the hands of tho Secretary of State 
and disbursed by him at his own discretion on 
account of tiiis Vienna Exposition. The law 
authorizing Urn appointment of Commissioners 
provides that they shall receive no salary; but 
one of them intimated to the Committee that 
they ought to have $10,000 apiece for their ex¬ 
penses; and they will doubt less receive it if 
this bill passes. This is one of the miserable 
Government leaks which lobbying opens lor 
tho adventurers who are only willing 1o live by 
living at Government expense. We hope the 
bill will be defeated and that this Commission 
be permitted to stay at home and serve the 
country in a paying manner. 
DOMESTIC NEWS, 
New York City and Vicinity. 
There la to be no change in the editorship 
of t he Tribune ... On Sunday, t he 33d of Decem¬ 
ber, t he Brooklyn Tabernacle, the largest chinch 
in that city, made of iron, was burned. Loss 
$60,000. The groat organ cost $35,000 Nicholas 
it. Duryeu, the murdered lottery dealer, hail a 
great funeral on the 21st. Hu was a church 
member Mr. JoliiiHon, a lottery dealer, com¬ 
mitted suicide in Central Park on the 2lst . 
The Fifth Avenue Hotel jury re«riintneud an 
Immediate inspection of all the hotels In the 
city. . Forefathers’ Day was celebrated on the 
IJikl with a grand banquet at Delnionh-nV ... 
Italian emigrants to the number of 200 have 
gone to Richmond, Va... Tho funeral \>l Geo. 
E. Putnam took place on tho 23d, and was 
largely attended A man named Seiglor was 
murdered in Brooklyn on the 33d . Christmas 
Day was very cold A great snow storm struck 
the city on the 20th, nearly suspending busi¬ 
ness. Prof. Tyndall s course of lectures have 
been well received_The great storm of the 
20t.li of December blocked city transit and filled 
the streets with snow. It fell to llm dcjith of a 
foot .One tbou*and men and 000 carts wore 
employed to clear Broadway of snow_Minis¬ 
ter Washburns sailed for France on the 20th of 
December. 
Home News. 
The government, lias no intention of inter¬ 
fering In the Arkansas troubles Senator Fen¬ 
ton has been sick. The Times of New Orleans 
has suspended — On the 21*t there wan very 
severe weather throughout llio Northwest 
The New Orleans committee of one hundred 
has issued an address to the people in which 
they claim that tho people’s rights are at stuke. 
_Gambling houses in Boston are being closed. 
.. The weather has been very cold in New 
England A great snow storm raged through¬ 
out the country on the 20th, the most severe 
known in twenty yearn. Trains and malls were 
snow-bound, and the cold was very severe. In 
Kansas t he mercury was 30 degrees below zero. 
_Gov. Warmouth accepts the situation in 
Louisiana .Joe Jefferson has recovered his 
health Five negro women were shot, at Mem¬ 
phis during tho Christinas festival, George 
Gotti n, the celebrated Indian artist, died in 
Jersey City, on the 24th of December. He was 
born in 1796. 
Flrea. 
Grocery store in Memphis on the 22d of 
December. Loss $20,000.... Hercules Powder 
Works, near San FraffOlsou, on the 21st. Two 
men killed ..Machine shop in t.upeor, Mich., 
on the 'list. Lobs $25,000 On the Ski a great 
lire broke out In Portland, Oregon, which 
threatened to destroy th«* city. Many houses 
were consumed. Loss $150,000_On the 23d a 
large part of Helena, Ark., was destroyed, with 
great loss.. .Several fires took place in Bn.-ton 
on the 23d, greatly exciting tho city. One on 
Washington street destroyed $75,000 ... Pacific 
Hotel at Mansfield, Ohio, on the 23d. Loss 
$12,000 aud two lives ...Standard C.rpet Mills 
oti Blair street, Philadelphia, on the 2od. Lobs 
$ 50,000 School-house No. 5 In Jersey City on 
the 23d. Loss $50,000 — A rolling mill in Pater¬ 
son, N. J., on the 33d. Loss $35,000. On the 
34th Dm building of the New York Printing 
Company, on Centre street, New York city, was 
destroyed. Loss $075,000. Seven girls perished 
in the flames—On the 33d Barnum's Museum, 
Grace Chapel, Grote’s Ivory factory, and Airs. 
Lawrence's house, on East Fourteenth street, 
were destroyed by fire. The uiglit was very 
cold, and tho llamos raged with fury. All Mr. 
Barnum's animals save three perished. The 
loss is estimated at $1,500,000_The small-pox 
hospital in Boston on the 26th. Loss $30,000 ... 
Building No. 119 Franklin street was burned in 
New York city on the 30th. Loss $125,lKxi.. 
