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Samoa* Wkl Kras 7 *TmtDAYrJA!ipAiTu,^|[ lir mmtcmimm*. W rekly Nsw*, Oat. Yt* • 00 N*w, His Maalha | 00 W Ntwt, Tkrrr MaMka. 60 IHtly Xew*. one year, $lO 08; tlx month*. • f - •'• three month*, $t 80. Tri-Weekly News, one year, $t 00 ; Hz month#, M 00 ; tiiree months, $1 no. All rabacrlptiona payable ia advance. Paper* by ma “ *" "lopped at the expiration ut the time , * M for without further notice. Hu h*crther* will plcaep oboenre the date* on their wrapper*. AD# KHTIftKV KKT*. A HQPAKK Is ten meaeurod line* of Ifoopareil of Th W skki.t Nsw#. Kach insertion, $1 00 per nqnare. Übaral rate* •nade with contract advertisers. couzsroNDKirc*. Correspondence solicited; hot to receive alien ! 1 lon, letter* mu*t be accompanied by a reaponni- 1 hie name, not for publication, bat a* a guarantee of good faith. All letters should be addressed to J. 11. BSTIU., Savannah, Oa. A Soul hern W*r Secret KeveaML As lias already been announced, Hon. A. H. H. Htuart and J. N. Opie, of Angosta county,Va ,are rivalcandidates for theLeg ixlature of that State, and made speeches at a political meeting held in Staunton recently. A correspondent of. the Rich* moud I>i*]*itrh says that, among some personal reminiscences related by Mr. Htuart in his speech, was one connected with the peace negotiations of the late Confederacy that has never lieen made public. He read a note from 1 on. Judah P. Benjamin, dated March 25 }864, ask ing him to come to Itichmonßfor an in terview with President l‘n"in fftinrinw. the subject of which waa to l>c committed to paper. Ho went, and waa informed by Pn & cut Da "-“Jfljfc/. ** % a secret service fund of $.",000,000 is gold, to be used in (treating a peace senti ment at the North. After looking over the whole oountry, the '‘President’’ had selected Mr. Htuart as the man for the misaion. He was to sail for Nassau, and thence for Halifax, and there, from the border of Canada, could operate cn prom inent men. The fund of $3,000,000 was to be at bia absolute disposal, and he was not to bo required to furnish vouchers for its disbursement. Mr. Htuart de dined the tender, and C. C. Clay, of Ala bama, and two other gentlemen were ap pointed. The Greeley correspondence aud the “To whom it may concern” of President Lincoln followed this mission. To illustrate how the government is swindled iu the payment of pensions, one instance is furnished by Judge Burn ham, the Assistant Hecretary of the Treas ury. It appears that in 1872, a merchant doing business in Richmond, Ky., had occasion to dig a cellar for the purpose of enlarging his business premises. One night a resident pf A neighboring village fell into it. He alleges that he broke his arm and was paraly/.ed in the right side, as the result of the fall. Buit was entered for SIO,OOO, and judgment given the suf ferer iu the sum of $4,600. Hubsequent ly tho merchant ascertained that the in jured man was a pensioner upon the.gov inent. Inquiry ut the Pension Office de veloped tho fact that he was and had been sinoe 1860. The strangest pnrt of tho story is, that he was pensioned for the identical injuries in 1860, which he claims were sustained by him in 1870 by the fall into the cellar. It is clear that either the court was bamboozled or the government was. Tins Okntbnnial Bonanza. The horse-car men, like nil other classes of the citizens of Philadelphia, from tho hotel keepers to the hoot-blacks,are anti oipating a rich harvest from tho crowds of sight seers who are expected to visit their big Centennial jamboree next sum - mer. The papers nro full of “notes of busy preparation.” It is announced that six lines of Philadelphia street cars —the Gheanut aud Walnut, Market street, Arch, Race and Vine, Fourth and Eighth, Hpruoe aud Pine, Lombard and Houth— whoso routes pass through the centro of the city, will cross the Bohuylkill, and run direct to the Centennial Exhibition grounds. The capacity of these cars will be hourly as follows: Seated, 8,800, crowded Hi, ooo, aud paoked, as they usually are on pleasure days, 24,000, New and handsome cars will be built. The fare to and from the larger part of the city, twelve aud a half cents, and from the more distnut sections twenty live cents. The people of South Carolina are de manding the organization of the Demo cratic party. The State committee aud the county committees are at work, and ou every hand Democratic clubs, com posed of young men, are in process of formation. Says the Columbia fier/inter: “The culmination of outrage and wrong in the judicial election, aud the terrible prospect which it opens to tho view of all, have intensified the public feeling. At last men realize that tho State is both ruined and disgraced, and that honeyed words of conciliation and compromise are no longer fit to be taken ou their lips. At last they see that ail is lost unless they bestir themselves and put down the cor ruption which is gnawing at the vitals of the State. Thauk heaven.” Nv.n national. —The WaNliiugtou cor respondent of the New York Herald says that among the Democrats of the House a determined effort is to be made to force the passage of a bill thrusting both Sher man and Sheridan, two of the three Ma jor Generals -llaucock, Schofield and McDowell and three of the Brigadier Generals from tho army and consiguing them to civil life, with perhaps, one year’* salary to begin the business of life upon. Thecorrespondent of the Herald doubt less knows whereof he is speaking, but he foils to give the publio his authority That such a politic movement, just at this time, has beeu determined on by the Democrats of the House will be news to them as well as to the country. The Ooukliug faction in New York have chauged their tactics once more. They started out with a plan for a pledged delegation to tLe National Convention, without mentioning any particular candi date. That didn't work at all as they had hoped. Then they boldly demanded a delegation pledged to him. This propo sition received more opposition than the first. Now they have dropped both and are begging for a delegation favorable to the Senator, without being pledged to him. Their anxiety to have a Conkltng delegation of some sort givee weight to the ifhspiciou th it such a delegation would l>e only a third term move in disguise. A Thought pob Our Centennial Gushers.— Donu Piatt is in a retrospec tive mood. He says: “In skipping the parenthesis between to-day and a hun dred years ago the mind naturally lakes to contrasts, and the most striking one is afforded by comparing Sumter and Moul trie in the field and Moses and Whipper on the bench. The Huguenots then set tled secure from religious persecution in South Carolina, and their descendants are now oppressed by iguorance and corrup tion. Let the whole country glorify the hundredth year, whose progressiveness presents such a picture. ” 'fmitnb ItteMi pens. ’ ' ” .T. 11. EbTM’L,. PROPRIETOR, The “No Gauge” Rallwaj-A Revolu tion in Transportation. Wo have received a pamphlet of twenty-two pages, entitled “The Cost of Railroad Construction and Railroad Transportation. Broad Gange, Narrow Gauge, and No Gauge, or Single Rail Railway. A New Departure Proposed, and the Reasons Why.” By John Weut oott, Civil Engineer, Tocoi, Florida. This pamphlet is upon a very impor tant subject, and can but attract general attention. The principal object of the essay, it seems, is to show that the standard railroads in the United States, on account of their extraordinary cost, and the large proportion of gross earnings absolutely necessary to defray the annual expense for maintenance of way, are now carry ing freights as low, if not really lower, than can be afforded, and provide for tbe interest on bonds and pay dividends on stock, on the large amount of money they cot; *nd that for the benefit of agricul ture and commerce some cheaper mode of rapid transit is required— something that will pay interest and dividends and answer all the urgent <im#nJ a for The author ably set* forth a seemingly irresistible argument in favor of a single rail, or no gauge railway, and seems to fully sustain his established reputation, not only as a civil engineer, but as an industrious collector of facts, as well as a fortified an<! forcible writer. _ With that class of producers and mercial men who take a deep interest in “cheaper transportation,” this new de parture must of necessity be popular. To the capitalist whose railroad bonds are annually shrinking in value, the sue - cess of this new departure can but be pleasing. With railroad stockholders whoso stock is only valuable for others to control the management, and whose ex penditure seemed irretrievably gone, never to be recovered as a paying invest ment, this pamphlet of facts and argu ments, founded ou substantial evidence, can but be highly prized. The cry of despair which conies from the overburdened West; the demand for cheaper food from the working classes, “the operatives,” of tho East,and cheaper transportation from the cotton, sugar and tobacco producers of tho South, and tbe rapid falling off of our principal articles of export, all indicate the imperative necessity for a cheaper means of getting our surplus agricultural productions to a market. If this new departure in railroad build ing is half that is cAiined for it, it should be immediately adopted, especially by the non-paying railroads, whose