THE ASHTABULA RAILWAY DISASTER, which occurred at this place early in the night of Dec. 29, 1876, was one of the most memorable in the history of railway tragedies. The night was cold and bitter, a blinding snow-storm blowing at the rate of forty miles an hour in full progress, as the Pacific Express No. 5, westward bound over the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, broke through the iron bridge over the Ashtabula river and plunged into the chasm, just seventy-five feet from rail to river. The time was exactly 6.35, as afterwards ascertained by a clock in the engine. The train was composed of eleven coaches, drawn by two heavy engines, having

on board 156 human souls. The span of the bridge was 165 feet long between abutments. At the moment of the crash one engine had gained the west abutment, while the other engine, two express cars, and a part of the baggage car rested with their weight upon the bridge. The remaining eight cars were drawn into the gulf. Of the persons on board at least eighty perished in the wreck; nearly all the others were wounded; five died after rescue. The wind was at the time blowing a perfect gale, the cars caught on fire and those unable to extricate themselves perished in the flames. From the burning mass came shrieks and the most piteous cries for help, and with these sounds mingled the fire-bells of the town, whose inhabitants hurried to the spot to be agonized by the sight of the awful scene of wo.

Two weeks later Charles Collins, chief engineer of the railroad, shot himself with a revolver. He was universally esteemed, and lost his mind through an undue sensitiveness that the public would hold him responsible for the calamity. Nineteen of the unrecognizable dead were buried by a public funeral in the Ashtabula cemetery; the sad procession was over a mile in length. Among these were supposed to be the remains of P. P. Bliss, of Chicago, and wife. He was the author of the famous hymn "Hold the Fort." One of the engravings shows the bridge before the disaster, the other the spot after it. The debris was about fifteen feet deep. The railroad company promptly paid all claims for damages, the disbursements amounting to nearly half a million of dollars, averaging about $3,000 per head for the killed and wounded.

TRAVELLING NOTES.

Ashtabula, Thurs., Oct. 8.-A pretty custom is that of a hotel in this town where I am stopping. The house itself is an ordinary two-story, wooden structure standing off on a little side street, but its appointments are ex cellent. Its name is the "Stoll House," but it is known far and near as the "Bouquet House." This because at each guest's plate is placed a freshly-plucked button hole bouquet neatly wrapped in tin foil, with a pin thrust through it. The pretty waiteresses often volunteer their services to pin these on the lapels of the gentlemen guests, an extra pleasant duty, I fancy, where they happen to be fine, fresh-looking young men, as I find them to be now. I know not how there can be a more fragrant prelude to tea and biscuit. In the evening the hotel office was filled with a dozen commercial travellers, each with the inevitable bouquet on his lapel, all apparently happy and full of joviality; a natural effect of the combination of a good supper with feminine smiles and flowers.

The Fins.-What largely tends to render our country increasingly interesting is the great variety of people arriving among us, so we need not go abroad to study foreign customs and ideas. A new element has lately

come into this region, emigrants from Fin-
land; but recently subjects of the Czar.
Down at Ashtabula harbor is a large colony
of Fins and Swedes, numbering several
hundred, who are employed as laborers on the
docks. They are highly thought of; their
religion is Lutheran. Fins, young men and
women, are scattering on the farms in this
part of the State as laborers and domestics,
and are noted for their industry and honesty.
Their marriage ceremony is peculiar, lasting
half an hour, it is partly kneeling and partly
praying. The festivities run through several
days, consisting of dancing and carousal, dur-
ing which the dancing capacity and endurance
of the bride is taxed to the utmost; each
gentleman is expected in turn to dance with
her and at its conclusion to pass her over fifty
cents as his contribution to her dowry. Those
able dance many times with the bride.
their first arrival they wear their own home-
woven garments, woolen and linen. Instead
of bonnets the women wear shawls; also
home woven and plain black silk. In their
own country a man's yearly wages on a farm
are twelve dollars and his boots! Ohio says
to them "Come! we welcome you and at
your option, with boots or without boots.'

On

GENEVA is three miles from Lake Erie, forty-five miles east of Cleveland, on the line of the L. S. & M. S. and N. Y. C. & St. L. Railroads. The P. A. & L. E. R. R. is expected to complete its line to the harbor, three miles north of Geneva, within the coming year. It is forty-five miles east of Cleveland. Free gas and free fuel are offered by its enterprising citizens as inducements to manufacturers to locate here. The Eastern Division of the Black Diamond Railroad passes through the town.

Newspapers Times, Republican, J. P. Treat, editor; Free Press, Republican, Chas. E. Moore, editor. Churches: 1 Congregationalist, 1 Methodist, 1 Episcopal, 1 Baptist, and 1 Disciples. Banks: First National, P. N. Tuttle, president, N. H. Munger, cashier; Savings Exchange, J. L. Morgan, president, L. E. Morgan, cashier.

Manufactures and Employees. Geneva Manufacturing Co., carpet sweepers, 12 hands; Eagle Lock Co., cabinet locks, 110; Enterprise Manufacturing Co., house furnishing, etc., 27; Geneva Manufacturing Co., carpet sweepers, 15; Geneva Tool Co., forks, hoes, cultivators, 95; Goodrich, Cook & Co., planing mill, 25; Eagle Lock Co., locks, 26; Enterprise Manufacturing Co., hardware, 31; N. W. Thomas, planing mill; Geneva Skewer Co., skewers, 26; Geneva Machine Co., machinists' tools, 75; M. S. Caswell, flour and feed; Goodrich, Cook & Co., planing mill, 13. -State Report, 1886. Among the other industries are Dickinson's nickel plating

works, Anderson's flour and feed mills, Maltby's extensive apple, jelly and cider manufactory, Waters & Wade's bed spring factory, Lane & Moreland's steam injector factory, Tibbitt's machine shop, Jackman's flour and feed mills, C. R. Castle's fruit basket factory, Cadle's bottling works, Bedell, Bartholomew & Co.'s lumber mill, Reid's extensive brick and tile works, Geneva prepared chalk works, and W. P. Simmons & Co., wholesale florists, growers and importers. Population in 1880, 1,903; school census in 1886, 577.

The village of Geneva until the year 1888 had long been the home of Miss Edith M. Thomas, the noted 'American poetess, a notice of whom, with portrait, will be found under the head of Medina county, in which she was born.