Valley Spirit

"Some of the blatant Opposition and falsehearted Democratic presses of the country are tickling their readers by propounding the above interrogatory. Children are said to be pleased with a straw, even, and so we suppose we ought not to deprive the Opposition of the meagre crumbs of comfort afforded them in this innocent pastime. They will find out when the ballot boxes are closed in 1860, that there is a Democratic party among us, and a successful one, too. The glorious past history of this country is but a record of the triumphs of the Democratic party. It has already controlled the Government of the United States three fourths of the time during its existence, and we venture the prediction that it will continue to do so.-- Surviving the ignominy heaped upon it by incompetent and designing men-- outliving the assaults of open enemies and secret foes--the Democratic party will in 1860 take the field under the banner of its time honored principles, and, despite the howlings of its adversaries, it will again achieve victory."

--Considerable of a muss was kicked up on the Diamond "all of a sudden" on Monday night, by a negro boy hitting a white man with a stone, and breaking a glass in the large bulk window of Shryock & Co's Book Store. A crowd of excited men and boys, too numerous to compute, gave chase to the negro and after a pretty long run succeeded in capturing him. He was taken before 'Squire Hammon, when bail was entered for his appearance to answer the charge.

--About 12 o'clock on Saturday night last, the large barn at the County Poor House was discovered to be on fire, and so rapidly did the flames spread that everything contained in it, except two colts, was consumed. Eight farm horses, seventeen head of fat cattle and cows, about one hundred and fifty bushels of wheat, which had been put in bags ready for removal to the mill, several wagons, and nearly all the farming implements belonging to the farm were consumed. The loss to the county by this fire will exceed $5,000. . . .[text missing]. . . upon a worthless scoundrel who has, at times, been an inmate of the institution, and has frequently threatened to burn down the buildings. We hope the guilty wretch may be discovered, and punished as his crime deserves.

Since writing the above three men, paupers at the institution, have been arrested and sent to jail, charged with having set fire to the barn.

The following is a list of the property destroyed, as nearly as can be ascertained by the Directors and Steward:

8 horses valued at $1,200 00

6 sets wagon and 6 sets plow gears, 125 00

12 head of fat cattle, 600 00

5 head of stock cattle, 100 00

8 head of sheep, 32 00

125 bushels of wheat, 156 25

300 bushels of corn, 198 00

1 wagon, 75 00

Horse Power and Thrashing Machine, 125 00

6 shovel plows, 30 00

1 set of hay ladders, 12 00

Barn furniture, 200 00

50 tons hay, 500 00

Straw, 100 00

2 ox yokes, 6 00

Barn, wagon shed, horse power shed, &c., &c., 1,800 00

Total loss, $5,338 25