The chocolate factory and hotel of H. Malllard, 
on Broadway, New York, was burned on the 
27th. Loss $200,000 The sheds on Long 
Wharf, Boston, were burned on the 27tli oi 
Decern tier. Loss $100,000 ...The Fairklll Roll¬ 
ing Mills at Philadelphia were destroyed on the 
27th of December. Loss $30,000 l' ivc build- 
legs in Windsor. Canada, on the 27th of Decem¬ 
ber. Loss $03,00(1 — A number of houses in 
Facia for the Ladles.—Mrs. Rev. W. V. MILLI¬ 
GAN, Cambridge, Ohio, has saved with her 
Wheeler & Wilson Lock-Stitch Sewing Ma¬ 
chine hundreds of dollars in the last ten 
years without a cent for repairs. See the 
new Improvements and Woods' Lock-Stitch 
Ripper. 
■ - »♦• -- 
Prof. GnsUrll, whose Written Copies are ad¬ 
vertised in the Rcrat., Is Pros’t of tho Bryant & 
Stratton College, Manchester, N. H., and tho 
bast of American Pcmnen. 
THE SEASON, CROPS, PRICES, ETC. 
Elizabeth, Wirt County, VV, Va., Dec. 14.— 
The weather for the last six weeks has, with tho 
exception of a few duys, been cold and un- 
plousanl. The ground Is frozen hard, and the 
river Is frozen hard enough to cross on the Ice. 
First hard frost, Oct. 9; first snow, Oct. 10; 
latest frost last Spring, May 4; lowest tempera¬ 
ture this month, 7°. Price of wheat, $1.50 per 
bush.; corn, 00c.; potatoes, $1; Hour, 5c. per lb.; 
meal, l;ic.; beef, 6 to 10c.; butter, 25c.; dried 
apples, 75c. to $1 per bush.; chickens,35o. each ; 
eggs, 115to 15c.per do/..; sugar, 14 to 80c.; sor¬ 
ghum molasses, 00c. per gallon ; hay, $30 per ton ; 
corn-fodder, 5c. per shock of one hundred hills; 
cows, $15 to $30 each. Crops were good with the 
exception of Irish potatoes; Peerless and Esrlv 
Rose yielded the best. Climate hot in ..ar 
and in Autumn and Winter; nob - Ian .summer 
in Autumn, and but liltle snow m Winter. Soil 
principally white and red clay, with some sandy 
soil. Timber white, black, red, and chestnut, 
oak, and hickory, poplar, gum, elm, dogwood, 
pine, locust and beech. Very hilly, with deep 
ravines.—w. u. u. r. 
Wellsboro, l*u., Dec. SI.—Winter severe so 
far. Ground frozen solid Nov. 10. No thaw 
since; but little snow until Dec. 20; about one 
foot of snow now and snowing to-day. Very 
severe cold t he past few days 10- below zero tho 
morning of the 34th. Money very scarce. Prices 
of produce fair: Hay, $15; straw, $10; oats, 
40c.; potatoes, 75c. (ami poor in quality at that); 
applos, 50c. per bush, (tremendous crop, but a 
great many wasted); butter, 30c.; cheese, 13c.; 
wood, three feet, per cord, $3; coal, bituminous, 
$3 per ton; anthracite. $7. Farmers in this 
vicinity aro just '•ginning to turn their atten¬ 
tion to their legitimate business, having been 
heretofore more interested in lumbering, con¬ 
sequently are behind the times about twenty 
years.— m. b. p. 
Forsyth Co.,tia., Dec. 16.—Everything is quiet 
and plenty; corn, 60 to 05c. per bush.; pork, 7 
to 8c. ,* cotton, 17 to 17 : jc. Horae disease is here; 
a great many have it, but it is mild in most 
cases, not being as bad as common distemper; 
people are in great hope of raising a large cot- 
lou crop next year as the guano did so well this 
year; we can raise 1,000 to 1,500 per acre iD seed. 
—w. l. w. 
Lamartine, ClurRmC©., Pa., Dec. 23.—Severe 
Winter weather the past flvo weeks; ten inches 
of snow ; splendid sleighing. Grain scarce and 
high; wheat. $1.50® 1.75; oats, 50®00c.; corn, 
401550 c.; hay, $30; butter, 30®35c.; potatoes, 
00g'75c.; stock low, with scarcely any demand 
lor it; land, $50@500 per acre.—D. m. d. 
Mi. Eaton, Wayne Co., O., Dec. 26.—Winter 
commenced before the middle of November aud 
has continued with unusual severity to tills 
time. Sunday morning last the thermometer 
indicated 16° below zero; it lias boon standing 
in the neighborhood ol' zero ever since.—A. KG. 
Lenox, N. «L, Dec. 27.—Wo are having a snug 
Winter so far, and just now good sleighing. 
Christmas morning thermometer marked 13° 
below zero, 20th, 10° above, and this A. M., at 7 
o’clock, zero. Money scarce and taxes high.— 
E. E. L. 
II w ill pay you to send to Porter Blanchard's 
Sons, Concord, N. H., or to any dealer In first-class 
dairy machinery, for the circulars of their excel¬ 
lent churn. 
Clo**- u,ibb«T» *■$ Cleaners.—The simplest 
»•; ; uost in market. Price $120. Made by S'r. 
Johnsville Aq‘l Wobxb, Mont. Co., N. Y. 