name is legion. If this new departure in rail roads, should prove to be a success, and there seems to be no reason why it will not, it at once assures our im perilled position in the markets of the world for our surplus grain crops and restores confidence in our railroad bonds and stocks, thus stimulating our indus tries to a further development of our un equulled resources. The adoption of the single rail railway as proposed, it is said, will make a saving of freight in grain movement alone of at least sixty thousand dollars to the produ cers. A condition of things equally un satisfactory in relation to freights exists in regard to our chief article of export, cotton. “Every cent unnecessarily added to the cost of transportation, is to that extent a protection to the cotton planter* of India , against the cotton growers of the South.” It is said there are several patents for single rail railways, but none of them save any expense for maintenance of way, and but little if any for construction. They are radically different from that now pre sented, which is highly recommended by well-known and competent railroad men and engineers, on accouut of its simplic ity, great strength, safety and cheapness, and when once constructed requiring but a small sum per annum for maintenance of way, a matter of great importance. Without further comment, we make the following extract from the pamphlet: A single rail roadway, however, can bo constructed and equipped for less than one-quarter the amount for constructing and equipping a standard road, and can be operated as cheap, if not cheaper, and nearly the whole amount that is now paid for maintaiuance of way saved. The maiutainauce of way, that is the keeping the road up and in good runniug order at all times, is a very important item of ex pense on all roads, ranging all the way from $2,500 to SSOO per mile per annum. Taking the average for all the roads in the United States, it would probably reach not lessthau eight hundred dollars per mile per annum. With a road two hundred and fifty miles long, the main tainauoe of way would not be less than two hundred thousand dollars, and one thousand miles long would be eight hum dred thousand dollars; at a low estimate, seven eighths of which is saved by own ing a single rail roadway. The actual annual expenses of a large number of the standard roads in the United States, about equal the gross earnings, and as paying institutions are worthless; there are others that earn euough to pay interest only on their bonded indebtedness, the stock getting no dividends, it being worthless only for management. On all such lines the single rail railway would pay large divi dends, aud it would be economy to recon struct them immediately. A single rail railway will pay largely on an amount of business that would enable a standard railroad to barely exist. The single rail railroad is as competent to do as much work as the standard road: and a standard road that would cost twenty thousand dollars per mile to construct, can be constructed single rail for about five thousand five hundred dollars; and if it cost two hundred thousand dollars to equip a standard road of one hundred miles in length, the same road recon structed to a single rail can be equipped tor fifty thousand dollars to do the same amount of passenger and tonage business. The remedy for all the ills of the capi talists in railroads, and for the producers of freights away from the Atlantic sea ports, lies in the single rail railway. By its use commerce can secure low rates and rapid transit, and capital safety, and be remunerated equal to the best permanent investments in the world. The positive advantages of the single rail railway are a decrease of capital at least three-quarters, and decrease of maintenance of way at least seven-eighths. Tnis is brought about: Ist. By doing away with a large amount of expensive earth-work and grading. 2d. No ditches, culverts or expensive bridges to construct or keep in repair. 3d. No cross-ties to purchase, and therefore no expensive replacing decayed ties, aud constantly surfacing up with large gangs of section hands aud section masters. 4th. The piles cannot be affected by rams and floods: or by the winter freezes and spriug thaws in Northern latitudes, or the road by snows—entailing extraor dinary expense to keep a proper and even surface of the rails, as is now the case on standard roads. sth. The single rail railway, with but little care, will always he smooth, and therefore be much easier on the rolling stock as well as the iron, and can stand a much higher speed without injury either to the roadway or rolling stock, with no danger of derailment. Oth. For heavy work, roads can be con structed with muoh lighter iron and at least two hundred per cent lighter cars, and much lighter locomotives. 7th. The weight of rolling stock, com pared with tonnage carried, is greatly decreased. Bth. Steep gradients can be worked with much less expense. 9th. Double lines of railway can be constructed for less than half the cost of construction of the present standard road with single track. 10th. The roadway can be kept up as good as new, for about one-eighth of the present cost of keeping up the standard road, as at present constructed. 11th. A first-rate equipment of loco motives and cars, competent to do equal work with the present standard road, for passengers and freights, will oost much less than one half what it costs to equip the present standard road. 1-th. A higher rate of speed can be Bafely maintained, without any risk of derailment, aDd much lees risk by other accidents at all times, titan on the stan dard road, as at present constructed. 13th. The single rail railway has no use for Urge gangs of track men and sec tion masters, and t&en, many of whom to do their work Ipvj| the brains. cannot find places for this cfiMß of drones. A few practical men, with an intelligent controlling central authority, to whom economy is an object, because it is the economies that reduce the cost of oper ating and maintaining a road, is all that is required. The Reopening of the We have no doubt that ninety-nine one-hundredths of the readers of the News have long since dismissed the Beecher scandal from their minds in utter disgust, and with the settled conviction that the Plymouth oracle entirely failed in his efforts to disprove the charges on which ho was arraigned in the Brooklyn court. It would be well for the interests of society if the matter could be thus put at rest, and that public decency should not again be outraged by the details of this most revolting scandal ; but it seems that the case which was left undecided by the court, is again to be opened, and that efforts are being made both in the church and the courts f<? place the pastor of Plymouth Church in his true character before the world. The public will therefore have to bear another infliction of the details' of ihe evidence. This, it is to be hoped, will not find the same publicity in the press which was given to the first trial, but as the public will feel more or less interest in the progress of the case, a statement of its present status and the attitude of the parties to it would seem proper. The issue in which the guilt or inno cence of Beecher is involved is, it seems, to be again revived, first by the suit brought against Beecher by Moulton for having set on foot the prosecution which resulted in an indictment against the latter, subsequently disposed of by the District Attorney of Brooklyn entering a nolle prosequi by consent of Mr. Beecher; and secondly by an ecclesiastical mutual council called for by Mrs. Moulton. This application of Mrs. Moulton has caused a good deal of agitation in Beecher’s congregation. Beecher and his friends were willing to have what they call an advisory council, which is practically ex parte council; that is, a council called by one party to hear and decide upon ques tions which that party submits to it. This device, however, was not successful, as leading Congregational authorities pro tested against it, and it may be doubted if Beecher could have obtained the services of influential men in his denomi nation on such a council, nor if he had, would any weight have been attached to the decision of an ex parte body. On Monday evening of last week Beecher undertook to say that Mrs. Moulton was only used as an occasion by people who stood behind her and who were de termined to force the issue. The allusion was to some of the most eminent aud respected men in the Congregational de nomination, whom the Plymouth pastor had the presumption to call “un scrupulous.” The question raised by Mrs. Moulton is whether a member or members proposed to be dropped by the congregation have not a right to a trial or examination if they demand it ; whether they may not be “vindicated” in the conduct for which they are dropped ? On this point the weight of experience and authority in Congregational churches is probably against Plymouth Church. The pastors who have advised Mrs Moulton have clearly done nothing more than their duty. Beecher now consents to the mutual council, to which shall be referred the general questions of Mrs. Moulton, whe ther the church had valid and sufficient reasons for dropping her, or whether she had valid reasons for staying away from the ministrations of the pastor. These questions, rightly pursued, will lead