An Iii-fated Massachusetts Town

For a peaceful, oíd country town, tha record of Northampton, Mass., for' the past half dozen years inakcs a roost amazing story. Back in 1870 the pW bonded itself for $400,000 to aid the never-built Massachusetts Central road ïliis is reckoued i deod loss, and tli total payment, interest and all, will 1 $000,000. In that year the EdwatJs 3hureh was burned, with a loss of 72,000 above insurance. In 1874 waj ,he Mili rivcr disaster, by Tvliicli fjfty. one lives were lost, a great deal of cla"n. age done to manufaoturing establish. ments, scveral industries driven nway and $50,000 worthof town property lost Chen the town had to pay $10,000 forthe reeing of Hadley bridge and $6,000 foi hat at South Hadley falls. Theu came he financial panic which has protluced not less than$2.000,(X)0 of fiülurostliete, nohiding one company wIiorc capital $500,000 has been wiped out. Thu ;he old bank was robbed of aljont $1,000,000, and the old churdi, the pride )f the place, was burned. Now the Hadey bi'idge has been carried olí by a tornado. Evcry injurious influence, t-ither of design or accident - malice, iguorance ire, wind and water - seems to have been spent upon tliis devotcd town. By actual computation it is reckcned that two. ■hirds of the amount of the graud liij las been lost there in six years.