Advice.—Send for free Price List. Jones 
Scale Works, Binghamton, N. Y. 
M0 SET AND TRADE AFFAIR3, 
Niw York, Monday, Dec. 30,1872. 
With the oloee of the Old Year wo ha ve the reports 
of the Foreign trade Tor 1372 at the port of Now York, 
where about 70 7* cexx. of the whole Itutorlutions of 
the country are entered, and about 40 4* cent, of the 
whole Domestic Exports (other than Specie) are 
cleared. Of the Specie t'aipped out. New York and 
R«u Francisco supply nearly the whole. At New 
York in 1633 Imports were entered to tho value of 
$428,000,000, a gain of $48,000,000 On 1S71. Tho Domestic 
Exports, $234,000,000, the same figure as 1871. Gold 
and silver ehippeu, $?2,(X>\000, a gain of $9,000,000 on 
1671. The Customs Duties received at this port, 
owing to the reduced Tar.ff, are $3,000,000 less than in 
iyn on un Increased tope nation. The Gold Interest 
,->aid out. at New York the Public Debt of tbe 
United States is also $8/411,000 less, owing to the fur¬ 
ther reduction of the Prlufiipal of tbe Debt, 
The Holiday shopping proved active this season; 
but this is about the only . rude going on at the close 
of the Old Your. The slow storms and severe cold 
have made the week p»l,c very dull for general busi¬ 
ness, and the taxno cause interfered materially with 
Railroad tr (Be. 
The Money market is unusually stringent even for 
thin season of close settlements. The Stock Broke, j 
lire paying disgustingly high usance to carry over 
their speculations■ <n,«i this sortoi competition, with 
mercantile and other business at Bank and on Wall 
street, raises the rates on good paper to 12g>15 R cent, 
per annum. Nearly all the K.vtr.md corporations are 
just now wanting U nejr for Improvements, exten¬ 
sions, Ac., and they win absorb this season much 
more capital than toey will supply by their January 
^Tbe' Bunk return shows a gain of f 1,700,b<) in Gold 
Neb'S, derived from the Interest Payments by the 
United States Treasury, but lose $3,5 ll.OUJ m Green- 
DttCks (supposen io part to have gone South and 
\V<;st,\ and the statement to tl io tv bole is not so good 
as at tne close of 1871. The following 13 thcOompara 
tivo movement on tho last Saturdays of tbe two 
ye3I * : Dee. 30,1«71. Deo. 28,1872, 
r*n?ta! .$ Will,60(1 $83,019,200 
EoSSi.. .K70,.Vil,{Urt 275,811,100 
Gold and Greenbacks.i.8U32,»{0 fKrtl.ltiO 
Deposit!.. . .,20(1,400,800 199,423,84) 
Circuit;:..on. 28,542,SCO 27,532,700 
In the Slock rixcfcuri e ihe excitement in regard to 
I lie Genld 1 '..; settlements lias etlh-ided. The Stock 
of tho iSrie hue made a lurti or advance to G2!T I) 
cent., wan a corresponding rise in London, whore 
most Of tlm Cumnmu Capital is bold. Dear Money 
and the cold weather made nn indifferent general 
mwket for Stocks duruvj tho week, nlt.iough prices 
Cuba Haa Sympathizers. 
The South A merican Itepublios of Chile ami 
Peru (with a prospect that Mexico will ©O-oper- 
ato) are agitating, with an apparent earnestness, 
which means demonstration, the subject of giv¬ 
ing material aid to Culm. W© are glad that the 
effort of the Spanish sympathizers who seem to 
Control one State Department to tie the hands 
of those South American Republics in their re¬ 
lations to Cuba lias failed, and that Chile and 
Peru refuso to ratify the convention which 
would I hits prevent the expression of practical 
sympathy by these Governments for Cuba, it 
seems to us that American opinion and sympa¬ 
thy which does exist iu favor of the Cuban pa- 
triots ought to apoiik iu unmistakable tones 
through Congress—that the Cubans ought to be 
recognized as belligerents at least by this Gov¬ 
ernment, if indeed Cuba should not lie recog¬ 
nized as a sovereign and Independent State. 
Four years of struggle against all the power of 
Spain, without practical aid or sympathy from 
other republics, a well organized army of 12,iH)0 
men, and an undaunted purpose to fight as long 
as there is a Spaniard t<> fight, ought to com¬ 
mand the attention of our Government. 
The Great Storm. 
From land and sea t lie terrible results of the 
recent storm come to us with details that make 
us shrink from travel at this season. Railway 
trains have been blocked in tbe snow sixteen 
hours within a short distance of N. Y. City, pas¬ 
sengers suffering from hunger, thirst and cold; 
other trains iiave flown (he track In conse¬ 
quence of broken rails, and lives have been lost 
and passengers injured; ships and lives have 
been swallowed up in the pitiless depths; fires 
have swept away property, expelled the poor 
from their homes into the icy atmosphere and 
unsympathetic world, shorn of clothing and 
household property; smoke and fire and failing 
