Staunton Vindicator

"Strange as it may seem to the good people of the sturdy and conservative old county of Augusta, the citizens of the large cities of the North are seriously agitating the question of abolishing the existing Sunday laws."

During the first part of the season the number of Visitors at the Springs promised to be small, but now the uninterrupted tide which flows westward daily, indicates that there will be an equally large, if not a larger number than usual. There are already at the White Sulphur about 1500, at the Rockbridge Alum about 700 or 800. The other watering places are equally well supplied.

Gov. White and Chief Justice Taney, fleeing from bustle and business, have retired to the Rockbridge Baths.

There will be a Fancy Ball at the Augusta Springs to-night. (Friday.)

On Saturday last Mr. Wm. A. Perrin, a resident of Staunton, was bitten by a rattle-snake at the Augusta Springs, from the effects of which he died the next day; though several physicians were in attendance, their skill could avail nothing. The fangs of the venomous reptile had penetrated a blood vessel in the hand and the poison coursed with the speed of electricity through the system; in ten minutes after the fatal occurrence his feet commenced swelling, which made it evidence that the poson had already disseminated itself through the system. - Before death finished its work, the whole body had become discolored and enormously swollen.

The snake had been sent by some one residing in Highland to Mr. Perrin who was known to be in the habit of catching and caging them. Unfortunately, the fangs of this one had not been extracted, and the fatal blow was struck while Mr. Perrin was changing him from one cage to another.

The statistics of this county for the year ending Dec. 31st 1858, show the number of deaths to be 185.

The number of births for the same time, 634. The number of marriages for the same time, 151.

The number of deaths is a pleasing commentary on the health of our county with a population but little if at all short of 25,000. The marriage list shows that the blessing of matrimony still continues to be appreciated. The births speak for themselves.

Mrs. Knowles, one of the attendants at the Lunatic Asylum, was killed on Friday last by one of the patients, who struck her with a heavy brush on the head, causing her death shortly after. She was formerly of Rockbridge county, Va.