Wednesday, May 31, 1854: SINGULAR STRIKE. - It's well known that all the Teutonic nations are accustomed to the use of large quantities of fermented and saccharine drinks; malts and hops seem necessary to the proper renewal of the wasted system, among these "peoples." The beer that they drink, however, though it is slightly less intoxicating, is by no means the heavy article that we manufacture, under the various names of ale, porter, stout &c., but a much more innocuous beverage, tasting strongly of the hop, or whatever bitter principle enters into it. Owing to the increased cost of all the materials used in their trade, and the advance of labor, the German brewers in this city came to the conclusion a few days since, to raise the price of beer a dollar a barrel, which would enhance the cost of a quart two cents, and of a glass, one cent. Now, if you were, in the language of the ring, to "tap a German's claret," he would scarce consider it a greater insult than interfering with his beer, and as three cents had always been the price of a glass, and sixpence of a quart, strong symptoms of a "strike" are manifest among the German population. The strong intimacies that have existed between the retailer and his brewer are ruptured, and consumers refuse to drink at the counter, and coffee takes the place of the time honored lager beer on the workingman's Sunday table. Meetings have been held, and resolutions passed, and it now looks as if the brewers must go to the wall. The indignation is the greater, for the reason that the profit of this class is supposed to be great, even at the increased cost of stock and labor. Wednesday, June 7, 1854 WHIT SUN'TIDE FESTIVAL - Our Foreign Citizens - The German population are now engaged in one of their most joyous periods of recreation, the festival of the Whit-sun' tide, which commenced on Monday and terminated today. During this time of relaxation, no newspapers are printed, business is suspended, as far as practicable, and the whole people make a thorough work of enjoying themselves. The Turners have been out in force and with music and banners have paraded the streets, and made excursions to groves and country places; the national and time-honored observances are fully carried out, and the season forms a pleasant oasis of father-land recollection, in the midst of exile and foreign matters. By the way, does it ever occur to the mass of our American citizens, that we have among us a German population, numbering more than twenty-five thousand souls, of whose daily habits and customs we are about as ignorant as of those of the Caucassion or Tartar people? - Their newspapers, three in number we believe, are of course, sealed books to the multitude, and as the Germans generally reside in parts of the town separate from the Americans, with their own churches, recreations, society, shops, institutions and observances, very little intercourse can grow up between the two nationalities. We should be glad if this were otherwise - The peculiarities of the German people afford infinite sources of study to the observant and catholic descendant of the Puritans, and we know from some slight experience, that not only are their customs and manners amusing, but that there are cultivated intellects, scientific and philosophic minds to be found among our German neighbors, which, if they could be approached, would yield a rich reward to the fortunate individual who should succeed in breaking through the barriers that surround them. There is also a large French and Holland population, of which the same thing is true, but few, very few of our people ever have the good fortune to become acquainted with the better class of them. There are reasons for this, which we need not enter into, but we should be very glad to see them done away, and to find a more cordial understanding existing among the different elements of our population - especially between the Americans and the Germans - now as widely separated in all that contributes to sociality and agreement, as the poles. Monday, June 26, 1854 ST. JOHN'S FESTIVAL - We are informed that the German Young Men's Association will celebrate the festival of St. John to-day, at Westphall's Garden, corner of Delaware and Gulf Streets, where all anxious to witness a geniune German festivity will do well to attend. Music, dancing, games of agility and strength, singing, and a variety of other amusements will diversify the day's enjoyment, and no doubt, it will be great, if no outside influences are suffered to interfere. All are invited to attend, and all will be welcomed by the society. Tuesday, June 27, 1854 EXCOMMUNICATION - We noticed, on Saturday, the fact that Bishop Timon had excommunicated the Trustees of St. Louis (Catholic) Church, in this city. In the document conveying this sentence, he declares that the recused officials are "excommunicated by the major excommunication". Is this the excommunication quoted in "Tristam Shandy", and read aloud by Dr. Slop, while my uncle Toby whistled Lillabullero? We give the translation, omitting the Latin, and only remarking that the translation is faithfully given from the original, as furnished to