to the investigation of the bottom facts of the scandal; but Beecher’s carefully con sidered address on Monday evening shows that his tactics will be to keep the dis cussions of the council far away from the true issue, and confine them to questions of congregational order and practice. Efforts are being made by Beecher and his adherents to injure the character of Mrs. Moulton, whose testimony was so damaging to Beecher in the late trial, but their attempts can only recoil on Beecher himself, who has been the most emphatic of all men in testifying to her rigid and exemplary morality. It is to vindicate her character, which is assailed by Beecher's denial ard by the failure of the jury to pronounce a verdict,that Mrs. Moulton now persists in a hearing before the church council and her husband brings his suit in the courts. The Moul tons have able counsel and as their ve racity is consistent only with Beecher’s guilt they are certainly justified in their efforts by a fair investigation and trial to make both appear. Grooming Thurman fob the Race. — The Washington correspondent of the Cincinnati Knquirer says: “There is a strong but quiet movement on foot here to push Senator Thurman for the Presidential nomination. It is en gineered mainly by leading ex-Confede rate Senators and Representatives, promi nent among whom are Cockrell, of Mis souri, Gordon aud Lamar, together with several of the most influential supporters of Mr. Kerr in the contest for the Speak ership who were not in the Tilden pro gramme. This movement is rapidly gaining ground and bids fair to result in bringing up a nearly solid support for Thurman from, the Southern States to the National Convention of the Democ racy, unless the influences at work here are counteracted by the friends of Mr. Pendleton and Mr. Hendricks elsewhere. It is noteworthy that Tilden seems to be losing ground Tapidly in the South and among Southern n>en here." SAVANNAH, SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1876. Critical Illness of Mr. Stephens. Americana of all shades of political opinion will learn with regret this mom ing of the serious illness of Mr. Alexan der H. Stephens, of Georgia. Our tele graphic report leaves but little reason to hope that he will be able to leave his home again. Mr. Stephens has long held to life by a tenure so frail as to excite the wonder of all who knew him, and it is not surprising to learn that he himself l°ots upon the approach of death with calmness, if not with absolute satisfac tion. It is an interesting circumstance in the story now sent ns that the dy ing statesman is reported to have ask ed a friend who visited him yesterday to sing a touching lyric which half a century ago excited the admiration of Lord Byron, and the author of which was long a leading light in the literary horizon of America. Yet how many of the present generation have read Mr. Richard Henry Wilde’s charming “Love and Madness of Tasso ?” How many who have heard or sung the lyric with which the dying Georgian uksd that his failing spirit might be know that the author of “My life is like a summer rose” was a Georgian Attorney General, a member of Congress and a professor of law in the University of Louisiana ? Richard Henry Wilde did civilization the precious service covering on Bargello in Florence that contemporaneous portrait of Dante which has taught not Italy alone, but all the world “How stem of lineament, how grim The father waa of Tuscan song.” Georgia was very proud of him in his life time ; and her pride will be revived by this pathetic linking of his name with the last hours of her most conspicuous public man. But it may be worth while to remind both Georgia and the whole country that this gifted lawyer, poet and man of letters was a son of Ireland aud of the early Emigration which attended the terrible events of 1798. — Neve York World of Monday. The Whisky Ring Frauds in Chicago. In the course of interviews with Chi cago distillers, rectifiers, and other parties connected with the whisky iniquity, a distiller has made a confession relative to the manner in which the crooked whisky fraud has been carried on by one distillery —the BUbCkhawk. According to his statements, the Blacfchawk began dealing in crooked whisky in 187?, its products being taken by two rectifying houf&ff, Mason & Crosby, and Gholsen & East man, up to May of last year. By collu sion of the storekeeper and gauger, the whisky was sent to the rectifier, who took off the stamps and sent them back, the storekeeper and gauger putting them on anew lot again. In this manner they did duty three or four times, the last lot being reported as straight. Thus about one-third, would be straight and the re mainder would pay no tax at all. This whisky the rectifier would take at so much per barrel, and generally dispose of it in New York, the stealings in the case of this one distillery being about 70 cents a gallon, or 120 barrels of 12 gallons each per week, amounting to $3,528. Another mode practiced by another distiller was to gauge his barrels 42 gallons when they would hold 46 gallons. These were put into the bonded warehouse as 42, and before shipment were filled up, the dis tiller thereby gaining a difference of four gallons per barrel. Still another method was the shipment of a large amount of distilled water from the distillery to the rectifying house, a certain percentage of the barrels being filled with whisky. In ways that are dark and tricks that are vain the Chicago distillers seem to be fully up to their brethren in St. Louis and other cities. Injury to the Cotton Crop. The New York World thinks there is comparatively less good staple in the country now than last year. In the last seven or eight weeks heavy rains have been followed by unseasonable cold; and clear, pleasant days have occurred only at intervals. Cotton has been beaten out of the bolls, and the plants broken down; the cold checked growth, and many bolls rotted; and many fields were early abandoned as not worth going over. The cotton which has latterly been received at the South ern markets has therefore comprised an unusual pioportion of low grades, and the better grades are already scarce, not withstanding the large aggregate supply. The consequence has been, much irregu larity has occurred in the course of prices; the high grades have advanced and the low grades have declined, while the me dium grades show very little change. While “ordinary” in New York has, in two weeks, declined J cent, there has been an advance in “fair” uplands of 3-16 cent, and in “fair” Gulfs of 5-16 cent. The port receipts show an excess of 200,000 bales over last season, but that this is due in part to the free marketing of the crop is shown by the fact that on Friday last the stocks at fifteen interior towns of the South amounted to only 176,317 bales, against 221,580 bales at the corresponding date last year. The specu lation in this as in other staples is likely to feel the recent decline in gold and the higher rates for money, but prices of cot ton are already low, and any increase in the quantity grown is probably counter balanced by the poorer condition aud de ficient staple. The Cuban Butchery.—The following is one of the last orders issued by Valma seda previous to his removal from the Captain Generalship of Cuba : “All countrymen bringing in one of these bandits, called insurgents, dead or alive, to headquarters, will receive ten gold doubloons, and eleven if bringing also his musket. A recompense of from three to ten doubloons will be paid to all countrymen bringing information ena bling the troops to destroy or surprise insurgent camps. Farmers killing a rebel prefect or sub prefect, or giving informa tion producing that result, will be paid fifteen doubloons. ” No rebellion was ever put down per manently by such barbarous policy as this. Butchery begets butchery, and we have no doubt that the Cuban insurgents are now doing quite as much throat cutting as their enemies. It is literally “war to the knife, and the knife to the hilt.” “ Here we are, within a quarter of a mile of land,” was the joyful announce ment made by the Captain of an ocean steamer to his grumbling passengers. “ Where ?” “ Which way is it ?” were the eager exclamations which followed. “Anywhere down below there,” said the Captain, pointing towards the bottom of the sea; “ the lead gives us just two hundred and twenty fathoms of water, and the land comes slap up against the brine,” Affairs in Georma. The Christmas half-siheets are still com ing in. I The Lumpkin Independent is the only Georgia weekly, as far;as heard from, that didn’t get split in twaio by Christmas. This statement may seem to be an exaggeration, bat it is not. An Atlanta man who had his head and face badly scalded by a premature sky rocket, is endeavoring" to fix the crime ou his mother-in-law. A citizen of M&cou, who kept up his New Year's calls until after ciark, says that a dog on the front stoop is a very poor substitute for a door-mat. He doesn’t remember whether ho sat down on the substitute or not, bnt his pantaloons seem to be somewhat worn behind. A friend of Senator Norwood approached him the other day, and said : “Colonel, I would like very much t<£> have some soft po sition in Washington.” “The softest place I know of,” said the Senator, “is on the roof of the ex-Attortiey-General’s head. Would you like the iplace ?” The