Progressive Batavian Batavia, Genesee County, New York State Friday, January 25-1878-part 2 of 2 LOCAL RECORD. A long-waited improvement has been made in the re-flooring of the depot waiting room. A new Sign has been swung over his store door by that genial groceryman, Chas. C. HUGGINS. The Orchestra that will play for the Firemen's benefit next week, is alone worth the price of admission. Mr. A.H. CHASE returned Saturday from an extensive Western tour of two or three weeks. Traveling seems to agree with him. Wednesday of this week was really winterish--lots of fellows were bending down their ears to see whether the tips of them were not frozen. It is to be hoped that our citizens will open their pocketbooks and hearts, and do all they can to make the Firemen's benefit a success. Next Tuesday and Wednesday. Joseph C. SHULTS is one of our live grocerymen, and, like other men, believes in the value of printers' ink. His new advertisement, to-day, is worth the careful attention of every reader. Complimentary.--The Medina "Register' says "the 'Progressive Batavian' is hard to beat as a country newspaper." Our vanity is immensely tickled. Hoop us, somebody, or we shall burst. Mr. A.J. YOUNG, of Alabama Center, delivered an interesting address at the silver wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. LAW, of Broome Co., recently. His remarks are published in full in the Medina 'Register' of last week. Pleasant party.--Some 60 or 70 of the Good Templar friends of Stafford, gave Mr. and Mrs. Peter WILLIAMS a pleasant and enthusiastic reception party at their own house, on their return from their wedding tour a few evenings since. Sudden Death.--We learn from the Le Roy 'Gazette' that Alba PAUL, a gentleman of some 60 years who resided in that village, was found dead in his bed on Wednesday morning of this week. He had been in usual health the day previous. A fine Calf.--N.K. CONE, Esq., of Bethany, has a Devon bull calf six months and 22 days old, which tips the scale at 454. Who can show a better? For a Devon he's a 'whopper.' His mother is only a three year old--almost a calf herself. WOODWARD's Store has been re-floored, hard wood being substituted for pine. This is made necessary, we presume, by the downward pressure which he proposes to put on the price of boots and shoes, when inaugurating a cash business Feb. 1st. The plays to be presented here on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings next by the Rochester Opera House Co., for the benefit of our Fire Department, are "Colleen Bawn" and "The Octoroon." Turn out and help the boys and give yourself a few hours enjoyment. Matrimonial.--The papers report the marriage last week of Walter H. SMITH, of Le Roy, to Miss Mattie S. LAWRENCE, of Albion. Mr. SMITH is a young lawyer of ability, with a broad field of usefulness before him, and we congratulate him upon his success in this important suit. Badly Sold.---Those five or six young men, who humbugged by the sensational cave-cell-skeleton, musty-manuscript yarn, rushed off to Alexander to investigate, found the cell, but it was spelt with a big "S." They returned fully convinced that the 'Times' is a most re-lie-able sheet. The "Dime Entertainment" given by the young Misses of the Presbyterian church of Byron, was a decided success in every way, and the broad smile on every one's face, through the whole performance, proved that, "A little nonsense now and then, Is relished by the wisest men." Bursting of a Polishing Wheel--A wooden polishing wheel, about two feet in diameter, burst in the plow works last week. Fortunately the man operating it had just stepped to one side before the accident, and thus escaped the danger from the flying fragments, a large piece of which went through the window and struck the ground with great violence many yards distant. The man tending it was so scared that he refused to work longer. Accident in Bergen.--On Monday morning a man named Elisa BENSON, traveling eastward on the railroad track, was struck by a freight locomotive and badly injured. He claimed to be from the Black Hills on his way to Oswego Co. He will probably recover. A man killed.--The body of a poor tramp was found on or near the railroad track, some two miles west of Byron station, Wednesday of this week. Coroner TOZIER investigated--found in the pockets of the dead man seven cents and a razor--his right shoulder badly mashed, and the ribs of his right side all broken from the backbone. Verdict--death from accident. Teachers' Examination.--The next examination of applicants for teachers certificates, will be held in the Court House, Batavia, N.Y., on Saturday, Feb. 2d, at 9:15 A.M., in the following subjects:--Arithmetic, algebra, geography, grammar, history, civil government, and spelling. - C.V. HOOPER, School Commissioner. Acquitted.-- The fellows who were arrested at the National Hotel in this village, a short time since, on charge of being counterfeiters, were, on trial before the U.S. Court at Albany, acquitted, there being no proof that coin had actually been made. NEPHEW was promptly taken in hand by Post-office Detective McDONALD, for the burglary of a Post-office in Livingston Co. NEWPHEW pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at this term. Report of the Alexander Cheese Factory for the Season of 1877: Total expenses, $2,901.90, total amount of Money Received, $19,988.39. Factory opened March 27th, and closed Nov. 30th. A feast of vocal music.--Of the Apollo Concert Club, advertised at Dellinger Opera House, Batavia, next Monday evening, the Stamford 'Advocate' says. That tramp printer.--Referring to the typographical pedestrian who attempted to dispose of stolen goods here, for which he was sentenced by Justice JOHNSON to the Penitentiary for 100 days, the Warsaw 'New Yorker' says: "If it was a pretty severe sentence he deserved it all, for in addition to being a thief, he was a liar and miserable type-setter." But it seems this was not all, for he turns out to be a horse-thief as well. Being married in Connecticut, he started out on his bridal tour with a horse and buggy not his own, which he sold in New York, and the officers were on his track, when he was arrested here. His honey moon seems to have passed its last quarter, as well as himself. Fire at West Bethany.