Dr. Stern by the chapter Clerk of the Dean and chapter of Rochester. By the authority of God, Almighty, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and of the undefiled Virgin Mary, mother and patroness of our Savior, of all the celestial virtues, angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, powers, and of all the apostles, evangelists, and of the holy innocents, who, in the sight of the Holy Lamb, are unworthy to sing the new song of the holy martyrs and holy confessors, and of the holy virgins, and of all the saints together, with the holy and elect of God, may he be damned. We excommunicate and anathematise him, and from the threshholds of the holy church of God Almighty we sequester him... Transcribers Note: This order of excommunication goes on for several more paragraphs but never openly states the nature of the offenses of the Trustees of St. Louis Church. Wednesday, July 12, 1854 MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXCOMMUNICATION - The Catholic Bishops are likely to have their hands full, if they pursue the course commenced in this diocese. The church in Keeseville, N.Y. has assumed a position similar to that which led to the fulmination of the papal thunder upon the trustees of St. Louis. Friday, July 21, 1854 TOO MUCH NIAGARA - We saw a German youth perform a feat the other day, with a street-washing hose, which, we would venture, he never will repeat. He was wetting down the walk, and for some purpose, desired to stop the stream for a moment, but there being no pipe on the hose, he attempted to hold it with his teeth! He succeeded pretty well, for a short time, but, in an unlucky fit of absent-mindedness, he released his hold and there ensued a scene! He seemed to fill up and run over in a second, his face assumed a purple tinge, his eyes projected, and his hands waved about insanely. Instead of letting go, he started to run, and it was only when he had stretched the hose to its length, that it fell from his mouth, even then he did not stop running. It was the most ludicrous result of stupidity we ever witnessed. Saturday, July 22, 1854 RUN OVER - Andrew Carpenter, a German lad, some ten or twelve years of age, son of a wood sawyer, was run over yesterday afternoon by a heavily-laden beer wagon. The accident occurred near the corner of Oak and Goodell streets. The injuries he sustained were such as to leave little hopes of his recovery, he was rapidly sinking last evening. Though the blame in this instance rests somewhat upon the sufferer, it was chiefly attributable to the furious driving of the teamster, a practice altogether too common with the drivers of beer carts, and one that should be put a stop to, before any more serious accidents occur. Thursday, July 27, 1854 SHARP PRACTICE - A German, whose wife died of cholera, one day last week, married his second wife on the following day, and she departed this life also, on the next day. What with weddings and funerals, that household was very much engaged for a few days. Tuesday, August 1, 1854 WEEKLY REPORT OF DEATHS occurring in the city of Buffalo for the week ending July 29th, 1854. Accidents 2; cholera 71; cholera morbus 4; cholera infantum 22; chillfever 11; congestion of lungs 1; consumption 4; convulsions 9; debility 5; delirium tremems 1; diarrhea 5; dropsy 1; dropsy of brain 5; dysentery 7; drowned 4; inflammation of liver 1; inflammation of lungs 1; intemperance 1; marasmus 2; measles 1; old age 1; peritonitis 1; suicide 1; still born 4; teething 2; typhoid pneumonia 1; unknown 2; Total 159. Of the above deaths from cholera, there were Germans 46; Irish 11; French 2; emigrants 3; traveller 1; American Residents 4; nativity not known 4; Total of above 71. The locality of the cases, so far as ascertained, is as follows: Genesee street 9; Cherry street 3; Walnut street 1; German Alley 2; Mortimer street 14; Camp street 1; Jefferson street 3; Elm street 1; North Division street 1; Seneca street 1; Exchange street 2; Elk street 1; Ohio street 2; Monroe street 2; German Settlement 1; Peacock street 1; Canal street 1; Johnson street 1; Pearl street 1; Church street 3; George street 2; Jersey street 1; Connecticutt street 1; Bouck street 1; Hospital Sisters of Charity 3. The above Report does not include the mortality at the Erie County Poor House. Dated Buffalo, July 31, 1854           Jas. M. Newman, Health Physician. By order of the Board of Health,           R.L. BURROWS, Clerk Tuesday, August 15, 1854 Mr. F.C. Brunck, the German editor, who was appointed a Delegate to the Saratoga Convention, from the First Assembly District, in this county, declines the appointment in last evening's Republic. Mr. B. is a democrat through and through, and hates slavery aggression as much as a man can hate it, and fully represents a class of men who will be welcomed at Saratoga. We wish he had gone there. Wednesday, August 16, 1854 THE WRECK OF THE ERIE - On the evening of the 9th of August, 1841, at about half past nine o'clock, the steamer Erie, an entirely new boat, sailed by the veteran Captain Titus, was discovered to be on fire, while off Silver Creek, and despite the most strenuous exertions in