friend didn’t think be would. This is said to be leay-year, which ought to be very comforting to frogs and circus men. 1 The Augusta Chronic says that the store of E£r. 8. Morriii, at Muhnerlyn, on the Cen tral Bmlrcad, was destroyed by fire last Sun day night, together witln its contents. Sup posed to hare been incemdiary. Mr. Morris was absent at tie time.' The Maoon Telegrapfi understands that the friends of Mr. Robjirt U. Hardeman, of that city, wiH jlu sent him to the General Assembly as for State Treas urer. We doubt whetbjer a more honorable or conjpetent gentlemari oould be found in the State, or one wh(> would perforin the duties of the office mort promptly and more satisfactorily. iQensx£-4iaa_. sh ippe4 this season 2,734 bates of cotton, ag4TffiaiS;f& 8j? {<3 the game time last year. Twenty-six estimates made by members of the Augusta Exchange, in regard to the cotton crop for 1875-76, average 4,155,769 bales. The lowest estimate is 4,000,000 and the highest 4,350,000. A correspondent of the Macon Telegraph writing from Baker county, says that J. J. Musgrove, a white scalawag of this county, was murdered by Jim and Sam Tillman, col ored, who lived on Colonel H. A. Tarver’s Notchaway plantation. Musgrove had caught them stealing sheep of Hon. James George, and bad informed. J. J. Mus grove went on Monday to borrow a foot adze of the negroes, Jim and Sam, when they bad some difficulty, and the negroes knocked him ou tbs head and then cut his throat and buried him in a manure pilo on the premi ses. Jim tteil after the deed, but Sam was arrested and is now in jail, and confesses the murder. Dick Pounds, of Lowndes county, was killed iu a melee the other day. The Mac' U Telegraph, says that another man “which lives in Jones,” and a farmer of moderate means, sold about two thou sand pounds of pork this season, and raised cotton also. What a commentary ou the almost universal cry of “Can’t raise no hogs; niggers steal ’em so bad!” As the American German sajs, “Dot ish blayed out.” With the proper care and attention by the so-called farmers, hogs would be plentiful, and an abundance of sound, wholesome meat, homo raised, would be found upon their tables. But upon tho alterable and expensive plan of looking to the Wes 7 for cur bacon—you have nobody to blame but you?S6J?S§. It is currently reported-that as many as six hundred negroes will lesye Talbot and Harris counties for Texas anil Mississippi this month. Many have already gone.^ An Augusta negro killed anothertE'e om€ik day. We chronicle this with no disrespect to the dead nigger. Jerome Tuttle, the acrobat, is teaching a class in Athens. As we said before, this is leap year. The Hinesville Gazette says that a fatal ac cident occurred at the residence of Mr. D. W. Sikes, of Tatnall county, on the evening of the I7th ult., by which Mr. Sikes’s little daughter lost her life. The statement as fiven by Mr. Sikes is that Marion Alexau er and Jimmie Smith were walking up the steps with their guns in their hands for the purpose of arranging for a fox chase next morning. A dog ran violently agaiust Mr. Smith’s gun.^g,)using it to fall and discharge its contents nico the head of the little girl, who was standing only a few feet in front. Death resulted in an hour. No blame is at tached to Mr. Smith, as it was from no care lessness on his part, but entirely accidental. The Macon Telegraph says it has been known for some time that there were some deer near Black Lake, about three miles from Macon, on the eastern side of the river. Last Saturday Mr. Mit Massey took his pack of hounds and went for a deer chase. He had not been out long before the dogs jump ed a fine buck, and an exciting chase began, which lasted an hour and twenty minutes, and ended with the capture of the buck, which weighed one hundred and fifty pounds. Mr. Massey now feels like flinging the gSuntlet at the feet of Jones county. He thinks his Florence Nightingale, which led in this chase, a little the best dog in the country, and her value has been raised sev eral hundred per cent, since she ran down that buck In so short a time. The Atlanta Herald says that on last Wednesday noon, a Mr. John W. Bramley, living nine miles east of Carnesville, Ga., committed suicide by cutting his throat. Mrs. Bramley, at dinner time, found him sitting on the front door steps, and asked him to come to dinner. He told her to go on and eat, he did not want any; but on her telling him she would not eat uuless he did, he went in and sat down at the table, but, after eating only a mouthful or two, got up and went out. In a mo ment or two Mrs. Bramley heard a noise like water pouring out, and ran to the door to see what was the maiter, aud found him seated in his former position with the blood gushing- from his throat! She grasped it with her hand, trying to stop the blood, but he put up both hands and pushed her away ! She caught at him the second time, but he died almost instantly, having cut his throat clear to the back bone! The act seems to have been caused by men tal depression, though Mr. B. was in good circumstances, is said to have b -en a sober, industrious man, a member of the Methodist Church, and esteemed by his neighbors. He loaves a wife with four little children. Thus the Macon Telegraph: Ex-Comptrol ler General Peterson Thweatt begins his annual campaign before the Legislature in advance by the issue of a voluminous memo rial, massing all the evidenco and argument that can be brought to bear, and really making out a very strong case. We think the old gentleman’s claim is strictly just, and a great and magnanimous Common wealth should not continue to give a long tried and faithful pubic servant the cold shoulder. And we tell our Legislators there is no use dodging this conclusion. As long as the ex-Comptroller lives he will fight the same battle over every year, and, if not successful, bequeath the quarrel to hiß pos terity after him. Our solons must always expect to be in the predicament of old Tom Bc-aton, who w so annoyed with Long John Wentworth’s railroad bill, which he was ever advocating, that he was wont to ex claim, whenever John rose in his seat: “Great heavens, now for the clatter of Wentworth’s eternal railroad engine.” So, not only for the sake of justice, but in self defense, they will eventually be forced to al low the claim of this sturdy and irrepressi ble gentleman, and the sooner the better. General William M. Browne ia Athens Georgian : Knowing the interest you feel in all that relates to the Georgia Agricul tural Society, I ask the favor of sufficient space in your valuable paper to announce to the county agricultural societies and clubs of the Ninth Congressional District that the spring convention of the State Agricultural Society will take place at Brunswick on Tuesday, February Bth. The railroad com panies, with commendable liberality, furnish free transportation, going and returning, to three uelegatcs from a county. Where there are two or more societies or clubs in any county, it will be necessary, therefore, for those societies to arrange among themselves as to the three delegates whom they will elect to represen’ the county, and forward their names to Mr. Malcolm Johnston, Sec retary, AManta, on or before the 25th of Jan uary. Life members who propose to attend the convention will also notify the Secretary by the 25 th of January. Milledgeville Union : It is now ascertain ed beyond all controversy that the people of Georgia want a convention to frame anew constitution for them, but there are a few individuals who will still oppose the calling of a convention from selfish motives. First, the Atlanta ring of speculators, gamblers and lobbyists will oppose it, of course. They fear the capital will be carried back to Mil ledgeville, where they will not have so good a chance to ply their trades. Most of the office-holders will oppoge it for fear their term of office will be shortened. Those members of the Legislature who go to At lanta for a spree will oppose a convention for fear if the number of the legislators should be reduced they will not be re-elected. The office-seekers will not dare to say whether fhey favor a convention or not, fear of the Atlanta ring. Some will pretend to lavora convention, but will say not now; vi.jt until after the Presidential election. These men intend to deceive somebody; trust them not. Now is the best time for holding a convention. Let the people watch thei representatives and note how they void on that question. A party of Milledgeville hunters recently killed torty-six rabbits, two squirrels and three partridges. Mr. Lafayette Sanderfer was recently mar ried to Miss Lizzie Rogers, of Monroe county. Mr. W. W. Jordan, of Forsyth, lost one hundred and fifty dollars the other day. The man that in these times carries one hundred and fifty dollars regularly about his person is entitled to get robbed. We haven’t a particle of sympathy for Jordan, though we feel for his money. The city editor of the Augusta Constitu tionalist, In a vein of sarcasm, asks us svhat we mean by “pine-top” whisky. This is ab surd. Tyndall might as well have asked Farrady what he meant by electricity. This sort of business won’t go round, so to speak. Mr. Thomas H. Wynne, of Monroe coun ty, is dead. Two little boys were found drowned near Columbus the other day. We regret to learn that the Newnan Star is to be suspended. This