Valley Spirit

--A large and highly respectable meeting of the citizens of this place convened at the Court House on Thursday evening last, for the purpose of getting an expression of opinion favorable to the construction of Water Works. It has been a habit in this place, after every fire, to call a town meeting and agitate this subject. This may have a good result in shaping public opinion for the future, but for the present it has effected nothing. A resolution offered at the meeting that we have Water Works was passed unanimously, and another that the borough authorities build them also passed without a dissenting voice. The Council were then instructed to make the necessary survey and estimates for the construction of the works, and report at a subsequent meeting to be called by them for that purpose. This was the sum total of the business transacted by the meeting. The Borough Council, in compliance with the request of the meeting, met on Monday evening last, and appointed I. H. McCauly, Esq., Chief Burgess, and James King and Calvin M. Duncan, Esqs., members of the council, a committee to carry out the wishes of the citizens expressed at the meeting.--These gentlemen will engage the services of a competent engineer and enter upon their duties at once. This important matter could not have been intrusted in more judicious and competent hands than those selected by the Council. Thus far, everything looks favorable--what the end will be we will not undertake to predict.

We ought to have water-works and if we do not construct them in our own day, and enjoy their advantages, our posterity most assuredly will. The locality is most favorable for constructing the works and supplying the town, through all seasons of the year, with a sufficiency of the best and purest water for all public and domestic purposes. A trifling additional borough tax, for a few years, will meet the expense, which no good citizen will grumble at when he can enjoy the invaluable blessing of an abundance of pure and wholesome water, for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing, cleansing the streets and every other useful and healthy purpose to which water may be applied; and last, though not least, a sufficiency to protect his property in case of fire. What are dollars and cents in comparison to the comforts and security derived from an abundant supply of this pure element. None but the miserable hoarder of dollars will say aught against a project so conducive to the health and happiness of mankind.

--We regret to state, for the credit of our town, that a considerable amount of pilfering took place during the progress of the late fire at the residence of Mr. Ott, Deckelmayer and Dittman. Mr. Deckelmayer lost a large amount of goods--barrels of Crackers, bags of nuts, boxes of figs and raisins, jars of candies, and many household articles. Mr. Dittman had also many articles stolen among which was an excellent gun. Mr. Ott was also a sufferer in this way to a considerable amount. We now have the best evidence before us that our town is infested with petty thieves and let us go to work to remedy the evil in the best way we can. Could not our Fire Companies detail a police force of their best and most reliable men to remove and take charge of goods at the time of a fire--stand guard over them and allow non to handle them but themselves. The Hook and Ladder Company might readily undertake this service, as they, we understand, have a large company and could best spare their men from their apparatus. The men detailed in this service should wear a badge to designate them, and should be sworn in as special constables and have power to make arrests of all found pilfering.

We hope some member of the company will bring this matter up at their next meeting and have this desirable measure carried out.

--Allentown has thirty gas street lights, and pays $3 per thousand feet; Easton seventy-five lights, $3 per thousand feet; Pottsville, seventy-three light, $3 30 per thousand feet; Reading, forty-three lights $2 87 per thousand feet; Harrisburg, seventy-three lights, $2 50 per thousand feet; Lancaster, one hundred lights, $3 per one thousand feet; Norristown, seventy-three lights, $2 50 per thousand feet.

Chambersburg has thirty-seven lights and pays about $4 per thousand feet. Pottsville and Chambersburg pays the highest price for Gas. Allentown has fewer lights and pays only $3 per thousand feet. What makes the difference?

--The Census Marshals are now actively engaged in taking the Census of Franklin county. Several townships have already been taken and they now have commenced operations in the borough. The districts added to the borough from Hamilton and Guilford have been taken and found to have increased our population seven hundred. We think the borough proper will show a considerable increase in population since last Census, though several townships already taken exhibit a large falling off in the county.

--The workmen engaged in widening 3d Street, between Market and Queen, detached with three blasts, on Saturday last, about thirty perch of rock. The vast body of rock there is fast disappearing before the force of powder.

One thing should be guarded against by the workmen. The blasts are not sufficiently covered to prevent large pieces of rock from endangering the lives of those living near. Quite a large piece passed through the window of the academy, and had the school been in session, death, in all probability, would have resulted.

--At the recent Commencement of this excellent school for females, presided over by our late accomplished and esteemed fellow townsmen Rev. WM. F. EYSTER, we observe by the Hagerstown papers that an excellent composition or essay, on English Literature, the production of MISS MARY LAUBACH, step- daughter of Mr. B. F. Nead, of this place, was read by her, which elicited the warmest praise for the beauty of its style, and the just and happy thoughts and views it embodied.