the course of which were developed some almost unprecedented acts of coolness and bravery, she burned to the water's edge and sank. The loss of life has probably never been fully ascertained, as she was crowded with German emigrants, on their way to the west, and whose names and history can never be correctly known, save to those left home in the Fatherland, to mourn the loss of relatives and friends - We recollect, distinctly, the sailing of the ill-starred bark - the gratulations of all interested in her welfare, upon the prospect of a long and prosperous career before her; and we also recall, vividly, the sight of the burning boat, and the subsequent days and weeks of shocking developments, as one after another, the details of the disaster were brought to light, and corroborated by the finding of the bodies of those who had perished by fire and water. We hope never to see another month so crowded with horrors as was that which followed upon this melancholy event. From the fact that the emigrants were supposed to possess large sums of money in coin, the intention of raising the hull of the burned boat has never been abandoned, and much time and labor have been spent in the effort. Some $50,000 has been the cost, in money, to the company which has met with the best success; Messrs. Wells & Gowan, of Boston, are the men who have finally found their efforts crowned with fruition. They commenced operations on the 29th day of June last, and just thirteen years, almost to an hour, from the time when the boat was discovered in flames, they raised to the surface a piece of the forward part of the hull, 115 feet in length. The extreme forward end of the vessel was broken off, as was also the whole of the part abaft the engines. The piece which has been raised was towed into the harbor on Friday last, and will probably be gotten out of the water to-day. The brig Illinois and barque Sandusky have lain by the wreck for three months and to their aid the partial success is ascribable. We are sorry to be obliged to add, that, thus far, the expectations of finding treasure in the hold of the boat have not been realized to anything like a remunerative extent. Some $2090 in gold, about thirty five-franc pieces, and sixty tons of irons, with parts of the machinery, comprise all the valuables obtained from the wreck. The walking beam was raised in as good condition as when it went down. There was also found a silver watch, the hands of which had stopped, pointing to twenty-five minutes before eleven; the crystal is melted down upon the face, a silent, but dreadfully impressive evidence of the awful death met by him who carried it. It seems probable that the chests of the emigrant passengers were stowed upon guards, and the boat being underway, as the supports burned the money and valuables were scattered along a distance of several miles, never to be recovered. We have not learned whether it is the intention of the explorers to pursue the search farther. The recovered piece may be seen near the ship-yard of Bidwell & Barta. Saturday, August 26, 1854 We find the following in the Express of yesterday morning. The corpse of a German woman, who died on Wednesday, was laid out upon a bed, at her residence on Water street. As is the custom, a lighted taper was placed in the stiffened hand of the corpse, and it was left, for some time, without any watchers. By some unaccountable means, the candle set fire to the bed clothes, and the flames had nearly consumed the body before they were discovered. At last, those in the house became sensible of the condition of things, and rushing in, seized the corpse and dashed it upon the floor, after which they cast the burning bed out of the window. - The dwelling was not burned, though it came very near being so. Those who saw the charred remains, say that the scene was shocking to a degree. Monday, August 28, 1854 ST. LOUIS CHURCH - We find we were misinformed concerning the restoration of the religious privileges of the St. Louis congregation. Friday, the 25th of August, is the natal day of St. Louis, the patron Saint of the Church, and the congregation have regularly celebrated it in the streets, every year, since being deprived of a Priest. While we regret our error, we are equally sorry that our statement does not prove to be correct. The congregation hope to have their difficulties settled at the next session of the Legislature. Wednesday, August 30, 1854 ACCIDENT - A German, who was coming into the city yesterday, with a load of wood on a one-horse wagon, when at the Hodraulics [sic], left his team standing unfastened, in the street, while he went in to "take a drink." The consequence was that the horse started, and, in going over the bridge, ran off and was so severely injured about the neck and head that he will probably die. A costly drink, that. Friday, September 15, 1854 Peter Kruth, a German farmer, living at Cheektowaga, was brought up on a charge of placing a hand car on the track of the Central Railroad with intent to throw a train off the track. He was committed for further examination. It is strongly suspected that this is the same individual, who some months