is owing partly to pecuuiarv difficulties and partly to the con tinued ill-health of Captain F. S. Fitch, the editor and proprietor. Fitch promises to tackle the quill again, should he get well, and if he doesn’t get well, the only boon lie asks is “a clean obituary.” The body of an escaped lunatic named Ravens was found in Baldwin county the other day. The statement in the Atlanta Herald to the effect that Rev. W. A. Dodge is dead turns out to be untnjj, *nd the unfortunate reporter has been discharged. • - Allan Pinkertor Jr., a vrell-known detec tive, i# ltv AugOa. Augusta la's nice p’a m for detective#. The At. _ vn ta Common wealth says that the oldest lady in Campbell county died on the 20th it the residence of her son, Dr. Jas. Hofesby. She was one hundred years old Jacking one month. She,had been a mem ber of the Baptist Church seventy-five years. She had a remarkable memory and recollected many things connected with re gard to the revolutionary war. Her health was remarkable good up to the very last, except that she could not get about much. Peace to her ashes and respect to her vene rated memory. Messrs. Davies & Hansell, of the Thomas ville Enterprise , start the new year with a very neat salutatory. May success attend their efforts. Japonica thieves are worrying the Augusta people. The Fort Valley Mirror says that Mr. W. A. H. Royal, of Cedar Creek district, in Taylor coiiuty, had last year a cotton patch which made two thousand pounds of seed cotton to the acre. He used Boyd’s im proved prolific seed From a half acre in sugar cane he made ninety-eight gallons of syrup, and put up four thousand stalks for seed. He challenges any farmer in that section to beat it. The Forsyth Advertiser says that on Thursday, tho 23d ult., Mr. Stephen D. Jackson, living near Cabaniss, in Monroe county, came to a tragic death in tne fol lowing manner : He was riding in a buggy along the Brown’s ferry road en route to Jasper county. Mr. Wesley Hathorn was driving along tho same road, in company with two ladies, about a mile behind Mr. Jackson. One side of the shaft of the buggy of Mr. Hathorn became detached and dropped upon the feet of the horse, and caused him to become frightened and run. Mr. Hathorn and the ladies were thrown out, but were not hurt. Mr. Jackson saw the frightened horse coming at full speed, and fearing that he would run against his buggy (in which was a little child) got out for the purpose of stopping the horse, or at least to prevent being run over. It is thought that the axle of the buggy struck him. He insensible, with his skull fractur ed and-.a leg broken. He was brought to Forsyth nd given comfortable quarters at the Greer attention im mediately from DrTliullisill. Dr. R. attend ed him faithfully, and did all that human skill could accomplish, but without avail. He lingered in an unconscious condition until Sunday night, when he died. Mr. Jackson was near sixty years of age, and was a man highly respected by his neigh bors and acquaintances, who will deeply la ment his sudden and tragic death. The Augusta Constitutionalist states that very painful rumors have reached it, from time to time, that the State University, at Athens, is very far from being what tbe peo ple of Georgia would like to see it. Lack of discipline is said to be one predominant de ficiency. Ati institution of this kind should be second to none in the United States, and every well-wisher of it would rejoice if meas ures were taken to so elevate and improve it that the young men of Georgia could, within their own commonwealth,bo instructed iu th most competent manner. Reform, it is de clared by tho wise man, needs agitation. Is there no capable person who will start tho ball, and, by public discussion, bring the whole matter to the attention of jilt whom it most concerns ? We shall welcome any con tributions to this end, and trust that the issue of such a discussion will be tho thor ough reorganization of the University, thereby making it the peer of any rival in stitution and the pride and glory of the State. Griffin News: There is no doubt that thou sands could be saved the tax-payers of Georgia by tlie consolidation of many of tho small counties, and the abolition or consoli dation of many of the small offices, which could lie done without iujury to anybody except office seekers. While penning the above an old citizen came into our office and said something will have to be done to re duce tho taxes of tho people. He said be fore the war he paid tax on one hundred and twenty thousand dollars worth of pro perty, and his tax was from thirty to forty dollars, and since the war he only pays tax on twenty thousand dollars, and his tax is now two hundred dollars. Quite a differ ence. The Covington Star says that on Monday night, December 27th, the large and elegant residence of Mr. John M. Allen, about ten miles south of Covington, was entirely de stroyed by fire. The house contained nine large rooms, besides a number of closets, and originally cost about $5,000. It was in sured for $2,500. The house was entirely destroyed, together with a large amount of the household goods. Mr. Allen is sure it was the work of an incendiary. When the fire was first discovered he ran to his truuk, in which he had $1,960 in currency, and found the trunk had been opened and the money gone. He thinks he was robbed and his house fired to cover the robbery. His loss, over and above the insurance, will probably reach $3,000 or $3,500. The same paper says that the recent warm spell, which has been the most remarkable we have ever known in this climate, has been a serious calamity to the country. Most ot the meat which was killed immedi ately before Christmas has nearly all spoilt. From every section of the country comes this unfortunate tale of woe. Some persons have lost their entire killing, while almost every .one has lost some. This is a seri ous matter wim the country, and our people should take lesson of this misfor tune, and rely more upon their own resources, and raise their own supplies. Pork was already too high for our people to buy, and now that many of them have lost their scanty supply, we fear that absolute suffering must be the result. While the loss of meat in this section may not affect the market, still it must affect the country, as many persons had invested all the money they had for that purpose in meat, and now they must buy more. Seri ously, we i annot but regard the late warm weather as a sad misfortune to the country. Thomasville Enterprise: The account of the beginning of the trouble between Mr. Foster and Prince McCauley has been pub lished so generally that it is useless to rehearse it. The evidence given on the trial of Henry Butler disclosed the fact that after the rencontre between Foster and Prince was virtually ended by Foster retiring to the store of I. Levy to have his wounds dressed, Butler and many others, proba bly two hundred colored men, assem bled together, a surging, roaring mass of men, with many oaths and imprecations, demanding that Foster be given up, or they would come in and take him out, tear down the house or burn it and the whole town down. A few white men took their stand in the store to prevent their entrance, and finding the crowd grow ing worse and worse, closed the door and prepared themselves to prevent the rush which seemed imminent. The Sheriff, D. F. Luke, appeared on the scene, and com manded them to keep quiet and disperse. His order had no effect whatever, and seemed only to enrage the crowd, and only when a few members of the Guards appeared on the street with loaded guns did they begin to scatter. Owing to the darkness and the confusion, only a few of those engaged in the row could be identi fied. These have been arrested and tried, except one or two who gave leg bail, and sentenced as follows : Henry Butler (Coro ner of the county), to SI,OOO fine or twelve months on the chain-gang and six months imprisonment; Felix Carter, SIOO fine or eight months on the chain-gang; John Williams, SIOO or eight months on the chain-gang. George Royal and Charles Carter were arrested but proved they had done nothing to urge on the row and had assisted the Sheriff in trying to quiet mat ters. We hope the punishment of these parties will teach the colored men that it is dangerous for them to engage in a riot simply because a fight has taken p’ace be tween a white man and one of their color, as the law of Georgia specially provides for the punishment of such riotons proceed ings. The local editor of the Augusta Constitu tionalist announces with some degree of bitterness that he is not only able but will ing to defend his jokes. ’ This shows the right sort of spirit. A man who won’t stand by a pet joke ought to be taken out and tickle.d witn a currycomb. The Masonic ball in Darien recently was quite a success—so Grubb says. The Fort Valley Mirror says that Tom Butner has a negro on his place' who refuses to take her pay at the end of the year. She has money which she made year before last. Thomson is gloating over the presence of several successful burglars. The offioe of the Chronicle <fc Sentinel has been removed. They have already begun with leap year parties in Houston county. What the re sult will be time can only tell. Rev. James D. Anthony has associated himself with Mr. Medlock in the publication of the Sandersville Georgian. The Geor gian was already