"hold The Fort."

Correspondeuce of the Philadelphia Press. Ant Aubor, Mich., Jan. 10. - Thinking you might be interested in souio facts which I pickod up while en route to this place, I take the liberty of sending thein to you, iuasmuch as the Centcinnial bas made Ann Arhor, as well as the ends of the earth, Philadelphia's ueighbor. The friends of Mr. P. P. Bliss (the sweet singer and coadjutor of Moody and Sankey in Chicago, and for several years previouly of Major Whittle) having failed to find any trace of the remains of himsolf and wifo after the Ashtabula diaaster, repairod to the faraily home, at Romo, naar Towanda, Pa. There, on Sunday last, they held a funeral, or, rathor, memorial survice, and several were on our train, iucluding Mr. Young, the brother of Mrs. Bliss, and Major Whittle, the Evangelist. It had been reported that Mr. Bliss was unhurt, but rushed into the buruing car where his wife was, and so perished. This, however, is incorrect. They were returning from one of their periodical visits to their parents (and their two littlê childron also, boys of two and four years respectively), who aro among the highly respected families of thoir neighborhood. Not being able to secure a sleeping-car for Chicago, they euterod a drawing-rooin car until they should arrive at Cleveland, there to ohange. Mr. Bliss was observad during the day to bo writing another of those hymna whioh, sung by Mr. Sankey, have thrilled bo many hearts. His last hymn was uiergod in the " new song " above. At about 7 P. M. this car, with the others was precipitated from a height equal to the upper floor of the Philadelphia Masonio Temple. Not a single person in that car escaped from death by that awful fall, aud the even more awful conüagration which followed. Th warning is not unheeded if the care 1 witnessed and our many consequent detentions mean anything. Railroad nien, no less than other?, speak of Ashtabula with bated breath. In conversation with Mujor Whittle, I found him a man of young middle age, with black eyes and whiskers, wearing a tru turban, and looking like a thorough going, live business man, full of energy and of devotion to his present work - and full, also, like Mr. Moody, &c, of his Bagster's Bible. I also found him a foriner comrade of the glorious old Army of tne Tennessee, first on the stafï of General McPherson, and after the death of that lamented officer, that of his successor, General Howard, in the capacity of provost marshal. It was during that period that the Thormopylf fight of the Georgia campaign occurred. I mean, the battle of the Allatooua l'ass, of which a participant wrote - Oh,! who can teil the story Of the terror and the glory Of the battle of the illatooua Huls, and where General Corse, with 1,700 men, held the pass agaiust the rebel General Frenoh with 6,000 a large part of a day, losing 900 brave Union boy's killed and wounded - more than halt of his whole force. Kenesaw Mountain stands about twenty-tive miles south of the pass, if my memory serves me ; and here stood Sherman with his Signal Corps. A beáutiful bright day made signáis intel ligible, and Sherman received information and returned answer. Corse was wounded and disabled. The colonel noxt in rank (the reader can find his namo, doubtless, in Sherman's book - I xegret I nevor learned who it was) took command. But the prospect was gotting desperate : the rebels were pushing them ; 1,000,000 rations were the coveted prize, and with them a fortress to protect Hood'8 rear on his maroh to Nashville, and to threaten Sherman's, and compel, perhaps, his rotreat from Atlanta. The movement was critical in the extreme, and the true bearing of it bellion has never been duly weighed. But Sherman knew it full well that day. Hurrying up reinforcements early in the day, he now maiutained his active share in the fight. by constantly signalling, encouraging the hearts of the sore-pressed band of Spartan héroes within the littlo fort - a number quite inadequate to defend so considerable a rañge of bilis, many of which, occupied by the rebels, subjected them to a galling, concentrated, terrible fire. He inquired, " How is General Corse ?'' " Doing as well as can be expected." "Hold the fort,"he answered, "reinforcements are coming " - and so they were, as fast as men could march to relieve comrades iu distress. And the fast thinning band waved back the answer with the 8ignal flag - " We'U do it." By and by the relieving force drew near. Now or never, Johnny Reb ? And now they meant it should be. Concentrating their powers for one last determined charge, on they came. And now artillery ammunition in the fort. was nearly gone. Now or never, though, Boys in Blue ! And now they meant it should be. Cramming the last cartridgos into one gun, commandng the en trance here the attack was formiug, they waited until the rebs were at -their very door ; then let loose the iron hail at point-blank range with horrible effect. Down went those rebel ranks - down the hill they scatterod like sheep, and the fight was ours - the reinforcements pressed the rebel rear, and that fearful day was won. Á few years since Major Whittle feit himsolf called to his prosent work, and wisely brought to his aid that priuce of sacred song, the now latnented Bliss. Their work has been much in the " border States" of the West, and great succesa has attended it. Mr. Bliss heard from his soldier-coinrade the story of the Allatoona Pass. Inspirad by the thrilling talo, he saw in it, as Bunyan before him in like scènes, the story in a figure of inan's conflict with the powers of evil, and the presence of hia almighty end delivoring commander. To this we owo Mr. Bliss' tirring hymn, so often sung by Mr. Sankey, and now become alraost our national military niarch : Hold the fort ! for I am comiug, Jesús signáis still ; Wave the answor back to hearen - By thy grace, we will I MICHIGAN. Advices from tho lumbering regions are to the effect that the snow is all gone and that log-hauling has, in most cases, been abandoned. The woods were uever before so full of operators, and what tbo efFect ou them will be by the abrupt stoppage remains to be seen. Sotne argüe that tho entire forcé will bo kept at work skidviing until snow comes again, and that then every man and every team will be put on the road hauliug. Men who entertain these views express no anxiety about gotting all the logs to the bank, but, of course, Uieir caloulations are based on the belief that thero will be more snow. Other operators, bowever, are scared, because they fear that tho snow will not come in time. The lumbermen of Bay City are taking steps looking toward the formation of a Lumberman's Exchange. The principal object of the exchange is the provuution of the inspection of luinber by incompetent inspector s, to whom the Exchange will not issue certificates, and without which they cannot inspect the lumber of any member. J. L. Bradford & Co., extensivo dealers in dry goods at Grand Eapids, made an assignment on Saturday last. The dition of their affairs has not been ' made public. ;