St. Louis (MO) Daily Missouri Democrat, "Missouri Items," December 22, 1863

            MISSOURI ITEMS.

   THE HANNIBAL Courier is urging the enterprise of a lyceum, reading-room and lectures in that city. 

   THE residence of Wm. B. Smott, near Fayette, was lately destroyed by fire, with all the contents. 

   THE Provost Marshal at Jefferson credits Boone county with some 200 negro recruits. 

   THE City Hotel, in Lexington, Mo., was destroyed by fire last Wednesday.

   SOME sixty negroes, from Randolph, Howard and Macon counties were enlisted at Macon City last week.

   A SALOON keeper at Jefferson had twenty barrels of the ardent confiscated last week, for selling liquor to soldiers. 

   THE sick and wounded at the Military Hospital in Jefferson City are to be regaled with a dinner on Christmas, by Union ladies in this city.

   THE Mexico Ledger reports business flourishing in that city. Like tidings come from the principal points in Northern Missouri.

   CAPTAIN RITCHIE, Provost Marshal at Mexico, is relieved from the duty of enlisting negroes––this being assigned to his assistant, Lieutenant Ludwig. 

   AT Constable's sale of negroes in Paris, Saturday, a woman of 50 years, a boy of 14, and a girl of 12, together brought only $200.

   SLEEPING cars are to be introduced on the Hannibal & St. Joseph and North Missouri Railroads this winter.

   ELDER MOSES E. LAIRD, the celebrated Reform minister of Missouri, is holding protracted meetings, drawing large crowds, int he interior of Kentucky. 

   A TWO hundred acre farm of the late H.B. Herndon, in Monroe county, was last week sold for $2,080, to Henry Dooley.

   General Odell, 9th cav., M.S.M., was a few days since arrested and turned over to the Sheriff of Boone county, for alleged complicity  in the Oldham homicide. 

   JEFF. BRIDGFORD, farmer, of Saline county, exhibits an ear of corn measuring over a foot around. The cob is compactly filled with good sound grain. It grew on Bridgford's farm. 

   ISRAEL BRAGG, a free blind man of color, died in Fulton, Calloway county, Thursday. He had, previous to the accident of sign his eyes, by his industry and economy, accumulated a good deal of property, besides buying and liberating his wife. 

   "A Leap-Year Ball" is announced to take place in Louisiana on the 1st of January, given by the peerless young ladies of that town. The young men, and especially the bashful ones, are to be invited, talked to and danced with noels ruins.

   A NEW PAPER, to be styled the Randolph Citizen is to be published at Hannibal, Mo., by James B. Thompson, late of Paris, Mo., and F.M. Taylor, of the Macon Gazette. The former is to be the editor. The latter still edits the Gazette.

   W.G. CHEENEY, formerly public printer and proprietor of the Jefferson City Examiner, who left Missouri with Claib. Jackson, was lately arrested in New York, brought to St. Louis and placed in Gratiot street prison. 

   IN the Union League at Centralia, a debating society was organized last week. The first question chosen for debate is: "Do history and present appearances indicate the perpetuity of our present form of government.

   THANKSGIVING was celebrated at Hannibal by the Hannibal and St. Jo. Railroad Company, by giving a grand dinner and ball for the employees of the road. 750 persons partook of the former, and at least 1,000 participated in the latter. 

   TWO cars loads of the chattels "transmografed" into soldiers, passed down the railroad on Tuesday last. They appeared to be in high glee, and we are informed that they are substantial Jim Lane men. The negroes are mostly from Livingston and Daviess counties.––Mexico Ledger.

   A scarcity of farm labor is complained of throughout large portions of the State, especially in districts whence the slaves are migrating in large numbers. It is said that in Lafayette county a large crop of wheat is standing in the fields with no laborers to take care of it. 

   FIVE Missouri seats are contested in Congress––Thomas L. Price, Jefferson City, contests James W. Mcclure, on the ground military interference with the election; James H. Birch contests Ben. Logan; Jas. Lindsay contests John Scott, and Mr. Knox, of St. Louis, contests Frank Blair. 

   Mr. P.G. Dunn, of Ralls county, was killed a few days ago by his horse kicking him in the left side. Mr. D. was striking the animal with a clapboard at the time, and the creature struck out with both hind feet. Mr. D. had several ribs broken, and death followed soon.

   THE Columbia Statesman says the stampede of negroes from its county for enlistment continues. Thirty negroes enlisted in Ray county last week. Ninety negro recruits were sent from St. Louis to Lexington. Above thirty negroes left Pike county to enlist. 

   The Fulton Telegraph says:

   "On Monday last, Colonel Wm. T. Snell, commander of this point, under orders, commenced recruiting "American citizens of African descent." During Monday and Tuesday he recruited thirty-two, and they were sent under a proper escort on Wednesday morning to Mexico, from thence to Jefferson Barracks. We noticed among the soldiers, a likely boy, belonging to Colonel Shea.

   JOHN KERRIGAN, who committed a murder in Jefferson county, Missouri, about two years ago, and was tired t the last term of the circuit court of that county, and acquitted on the plea of insanity, was brought to Fulton on Wednesday night last to be placed in the Lunatic Asylum. He had been for some two years in the St. Louis county jail.