a good paper, and now we suppose it will be better. The recent spell of hot weather has been a marvel to Middle Georgia editors, as well as disastrous to pork. Mr. Joe Bridges, a popular young citizen of Atlanta, died in Texas the other day. We regret to hear that Col. Hancock, of the Sumter Republican, was taken suddenly ill the other day. Judge Stephen 8. Boone, of Sumter coun ty, is dead. Potash Farrow has seat out an absurd cir cular to his supposed party friends, asking feua bis reappoint- Sandersville Georgian: The Greenville Vindicator says W. B. Low, a merchant of Atlanta, is a candidate for State Treasurer. It says he lived many years in New York, made a good soldier in the Confederate army, and is worth a fortune of one hun dred thousand dollars. Now, it may be very nice to live in Now York, and must' make a man feel very comfortable to have a hun dred thousand dollars, and is certainly com mendable to be a good Boldier, but how these things qualify a man for State Treas urer we are uuablo to see. The present in cumbent, Capt. J. W. Renfroe, has never lived in New York, neither is he worth a hundred thousand dollars, but as a soldier there was not a braver one, nor better commander than he. The battle scars that he wears from wounds received in Virginia and Pennsylvania while following the beloved R. E. Lee, are suffi cient evidences of that fact. But we do not offer this as a reason why ho should be elected State Treasurer—we have something better. He is a gomlemau of strict integ rity, of untarnished character and of the very finest business capacity. He has often hold positions of public trust, and has always discharged the duties thereof to the entire satisfaction of all. Whilo he had charge of the tax department of the Comp troller General’s office (the books of which are but a reflex of the books of the Treasury, or of what they ought to be,) he displayed such efficiency that the legislative committee who examined his books pay him a very high compliment. We supppose that it was while occupying this position that his qualification for Treas urer became generally known, and pointed him out as the man for the place. He has scarcely been in the office a month, yet he has organized such a thorough system in its management that one cannot but be struck with it the moment he enters. Gov ernor Smith displayed great wisdom in making this selection, and has given general satisfaction throughout the entire State. Captain Renfroe is certainly the “right man in the right place,” and in our opinion the Legislature will so declare by a voto that will be almost unanimous. Fort Valley Mirror : Last Wednesday, Gadson Davis, colored, went to the resi dence of Rev. S. E. Bassett, and finding none of the family at home but Miss Ellen .Abbott, who was sitting in the front portico "doing- some crochet work. As soon as he discovered tii£t the youDg lady was unpro tected, he went to her pnd tapped her on the head with a stick, ordering her, with oaths and threats of taking her life, to prepare him dinner. She went to the dining room and placed some cold victuals on the table. He then informed her in an impudent manner that he didn’t eat on a naked table, and must have a cloth, which she spread for him, he telling her during all this lapse of time that he intended to kill her after finishing his meal. There were no biscuits on the table, and ho ordered her to go and get him some. She left the room and ran liurriediy towards the house of Mr. Smith, screaming for help and protection. The black scoundrel heard the noise and left the house in short order. He was iden tified by the young lady, and forthwith ar rested by the officer. He was tried Friday before Justice Maddox, and sent to jail in default of a S2OO bond. We wonder if the people in this section will be forced to teach these black devils another lesson? Atlanta Constitution: It is impossible to express our gratification at the success of the administration of the city during the first year of the new charter. The year closed one week ago, and the balance sheet was published on yesterday. It showed thal there had been a saving of ninety-nine thousand dollars in tho expenses of the year. It showed that not one dollar had boen added to the debt of the city, but that over fifty thousand dollars had been paid on the floating debt, and that the city owes that much less now than she did one year ago. We doubt if there is another city in Georgia that can show like results. Atlanta wisely saw the trouble ahead, and reefed her sails. She determined first, that tho debt should not be increased one dollar; second, that it should bo reduced every year. This schedule agreed upon, she was sound. The first blow has been struck at the mountain of debt. And, bet ter than this, we shall have no resting in tho good work. Next year must repeat, and im prove upon, what this year has been—and the next must do still better. The experi ment of the year is especially valuable in this : we have shown that without any fur ther growth in the value of our property we can, by a tax of one and a half per cent.,effi ciently carry on the city administration, pay its bills upon presentation, keep up our public schools and pay at least $50,000 per annum upon our debt. It is next to impos sible, under the strict regulations of the charter, to increase the debt by the issue of bonds; and indeed there is no probable necessity for the issue of our bonds. We have a capital railroad system, a fine system of water works, our schools all built, our public buildings in good shape, and there is no necessity for doing more. It is impossible to increase the floating debt. The charter makes the Oouncilmen personally liable for any balance they may find against the city on expense account at the end of the year. It appears to us, then, that no city can offer better induce ments to those wanting city homes than At lanta. Already a metropolis in size and importance—teeming with industry, and alive with energy—with all needed public improvements already built—with a tax rate fixed at one and a half per cent, or less— with a debt that, not inordinately large is decreasing every year—with a climate that is unsurpassed—we do not well see what more anyone could want in a home. Beecher and his Accusers. General Pryor has withdrawn from his position as Mrs. Moulton's counsel m the case of the mutual council to be called by Plymouth Church and Mrs. Moulton. He said Wednesday that the reasons for doing so were that he was not a member of any Congregational church; that he thought it better for Mrs. Moulton to be represented by a lawyer who could gain admission or be a delegate to the council, if necessary; and that he was counsel for Mr. Moulton in an entirely different cause. Joshua M. Van Cott, who is a member of Dr. Storr’s church, has been selected as Mrs. Moulton’s counsel in place of General Pryor. He said that he had accepted the position and given notice to Mr. Shearman that he would make the preparations on Mrs. Moul ton’s part for the mutual council. No action was taken Wednesday by Mr. Beecher’s counsel in the suit against him by Mr. Moulton. Friends of Mr. Beecher said that Mr. Shearman and Gen. Tracy had been retained for him, and that no other lawyers had yet been engaged. Gen. Tracy said that evening that he had not been asked to act as counsel for Mr. Beecher, and he knew nothing about the suit except what he had seen in the news papers. It is denied that Gen. Butler will be Mr. Moulton’s senior counsel. Gen. Pryor has acted as Mr. Moulton’s legal adviser ever since the scandal trial, and the new suit will be entirely under his management. Gen. Butler may be associated with him, Gen. Pryor says, but he had not been retained up to Wednesday. Gen. Pryor was still averse to speaking about the suit, and said he could give no information.— New York Tribune, December 30. Leaves of the pineapple, now being ex tensively cultivated in the East Indies, are turned to account by being converted into a kind of wadding, which is used for upholstering instead of hair. A sort of flannel is also manufactured from them, irom which substantial waistcoats and hirts can be made. ESTABLISHED 1850. THE LAND OF FLOWERS-No. 11. Fernaudina and its Railroad and Steam boat Facilities—From "tarke to Gaines ville—The Towns of Starke and Waldo —Gainesville and Alnchua Comity— Operations of the United States Land Office —iH icanopy, Arredondo and Archer. [Special Correspondence of the Morning News.] Gainesville, December 6,1875. I reached this city by the way of Fer nandina, which is uinety-eiglit miles dis tant, and which is the Atlantic coast ter minus of the Atlantic, Gulf and West India Transit Company’s Railroad—the only thing that keeps any sign of life in the de cayed looking town. The New York steam ships also have their headquarters there, in connection with the railroad, and carry on a very heavy freighting business. There is but little activity on the streets of the place, as many of the stores are closed to legitimate trade. There are, however, some fine store j and several handsome residences to be seen, but everywhere the visitor is reminded that the hand of timo, bringing misfortunes with it, has been laid upon ihe prosperity of that onoe flourishing and beautiful seaport city. Except tho shell road to tho beach, where oau bo found a splendid drive of nearly thirty miles, Fer