The Wheeling Daily Register

INCENDIARY ITEM.-Incendiary acts sometimes beget incendiary thoughts. Within the past week the city of Wheeling has been the scene of three incendiary fires, entailing a loss of over $100,000 and from present appearances, the end is not yet. Some years ago, in 1873 or 1874, it will be remembered that the city was visited by fire-bugs, and it was found necessary to have faithful guards stationed in all portions of the city in consequence of the numerous acts of incendiarism. The prevalence of fire bugs at the present time, although not so numerous, perhaps, as in the years quoted above, bids fair to be fully as annoying, if not promptly nipped in the bud, and already have we heard the ominous whisper on the streets of "lamp-post," "telegraph pole," "revolver," and such other luxuries to which a man is not treated more than once in a life time, in case the present fire bug be caught in an act of incendiarism. While we do not believe in violence, yet in such an aggravated case as the present when people are driven to desperation through self-defense, we do feel just the least little bit like giving them their own way for once and will cheerfully tender our services, free gratis, to write a lengthy obituary for the first fire bug caught in the act of setting fire to a building, in case he be hurried into that unknown world by an enraged populace. Prompt action and plain talk sometimes accomplishes wonders.