The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1828-08-07
"REMINISCENCES.

objections Of the summer of 1855, in Nor
folk, Va. as we have heard them recount
ed by some of our elder inhabitants
summer, which, so far as their experience
enables them to decide, has owned no e.
quail. A continued drought prevailed dur
ing the whole ofthe month sofJune of that
year; and if, haply, there was a moment-
airy sprinkle of rain, it Immediately ascen-
ded from the earth in hot steamy vapour
as if the drops had fallen on heated iron !;
and if there was passing current of air,
in the fervid sunshine, it was felt like a
puff of heat from the mouth of an oven.-
Yet every day the suffering sons of Terra
were tantalized with the promise of CO.
pious shower; broken promises, alas for
no genial drop descended from the lower
ing heavens. The sky indeed was, for a
time, overcast with heavy clouds, but adj
mitted no stream save that of electric fluid
which pierced, as it were, in rapid success
sion the lurid curtain of the skies, awaken
ing the awful thunder. Certes, the thun-
der anddightning were SO terrible at these
times, that wetl might that wretch "trem-
BILE" who had within hin, andivulged crimes
of unwhipped justice;'' and all who wit
messed the angry voice of the perturbed and
gloomy heavens, might readily conceive
the idea which the mad poet, Nat Lee, has
made one of his heroes utter:
The Gods above are angry and talk big.
But though the heavens frowned upon
the earth in dark and solemn majesty ,threa-
teningit with general inundation-and the
lightning cleaned and the thunders rolled
in awful grandeur-the clouds wept moi, -
but bteaking into dark grey fleece, whirl-
ed their way to the North East, and sunk
below the horizon, dry as they came the
lightning played no longer, and thunders
were hushed into stiffness. Then follow
ed the evening sea-breeze-kind boon of
Providence to the good old Borough fam
ming and refreshing exhausted nature, and
afording to the distilled and par-boiled suf-
ferers of the day heat, foretaste of Elys-
ium.
On such day as we have attempted to
describe, a countryman called at he store
Of a respectable merchant (now no more,)
on Main street, near where the post Office
is now kept, to purchase barrel of pork,
which having bargained fer, lad in the
sioSe vas sent with him to the warehouse to
dtliser it. The warehouse was situated
on one Of the newly made wharves, on the
south side of the river Of Sticks, (query,
Stgc p now in Union street, about 1907
yards ~ the rear ofthe store, probably near
the site of the United States Custom
House.
Perhaps we should here remark, Norfolk at
that time, was just rising, PhGnix-like, from
her ashes, in which she had lain since the
ever-memorable era of the LIST of January,
1776, when friends and foes combined to
reduce her to that melancholy condition.
The houses were few and far between 8
quite spare and of very humble dimen-
sions. In word the progress of building
and Improvement kept unequal pace with
the rapid strides of her commercial pros
perity, and the merchants were but indif-
ferently accommodated with store room for
their merchandise and produce, being fire.
quently compelled to shed it, and even at
times to leave it under watch in the open
air. Hence, it will not seem as absurd, as
it proved to be unfortunate, that, in the
warehouse, which contained the pork of
our merchant. there should have been sto-
red nearly three hundred kegs of gunpow-
der over the collar beam, on flooring oil
schip and crOsscut saws. The danger 10
be apprehended from the association of
these co-agents of destruction, perhaps ne
yer entered the mind of our merchan nj. who
was too busy to count the gain to think of
casualties.
And before we permit the countryman
and the youth who was sent with him to
shew the pork, to set out on their errand
we must inform the reader that the diurnal
thunder cloud was just lowering over the
town flashing and crashing at an awful rate.
They proceeded on, however, regarding
the awful strife, as matter, that concerned
not them. until they got about half way,
when the countryman asked if the barrels
could be opened handily. The lad infor-
med him that it would be necessary to en-
ploy cooper if he wished to have any of
them opened, and that would be at the ex-
pense of the buyer. SWELL" said the far
mer, "ifyou've got gimblet, can taste
the pickle and that will do" "Well" said !
the boy. "if you will continue on to the
warehouse, I'll run back to the store and
get one" "Do so,'' replied the man, 'and
Will meet you at the warehouse in a few