since, placed Railroad ties on the track, near the same place, with the diabolical intent of throwing a train off. Saturday, September 16, 1854 POLICE - Peter Kroth, brought up on Thursday, on a charge of obstructing the track of the Central Railroad, was held to bail in the sum of $500 to appear at the next Oyer and Terminer. Friday, September 29, 1854 SAD ACCIDENT - Night before last, a Mrs. Bishop, residing on Ellicott street, above Goodell, undertook to fill a lamp with camphene from a can, in dangerous proximity to another lamp already burning. The fluid took fire, exploded and so burned the unfortunate woman that it is feared she cannot survive. There was, also, at one time, danger of the house being set on fire, so sudden and rapid was the progress of the flames from the burning camphene. It does surely seem as though with the thousands of such accidents constantly occurring, people would at last learn that burning fluids, camphene and all such explosive articles, are unfit to be kept and used in families. P.S. We are pained to learn that since the above was written, Mrs. Bishop has died from her injuries. Tuesday, October 3, 1854 The Fire Department were out yesterday afternoon, for their monthly parade, but though a renewal of Sunday's rioting was confidentally expected, all passed off quietly. The belligerant companies, as will be seen by our report of the Council Proceedings, are to be summarily dealt with. Tuesday, October 3, 1854 CORPORATION PROCEEDINGS Communications from the Mayor The Mayor reported that there had been a disgraceful riot among the firemen of Co.'s No. 3, 4 and 12, and asked that a special Committee be appointed by the Council to investigate the matter. Wednesday, October 4, 1854 ST. LOUIS CHURCH - At a meeting of the Congregation of this Church on Monday evening, to elect two trustees to fill the places of GEO. FISHER and NICHOLAS OTTENTOT, whose terms of office had expired, GEO. FISHER and CHAS CHRETIEN were elected by acclamation. MICHAEL MESMER was re-appointed President of the Board. Martin Roch was chosen Treasurer, and Chas. Chretien, Secretary. The Board of Trustees now stands thus: Michael Mesmer, George Fisher, Martin Roch, Jacob Wilhelm, A. Munschauer, A. Allenbrand and Carl Chretien. Wednesday, October 4, 1854 Our sanguine contemporary, just over the Canal Bridge, issued an extra on Sabbath Day, proclaiming that a terrible riot had occurred among the firemen. Without stopping to discuss the question of policy or impolicy, in this regard, we will proceed to give the facts in the case, as we have heard them from an eye witness. An alarm of fire was raised about 2 o'clock on Sunday afternoon and the firemen duly turned out to ascertain its bearings. After traveling some distance, they found that the cry was false, and turned homeward. Arriving at the corner of Genesee and Mohawk, an officer of one of the companies mal-treated a cur belonging to an officer of another company. Thereupon a row sprang up, in which several of the firemen participated, and after receiving sundry bruises, the belligerants separated and the field was left desolate. Of course the affair produced some excitement, but as for being a riot it was not half big enough to be dignified by any such term - Express We are sorry our discreet neighbor "just over the Canal Bridge" should allow its chagrin at being distanced, in the matter of news, to give rise to such an ill-natured exhibition of bile. We are still more sorry that its loss of temper should have hurried it into asserting what, to say the least, it could not know to be true. Such displays of petty spite, and snarling envy, because it happened to be caught napping, can only bring it into ridicule, if they do not excite the contempt of the public. We will answer our neighbor's allegations in order - First - So far from issuing our extra on Sunday, not a line was written, nor any type set on it, till Monday morning. The date shows when it was issued and this we may be allowed to say, should have been sufficient with a fair and honorable contemporary. Second - We - and at least one Alderman together with quite a number of respectable citizens, happened to be on the ground at the time of the disturbance. The Express may call it a "row" if it pleases, - a person's associations make all the difference in the world in the terms he employs - we called it a riot, and we rather expect if the editor of the Express had trusted to his own eyes, instead of hearsay, he would have concluded that, if not a riot, it was a "row" on a somewhat extended scale. At least, such appears to be the impression of the Mayor and the Common Council, as well as the Chief Engineer. If the Express will look at the report of the Council Proceedings, published by us, yesterday morning, it will discover that the matter was sufficiently important to justify a communication from the Mayor, and the appointment of a committee of inquiry, by the Council, to say nothing of the fact that the offending companies have been suspended. Exactly how "big" a "row" must be to reach the dignity of a riot, we are not prepared to say; we are quite willing that the question should be