--The schoolhouse at West Bethany, with its contents, was burned to the ground on Friday night last. In the evening the oyster supper announced in last week's paper, was held there, and it is supposed the fire caught from the chimney, as but a few coals were in the stove when the last person left the house. The principal loss is in the books and some silver ware that was left there, as the building itself was old, and would probably have been re-built the coming spring, even if the fire had not occurred. The oyster supper and literary entertainment, given for the benefit of the church fund, was largely attended and interesting, $38 being cleared above all expenses, and would have been a most successful affair, had it not been for its unfortunate termination. The fire was discovered about two hours after the company had dispersed, but too late to save anything from the flames. ++ Recent Sales effected through the Genesee County Real Estate Agency, corner of Main and Bank Sts., Batavia, Chas. A. KIBBE, manager. G.B. JOHNSON, Brewerton, NY, sold farm of 50 acres for $6,500. D.T. GRIFFIN, East Oakfield, NY, sold farm of 35 acres for $3,600. Plin D. LYON, Nunda Station, sold farm of 330 acres for $7,920. Mrs. MEAD, Batavia, sold house and lot on Summit St. for $1,900. J.RAFTER, 3 1/2 miles east of Batavia, sold 6 acres for $1,115. L.DOTY, Batavia, sold house and lot on East Main St., for $1,450. J.M. QUALE, Batavia, sold mill property near depot for $7,000. Homer HALL, Byron, sold farm of 78 acres for $5,800. N.A. WOODWARD, Batavia, sold lot for $150. R.H. WELCH, Bushville, sold 20 acres for $2,200. John LAPP, Batavia, sold house and lot on Swan St. for $1,100. E.C. WALKER, Batavia, sold house and lot on Cedar St. for $1,900. F.J. CORNELL, Stafford, sold farm of 108 acres for $105 per acre. John L. DAVIS, Byron, sold farm of 55 acres for $2,750. A.C. CALL, Aljona, Iowa, sold hotel and eating house for $10,000. J.B. SNOW, Le Roy, sold farm of 111 acres for $90 an acre. H.F. CAAB, Batavia, sold 12 acres on Lewiston Road for $3,500. Jasep REED, Millville, Orleans Co., sold farm of 15 acres for $2,500. M. TRIPP, Millville, sold farm of 30 acres for $3,500. ++ A Heart-rending Causality. Our readers or most of them at least, have doubtless heard of the house-burning, and loss of life therein, which occurred near our village on Friday last. The particulars of that casualty are these: On Friday morning last, at the home of Austin T. MINER,, whose farm lies about a mile and a half east from the Court House, on Main street, Otis MINER, son of Austin, was preparing a composition of turpentine and asphaltum, with which to stain a bookcase. The composition was being heated in a kettle on the kitchen stove. In the room were Austin MINER, his mother, a lady some 93 years of age, Minnie, his daughter, some 19 years of age, Otis, his son, and Mr. Fred HARRIS. Noticing that the composition in the kettle was boiling up, Otis called to Minnie, who was ironing, to hand him a holder. She did so, but as he raised the kettle from the stove its contents burst into flame, so burning his hand that he dropped the kettle upon the floor. Miss Minnie dashed a pail of water upon the flaming mass, but the fire was very little affected by it. Mr. HARRIS caught an over-coat from the wall and made an effort to smother the fire, but without avail. The three, Minnie, Otis, and Harris, then ran out of the house by the front door. As they emerged from the door, Minnie exclaimed, "Where is grandmother?" and rushed back into the house in search of her. At this time the kitchen was all aflame and the other rooms were filled with a dense black smoke, suffocating and almost impenetrable. Anxious for the safety of his sister, Otis attempted to follow her, but the smoke was so dense he could neither breathe nor see, when standing up. He then got down to the floor, where the smoke was less dense, and discovered Minnie, lying in the doorway of her grandmother's room, adjoining the kitchen, motionless, and with her clothes nearly consumed by the fire. With his friend HARRIS he crawled along the floor to her, and by their united efforts she was dragged out into the open air. But the fire had done its work upon poor Minnie. Burned beyond recognition, she had sacrificed her young life in a heroic attempt to rescue her beloved grandmother. She gasped feebly when first brought to the air, and again when laid upon the bed at Mr. S.B. LUSK's, whither she was immediately removed, and then her young earth life, rosy, sparkling, buoyant, and happy, a few short moments before, went out forever. Hundreds of weeping hearts in this community attest the love and esteem in which she was held by all who knew her. Meantime, while Minnie, was sacrificing her life for her aged relative, and her brother and friend were jeopardizing theirs to save her, Mr. MINER had also been active for the rescue of his mother, and had helped her to escape by a back way. The old lady, Mrs. Josephine MINER, was considerably burned in her face and head but not dangerously. She is now with her daughter, Mrs. Hiram WOODS, of this place. Mr. Austin T. MINER was very badly burned on the right hand, so as to disable it for use for some time to come, and quite severely, though less deeply, on his left hand. With his wife and younger children, he is now stopping[sic] with his nearest neighbor, Mr. S.B. LUSK. Mr. Otis MINER and Mr. Fred HARRIS were so badly burned in their hands, Mr. HARRIS so severely it is feared he will lose his right thumb. About the time Minnie was removed from the house, Mr. S.B. LUSK, who had discovered that his neighbor's house was on fire, came running to the scene of disaster, and hearing some one say, "Grandmother is still in the house," pushed his way to her room but could not find her, and was compelled to a speedy retreat by the suffocating smoke. On reaching the open air and learning that the old lady was safe, he, with others, turned his attention to saving household effects as far as possible. Very little was saved, however, except what was rescued from the cellar, and as there was no insurance on house or contents, the insurance having just expired, Mr. MINER and family sustained, in addition to their severe affliction, great pecuniary loss. The bereaved and afflicted family have the deepest sympathy of the entire community. ++ submitted by Linda C. Schmidt