Litchfield enquirer., 1845-08-07
Journal ef AgicuIIpss


 relation to the towns and villages through which h0 is passing Under date of Lilchfeld, July 26th,'' he thus describes BethIem and LitchReld:
 Came to this place this afternoon, passing through the little town of Bethlem. Don't wish to speak evil of any one, but must say there seems little life or business here. Counted six dwellings, two churches, a tavern and blacksmith shop--the lat ter built out of the timbers, and covered with the boarIis of the Old church. Shades of Backus~and Beamy, lie still
 I learned most remarkable fact in relation to the population of this place, from which we may learn some general truth with regard to many of our Connecticut towns. Ihe population Of hi5 tO,un since the first census, has dtciadled from bout fourteen dOtUn to eight hundred If this is not startling fact then don't knew what is.-- The land of the township is on the whole good; rather stony, but apparently productive; and mo- ticed many fine meadows, orchards and hne groves; but yet the emigration fever, or some other, has made tremendous work with the bone and muscle ofthe place, carrying into the grave or to tke west, or elsewhere, most of the enterprsing youth, Eeav ing the fathers the paternal homeseads, to toil on, grow old, and die When the fever was hot test through Connecticut to go west and people New Connecticut, as 1t was then called, now Wes- tern Reserve this place had its share, and sent its shore of population should suppose that fever had hung on like Italian tertian, and was burn- ing yer. ..'
 Litchfeld is place of more importance am not going 10 speak very favorably of Mis place-at least am going to speak the truth, or rather give my impressions. It has much of the look ofa bro- ken down and decayed gentleman. The place Is large and fine one built at the top of high hill; on two wide streets crossing at right angles and the dwellings look large and aristocratic have large gardens attached to them ;-but yet there is about the whole an air of neglect and decay. And no wonder, when you take into account a few plain facts. This is the place oflhe Wocotts the Goulds the Tallmages--where are they? This place form ery boasted the best law school in the State ii not ] in New England-whereis is it Here formerly WIS a most prosperous and popular lady's sIlool- where is that? Here formerly Doct Beecher thun- dered his rough, but yet most compact and effective eloquence, over large Congregation and into the ears of most delighte auditory-where is he ?- Former business poured in here from the surround. ing country, and stages raled the roads in ey cry direction, and at almost all hours-the rail road has now diverted much of the trade by open ing more distant but vet easier markets, and bro- ken up the very best of its line of stages. learn, l also, an unusual number of heads of families haze died off within ten years You put these facfs all l together, if such they are. and believe they alt will be fonnd so, and no wonder Lltchfeld looks no more it did in its palmy days, and that it seems wearing slowly away You take the souf from behind the human face and you have left n- deed the outlines of beauty. but where is the lite giving power of its intelligence? you take tEe life, intellect, immortal material, from an old and
 
 left its stately manSons parks and trees-its ltving adO,ming, progresstve poWer is not there The most attractive part of Litch6eld, to the mere lover of beauty is beautiful sheet of water, two miles and halt in southwest drection-y' l was there at sunset. The water is very transpar- ent, the shores around beautifully diversified with out any thing bold or startling, two ttree islands dot it's surface and as it winds off in sort of crescent form towards the south west, the view from the landing is picturesque and pretty. The l. Pond; whether this sin honor of any COG k-tight, in the vicinity, d;dkGot learn. l can tell the good people of Litchisld they will prize this lake and take of it. if ley desirous of honor a. mong strangers; for a:nQre beautiful sheet of Wa ter of a summers eveninkson which to launch a not seen. -"
 After returning to the tavern I wandered down the hill east to the quiet grave yard. Being att tracted from the. distance by what seemed some splendid tombs entered the place, and read one after another the names tf Talmage, Judge Gould, and Wolcott. These are the names. thought I, that have sounded through tho State. Hundreds, per haps thousands of young men. have been mode men ty them. Their minds shed light our little Commonwealth-yea, on the land They had great wealth too, and taste had devised and wealth pur chased for each of them splendid sarcophagns. And yeti could not see after all but that they lay as still 's after ifes fiful ever the ashes ofthe hundreds less distinguished about them, or that the wind touched the tall grass waving over their graves any more softly, or the evening shed its light with more beauty. All are equal here. It is true that Litchfeld once had an excellent law school, and very celebrated female seminary, and perhaps few eminent men than at pres en; but so far from " an air of neglect and decay the general appearance of our village was never better than at present. From the ''palmy days alluded 10 to the present time there has been a gradual improvement ill our streets, gardens and shrubbery, and though business is now, and ever has been dull here, there is not to be found in the Union more delightful summer residence than this same neglected" village of Lichfield , If the correspondent of the Herald is the gawky looking genius who was seen perambnstng our l streets a few weeks ago, we do not wonder at the description which he has given of our village, pond &c. tl'" .T. .f -.e'- '.-t -s 1 l' TVhdt on EarM $ coming 1.-The Times says ]" A highly esteemed correspondent calls upon us to present, our readers with review of the acts and doings of Legislature at their last session., and then adds, by way of consolation to the cor work must and shall be done, but the material is 1 not now at hand, and correspondent volunteers 1 to excuse us from collecting and collatipg the facts, {" while the dog star rages.' .c..t. x 1 Alter all this flourish of trumpets, we hope, says the Courant the world will settle up its &C.,