Valley Spirit

--On Saturday last, as Mr. Samuel Barnhart, of this place, was driving his six horse road team over the bridge at the "Narrows," a short distance below town, the flooring and supporting timbers of the bridge, gave way, and the wagon and four of the horses attached to it, dropped through into the stream beneath! The depth of the water underneath the bridg, is estimated to have been from twelve ot fifteen feet. The wagon was loadened, principally, with flour, the weight of the whole load being about 100 cwt. A Considerable quantity of the flour was lost and some of the remainder damaged so as to render its sale of no advantage to the owner. The four horses that went through the bridge with the wagon, were saved, which seems miraculous, indeed, when we think of the height they fell (some 25 feet) and the danger of the entanglement in the harness and wagon gears, in the deep water into which they were plunged. Mr. Barnhart's own escape is a matter to be wondered at. Just as the timbers began to crack and sink beneath his team, he stepped from the portion of the bridge that went down. He had been walking with the two front horses (which escaped by the breaking of the coupling chain) and thus was saved from the perilous fall which otherwise would have awaited him. Take it all in all, this accident was most extraordinary.

Bedford Gazette.

--It appears that Dan Webster, the alleged fugitive slave, who was carried about Philadelphia like a conquering hero by the negroes and abolitionists of that staid city, after his discharge from custody, is no better than he should be--in short, a very unworthy object of the sympathy of moral and law-loving people, white or colored. The North American lets us into a little secret connected with Dan's domestic life, which wonderfully detracts from the romance with which his over- zealous friends surrounded him:

"A fact has transpired in relation to Daniel which, if before made public, would have somewhat lessened the sympathy felt for him. It is that, when he absconded or escaped from Virginia, he left behind him a wife to whom he was married by a minister of the Gospel. As he was married to another female in Harrisburg, it follows that Daniel was guilty of bigamy. Had he been remanded by the Commissioner, Mr. Brewster's intent was to have given, towards purchasing his freedom, the fee received from the claimants, and a hundred dollars in addition. We understand that one of the colored witnesses has since acknowledged that he knew, at the time he swore to the contrary, that Daniel was an escaped slave, and that the District Attorney is now considering whether or not to cause his arrest on a charge of perjury."

--The trials before Court last week were generally of a very unimportant character. Negro fights and petty assault and battery cases, made up the bulk of the business. The Judge was "down upon" the nuisance, but Grand Juries won't ignore bills, and "Squires will make costs, let his honor grumble as he may. We proposed some time ago to have our Court House, during court week, indited as a nuisance. We think it would not be difficult to make out as strong a complaint against it as against "Toad Island." the negroes of that "nuisance," and other similar localities about town, regularly take possession of our Court House each session to have their drunken fights fought over again and fixed up according to law! How ridiculous. Now, in the name of the people of this county, we call upon his Honor Judge Kimmel to put a stop to this wasteful expenditure of the time and money of its citizens, or make a public example of those who encourage this very low business.

--The Grand Jury, at the present term of Court, reported the buildings erected on "Toads Island" by Nicholas Uglow, to be a public nuisance. The matter was given over into the hands of the Prosecuting Att'y who will "put it through" to the satisfaction of Court, Jury, and the "rest of mankind."

--It is the intention, we understand, in future, to devote our entire term of Court for the special purpose of trying the filthy cases among the colored population of our county. This will afford them time to gather together as many cases as will occupy the Court and time; and also to crowd our petty Court House with a crowd of drunken, worthless darkies, who can ornament the building by poking their heads out of the windows, standing around in every hole and corner, and squirting tobacco juice on the passers by. While this arrangement is being made it is also intended to give notice to the public that J. L. Dechert has the best, cheapest and prettiest stock of Hats, Caps, &c, this side of Philadelphia. Just give him a call and see.

MR. EDITOR:--Much has been said during the past winter in regard to relaying and putting into running order the long neglected "Franklin Railroad." Scarcely a number of your excellent and widely circulated paper has appeared but what contained an article or short notice in regard to it, either for meetings of the citizens, or stockholder, or from agents for materials for its reconstruction. This is as it should be; and too much praise cannot well be bestowed upon the citizens of Greencastle and vicinity, and the north and south western portions of the county for the indefatigable seal and commendable liberality displayed by them. The road had been sold, and the subject of refitting it several times agitated; but has as often failed. At present, it is to be hoped that we shall soon have it as a "reality." The road evidently must and will be a decided advantage to the citizens residing between Chambersburg and Hagerstown. We wish them a hearty success, and to the present stockholders a profitable investment.

The design of this communication is to call the attention of the present owners of the said road to the deep cut where their road crosses the public road leading from Chambersburg to Waynesboro'. It must be self evident to even a casual observer (for it takes no eagle eye to discern it) that, crossing the F. R. R., at this point is fraught with imminent danger to the traveler when once the "Iron Horse" is put on the track. There is a vast amount of travel done on this road second to no similar road in the County. It is the only highway leading from the southern part of our County, so densely populated as the Townships of Washington, Quincy, &c., to our County seat--the place for the shipment of their produce for the Eastern markets. Now we do think, in all candor, that the F. R. R. at this point should be bridged. All persons in the least acquainted with said place, do admit that a bridge at this point is of indisputable necessity. The cut is so deep, that persons coming from Chambersburg are unable to see a train of Cars coming in, and persons coming towards Chambersburg are unable to see a train of Cars coming out. And so steep that when once in the cut with a team of Horses, or Carriage, escape is utterly impossible. The cut is sufficiently deep, (14 or 16 feet from where the original bed of the Waynesboro' Road crossed the hill) when bridged to be high enough to enable a flue of a first class Locomotive to pass through.

Then the people crossing would be up 14 or 16 feet instead of in a narrow cut, only 10 or 12 feet wide, and on the track.

The truth of the matter is it should have been attended to in Jasper E. Brady's time, when Robert Yates was the original contractor for the construction of this part of the road, and when shinplasters were as plenty as the leaves of Autumn. At that time it would have cost the original Company but a mere trifle, before digging the deep narrow ravine through which the people are now compelled to travel.

Much has been done by high authority to prevent railroad catastrophies. We would merely, through the medium of your paper, suggest to the present owners of the F. R. R. to examine this point--give us a bridge and thereby protect the traveling public from meeting with a terrible Railroad accident and, as all must admit, save the destruction of human life. This seems to be an imperative duty.

GUILFORD.

NEW FRANKLIN, April 8th, 1859.