uandina affords no attractions to winter visitors. I greatly otijoyed a visit to the home *-*J and could sdiuon; adopt as my own the poetic Tines of Mrs. Woolson: The tide comes in—the birds tly low, As if to catch onr speech. Ah, Destiny! Why mist we ever go Away from the Florida beach ? RAILROAD AND STEAMBOAT FACILITIES. The Charleston steamers “City Point” and “Dictator” touch at Fernandina on their way to and from Jacksonville. It is also proposed to run a small steamer to St. Mary’s and Brunswick, Ga., making eonuoc tiou with the Macou aud Brunswick Rail road at the latter place. Tho New York steamships, at this season of the year, are very unreliable. I mot persons at Fernandina who had been waiting nearly a week for the incoming steamship, which was detained by fogs between Port Royal and Fernandiiia. That was ratbor ex pensive waiting, as hotel rates in that city are first class, whatever tho accommodation may bo. Many passengers for Cedar Keys and tho Gulf coast prefer to take the cars at Fernandina, reaching that point by steamer, while others choose the “all-rail route,” and take the trains of the A., G. & W. I. T. Company’s Railroad at Baldwin, forty-sevou miles from Fernandina, where it crosses the track of tho Jacksonville, Pensacola aud Mobile Railroad. New passenger cars are soon to be put upon this route, which will then be much more comfortable for its patrons. Capt. D. E. Maxwell, the efficient and liard-horking General Manager, is a pleasant aud agreeable public official, and in his conductors I found most excellent aud accommodating gentlemen. To Con ductor Eugene Allen I was specially in debted for kind attentions during the trip to this city. Although we left Eeruandiiia before daybreak, lam sure I lost nothing, as thero is but littie to attract attention be tween that city and Starke. FROM STARKE TO GAINESVILLE. I was not unprepared to find in this sec tion an excellent agricultural country, as a prominent citizen of Fernandiua had writ ten me that the lands along the line of this road, “especially around Starke, Waldo, Gainesville, Arredondo, Archer and Rose wood, were well adapted to tho production of all kinds of vegetables aud semi-tropical fruits.” The country lying south of Wal do,” he added, “I consider the most attrac tive section of the State, being perfectly healthy, having good water, rich and rolling pine lands, with hundreds of beautiful clear water lakes, which abound in fish and game.” Until we reached Starke I saw nothing along the line of the road but pine forests and swamp lauds. These however, seem to have been found valuable for naval stores,as I counted about ten flour ishing turpentine distilleries botwoen Fer nandina and GainjgfciUe. Of logging camps thero were near!/-- and all of them carry on < One or two log trains to Fer nandiua, while several large steam rniiis near some of the camps Baw up a great num ber of logs aud ship the lumber to such •points as offer a ready sale for it. The shipments of turpentine and rosin must be very large, as the facilities here for obtain ing the raw material for the manufacture of these articles are unsurpassed, and ship ments can be made directly from tho distil leries to Fernandina, where they can be readily transferred to the Now York steam ships. THE TOWNS OF STARKE AND WALDO. I was very much pleased with tho pros perous appearance of Starke and Waldo, the former (which is in Bradford county) seventy-three miles from Fernandina, and tho latter, (which is in Alachua county) nine miles this side. Starke is the smaller town, having less than five hundred inhabi tants, aud is not remarkable for the beauty of its surroundings. Still, to a man looking for fertile farming lands, it has some good points that are readily seen aud appreciated, oranges, bananas, pineapples, sea island oottou, sugar cane and corn are successfully cultivated in tnat section. “The finest flavored oranges we have ever tried,” says the experienced editor .of the Jacksonville Tress, “not excepting those from Indian river, we recently plucked from a tree in tho yard of Mr. Limbo, who resides some fifteen miles south of Starke.” Game and fish are abundant, as a number of lakes are within easy reach of tho town. Bradford county has a population of about five thousand, aud the deaths for list year only numbered seventeen. Alexander Wil lis, one hundred and four years old, runs his farm on New river, goes to market and to mill, and never thinks about dying in the poor house. Such men always have some thing better to occupy their busy thoughts. I do not mention these facts to lead people to believe that they will “live forever” if they settle about Starke, but to show that all unhealthy looking places “are not what they seem.” Waldo, being a much larger town, pre sents a more attractive appearance, and seem i to have a rather better location. From this point a railroad has been graded to Ocala, and the cross-ties are laid tor a mile or so near the town. It is doubtful, how ever, if the work is resumed on the road for several years, although it runs through a fine section of country and taps the groat orange grove region about Orange Lake. Santa Fee Lake is but two miles from Waldo, and of the desirability of that section the editor of the Jacksonville Press says: “ The region contiguous to this lake, which is upon the highest land in East Florida, is excellent orange land, as is proved by the many flour ishing trees to be found at Waldo and south ward. The inhabitants in this section are mostly white, and verypoaceable, industri ous and honest. Rev. William Johnson, re siding near Morrison’s Mills, has a grove not inferior to any one of the same age which we have seen on the St. John’s river.” There are also natural “land sinks,” subter ranean rivers and “'ch like” about Waldo, and yet it would not seem a natural land sink to me for a good farmer to sink money cultivating land in that section. This may appear to some like a “goak,” but it is meant in “dead earnest,” although I own no land in that section and have not spoken to a man who has any for sale there. For general farming purposes and fruit culture, if persons desire to be on the line of a rail road, I should advise immigrants to look at the lands from Starke on to Arredondo. There is plenty of government land in Bradford and Alachua counties that can he homesteaded, or land can he bought cheap from parties having it for sale, or from per sons who may wish to “try their luck” in some other section of the country. GAINESVILLE AND ALACHUA COUNTY. This city is widely known, not only as the county seat of one of the most important and prosperous counties in Florida, but as having located in its midst the United States Land office for this State, an institu tion which has of late become of great im portance to immigrants and settlers. The present population of the place is about fif teen hundred, with prospects of a steady in crease in the future. Mr. W. F. Rice, the stirring and genial railroad and express agent, tells me that the business in his office has increased one hundred per cent, this year. The first shipment of sea island cot ton was made on the 2d of August, and the crop is now nearly all marketed. About three thousand bales have been shipped up to this date.JThere a large amount of freight received here by rail from the New York steamers at Fernandina, and the New Or leans steamers at Cedar Keys, a considerable portion of which goes into the interior of the country. I noticed a quantity of fruit trees—pears, apples, plums, peaches and grape vines—-at tne depot, and was told that fruit culture was rapidly increasing, and that the negroes were [going into it exten si\ ely. It is admitted that for general farming purposes, and moderate fruit culture, the lands in Alachua county are equal to those of any other part of the State. “In our opinion,” says a recent experienced writer, “the time is not far distant when farming in this belt will be more profitable than any where else in the Union. Through this section lie most Of the large plantations of East Florida, where the culture of our great staple (sea island cotton) was *o profitable before the war. Under the pres int system, these plantations cannot be successfully cul tivated on a large scale, and many, there fore, are now lying waste. These afford the best opportunities for colonies. The lands are already cleared, and in many in stances fenced, and can be bought for less than it would cost, to dear and fence it. * * * In our opinion, those who come to Florida to engage in general farming, will do well to visit this section.” This is tho opinion and advice of a well informed gentleman of Jacksonville, who had no selfish motive to govern him in forming or expressing his views. From what I have seen hereabouts I am free to confess that I feel like endorsing his opinion of the country. Gainesville is built on a square, in the centro of which stands the wooden Court House. But few of the stores present an attractive appearance, and everywhere old and dilapidated buildings are to be seen. This shows that before tho war the town was an important business centre ; and that it is destined to regain its former prosperity, thero is ample evidence. I see new build ings and residences going up, old buildings being repaired, and other signs of renewed activity. Thero are a great many negroes here, but the