settled by the Express and the city authorities. But we may be allowed to say that, if the Express had imitated the example of the rest of the city press - given us credit for the facts, and had not displayed its ignorance and malignity at the same time, it would have better saved its credit, and not have made itself the laughing stock of a public, which knows, without asking the Express, the difference between a "row" and a riot. Tuesday, October 24, 1854 AFFRAY AND DEATH - As three Germans were returning from a shooting excursion, through Niagara street, on Sunday afternoon, they were followed and hooted by some boys, whom they finally dispersed. Some Irishmen afterwards joined the boys, amd set upon the Germans, who, finding themselves in danger of being beaten, discharged their guns, wounding two of the assailants, named MICHAEL HAMLIN and MICHAEL O'BRIEN. The latter received a charge of shot in the leg, severing the femoral artery, from the effects of which he died in the course of an hour subsequent. - HAMLIN was not dangerously injured. The German who inflicted the wound was arrested, but the others of the party were suffered to depart. The deceased was a hand on board the propeller International and, with his comrades, had been drinking, as was also the case of the Germans Wednesday, November 1, 1854 FLITTING - Our nomadic habits strike the foreigner with great force. English people, in particular, accustomed to living for a long series of years in the same spot, and averse to any change of domiciles, look upon our customs in this respect, as remarkable evidences of our unstable purpose, and quote at us the old maxim, that a "rolling stone gathers no moss." But, we still go on moving; every "May day" bringing its return to the "flitting" mania, and its processions of household lares and penates, furniture, pots, kettles, goods, wares, merchandise, hereditaments and non descriptive traps. And, not satisfied with this annual convulsion and evasion, some of our people move their houses, too, and the wondering eyes of foreigners are occasionally gratified by the sight of tenements, described in deed and legal papers, as substantial one, two or three story houses, as the case may be, progressing through the streets as calmly and as little noticed as if they were but so many scenes on the stage. This spectacle, to men accustomed to the uncompromising permanence of Ehrenbreitstein or Tower of London, is productive of much wonder, and fills them with wholesome awe of the mysterious Yankees. On Saturday evening, as we were going homeward, we encountered no less than three of these ambulant edifices, in Main street, all of them on their way up town. Thursday, November 16, 1854 SERVED HIM RIGHT - A man who is said to be somewhat noted for his acts of petty shaving, seeing the advertisement in the Express of the restaurant at No. 1 West Seneca street, went among the Germans and purchased all the "Joint Stock" he could obtain, at considerable discount. He then presented himself, full of joyful expectation, at the counter of ROBINSON & CO., and his deep disappointment at finding how he had sold himself may be "better imagined than described." Certain classes did laugh thereat some deal, and none did weep. Thursday, November 16, 1854 RUN ON THE BANKS - One of the consequences, and an entirely natural one of the failure of the "Joint Stock Bank", and the loss accruing to the holders of its notes, has been the diminuation of confidence in other institutions. As the losses had chiefly fallen upon the very poor people, and, to a great extent, among foreigners, who do not understand the character of our banking institutions, and the difference among them, a great panic has ensued. Yesterday the "Buffalo Savings Bank", one of the safest of Banks, without any notes in circulation, and managed by such men as can not suffer it to fall, sustained a run from its depositors. These were early on the ground with their check books, and such was the crowd at the door that fights took place for precedence at the counter. Another phase of the panic is rather amusing. The Germans, fearful of the reliability of all paper, are fast gathering their bank notes into gold. One butcher was surprised at finding that his customers were coming in constantly to purchase a single pound of meat, each time offering a bill, and demanding change. At last he smelled the rat, and blandly offered to give credit in future. He may fairly be said to be between two fires. We saw one man with a few dollars of "International Bank of Buffalo" money, which he sold, paying two percent. discount, for Canadian currency! This was turning out the lamb and lying down with the wolf, certainly. But how exceedingly foolish is the run on the Savings Bank! Nothing could be more ridiculous. There is not one in this city which, if we had a million of treasure, we would not trust with the whole of it. The Germans and Irish, who are drawing out from them their deposits, and exchanging the notes for specie at a discount, are just throwing away their hard earnings, and all for nothing. Quit that folly, friends. Articles from The Democracy continue at The Democracy 2