same is the case in Jackson ville aud Tallahassee. Brother Drake, of the Alachua Citizen, has an extensive steam planing and grist mill, aud there are one or two other similar establishments in town, and also a moss factory. There are four churches for white people aud three for no groes, and several good schools for both classes. Of hotels there are three, but a large, first-class establishment is greatly needed. Dr. Ashmead, a young physi cian of Brooklyn, New York, is now agitating the project of erecting here a “Sanitarium” for invalids, as this is considered one of tho very best lo cations in the State for consumptives. As the weather has been cold and rainy since I have been here, and I have been unable to secure a room with a fire in it, I have not been favorably impressed on the subject. Others, more fortunate than I, are positive in regard to tho oxtromo heaithiuoss of the place for Northern and Western invalids, a number of whom aro already here for the winter. A little more public spririt on tho part of prominent citizens, aud a largo number of now settlors might bo drawn to this place. The fearful tornado which passed over a portion of tho town tho first of last month, doing considerable damage, dispirited some persons, but tho effects of this misfortune are rapidly vanishing, aud in a little time it will b 8 forgotten. Gainesville oocupies too important a central position not to grow un der the present favorable surroundings. canopy, Wetumpkft, Ocala, BrooksviUe, Fort Taylor and other important interior towns. Stages also run to Newnansville and Orange Springs, located in the midst of the richest lands in this section of the State. This is, and will remain, an agricultural region, and with returning prosperity to the South Alachua county must share in the success which will then attend agricultural labor. Although this town has recently had three newspapers, one is now deemed sufficient to do its business and advocate its claims. The Alachua Citizen and New Era, of which I!. C. Drake, Esq., is editor and proprietor, has for its motto,-'No party, no color, no creed,” which forbids me to classify it politically. It is a very neat paper, and many of your read ers will be surprised to know that all tho typo setting and press work is done by two negro bovs, who are excellent workmen and who conduct themselves in a very creditable manner. Brother Drake is a stirring fellow, and finds time to run a grist mill, a saw and planing mill, a furuituro store, a nows and variety store and a newspaper. Ue is a shrewd and hard working man, so that ho koops his many “irons in the fire” from burning. Much of his success, I take it, is owing to the energy, good sense, and raro ability of his accomplished wife, who knows lull well how to give a worthy husband a helping hand. She is one of the most gifted vocalists and pianists in tho South, as well as a very successful music toacher, and has frequently appeared on the stage with noted opera singers. In company with a few friends, mot socially at her attractive homo last night, I enjoyed a rich musical treat. She thoroughly understands tho use of a fine piano, and her raro vocal powers can master the most difficult Italian opera, or joyfully rondur tho most amusing negro mel ody of the day, with all tho intermediate stylos of vocal performances. For a very delightful social and musical feast, as well as for numorous kind favors during my stay hero, I am most siucoroly grateful to this hospitablo and pleasant family. My thanks are also duo Messrs. Dawkins, Brown, Aeon and Papy for favors shown mo, and which I have not space to more fully acknowledge in this already too oxteuded epistle. OPERATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE. I paid a visit this morning to the United States Land Office, which occupies a neat little cottage on tho corner of a street back one block from tho public square. Messrs. J. A. Loo, the Rogister, and S. F. Halliday, the Receiver, were absent wliou I called-but I was most courteously and kindly trdfVd by their subordinate officials. Two colb/ed American citizons wero busy with the maps trying to locato homesteads for themsol os, and I waß informed that a largo number of i^teui- American citizens have already se -0 tM homesteads in somo of the mostde sirpfflc sections of the State. Others have JPro on goveiTUnout buds, ignoiantr the law requiring a propoi ontr\ ui t all their labor by being ejected by , ... s who subsequently entered tho same lauds as required by law. This has caused able hard feeling ou the part of tho ue-d groes, who cannot be made to understand how it is about “dat ar mule and forty acres ob land.” In answer to my inquiry as to how many entries had beou runic during tho month of November, I was re-* ferred to a colored clerk in thol corner, who informed mo that the' first entry in November was numbered 2,000 and tbe last ono of the same month was numbered 2,301. From this it will be seen, that the whole number of entries for tbfl month was 298, or over ten for each wor 1 ■ ing day. As these entries varied from foM§| to one hundred and twenty acres each, i ' total amount of land taken up was e| something over thirty thousand pores. On tho desks I saw hundreds \ tions yet to bo acted upon, and if any of’ your readers are mad because of delays in this office, let mo assure them that “Rome was not built in a day,” nor can an entry of land bo mado in a hour. Maps aud records and survoys have to be very carefully ex amined and compared, which is a slow job, especially when tho persons engaged in it are constantly interrupted by parties who prefer to make verbal applications and “a thousand and one' 1 usoless questions, which a public official of good maimers always feels bound to answer in full. There < are millions of acres of State and goverrr*J ment lands in Florida, in all except tbe old counties in Middle Florida,-for sale or open to entry for homesteads. In a previous letter I gave the prices of (State lands, and 1 need only mention in this connection t expense of entering a homestead on govern ment land. For ono hundred and twenty acres tho cost is $lB, of which sl3 is to bo paid when tho entry is mado, and the re maining $5 when "the final papers are de livered; for eighty acres the cost is $7 at time of entry, and S2 when final papers aro taken out; for forty acres the cost is $0 when entered, and a foe of $2 to “prove out” at _ the expiration of five years. Lottors ad dressed to “United States Land Office, Gainesville, Fla.,” enclosing a stamp for re ply, will secure any further desired informa tion on this subject. I would here state, as a matter of importance, that some of tho very best lands in Florida are to-day being taken up under the homestead law by men of means and influence, as well as by tho poorer classes, in Orange county and other desirable localities. AIICANOPY, ARREDONDO AND ARCHER. While the town of Gainesville is not just at present growing to any marked extent, the country about it is constantly receiving new settlers. Some are from tbe North and West, but the most of them f. om Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia aud other portions of the South. Micauopy, about fifteen the interior, is a very delight! ui been settled up with a good class of poople, and much attention is being given by them to fruit culture. The soil is prolific, the healthiness of the locality undoubted, and everything indicates that the present tide of immigration to that point will steadily in crease. The same can be said of the new and growing town of Arredondo, six miles beyond Gaiuesville, ou tho railroad. It bias fair. I think, to become one of the most im portant railroad towns in the country, as immigrants are generally pleased with its location, and its inducements to settlers. Archer, nine miles nearer the Gulf, is also a growing railroad town, and is worthy the attention of parties seeking homes in Central Florid i. This whole section has one important advantage, that of railroad and steamship communication with the outside world, which affords cheap transportation to and from Southern aud Northern markets. There are daily trains each way over the railroad, one train going to Cedar yj where connection is made with a line of steam-ihips to New Orleans, and tho other train going to Fernandina, where a similar connection is made with a line of steam ships to New York. Connections are also made at each point with smaller steamers that run along the coast. Gainesville and its suburbs are about one hundred miles from the Atlantic coast and nearly sixty miles from the Gulf coast, with an altitude of about five hundred feet. Of the Gulf coast country I shall have something to say in my next epistle. Sidney Herbert. Murder at Fort Meade, Florida. Borrow, Polk Cos., Fla., Dec. 10. Editor Morning News: On the Gth a sad occurrence took plas*. at Fort Meade, twelve miles south of this place. There had been some misunder standing between the parties for some time, and on the day above mentioned both became a little overjoyful, and with out demonstrations of any kind on the part of Mr. Jones Mr. J. C. Kockner placed his pistol near the former’s face and fired. Mr. Jones’s face was horribly burned. The ball taking an upward direc tion caused his death in a few moments. Mr. Kockner is yet at large, and reports say the sheriff will not arrest him. FOBT Mi'APEy.