Litchfield enquirer., 1863-07-30
Alisfella,,p,
For the Enquirer. Well, What of Itq All's sell that ends ,ceH."

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 For the Enquirer.
 We'll, What of It
 All's ,seH that ends sceu."
 Shakespeare
 Let esN alone" Galen.
 The digging of well for a house is almost as momentous an event as the casting of a bell for church-only no Schiller has ever thought the subject worth bis while to write about ; for what is house in the country without a well? And what is we'll good for. without g9ed water at its bottom7 It is all very well to prate about finding truth at the bottom of . well {: but without water, no well is well : it is ill.
 An old friend of mine recently dug well, as a preliminary to building house, some where not far from South Street in this vil- lage: and as his experience was somewhat novel, it may be well to relate the story of the well.
 A ny friend is nothing if not scientific, he began by sqparipg the circle >; a feat that nei- ther he nor l ever performed in college. In other words. he excayated a cellar of a con- pound-rectangular form, and in. the smaller section of the square he began to sink the cir cular well. When say he did all this, and all that is to follow, you will apprehend, pre- sume, that his men did it. All that my friend did, in bis own person, was the head work and the pocket work of the we'll. Very we'll. He first traced the circle in the right spot, made it about twelve feet in diameter, and dug away like another Mcclellan. In digging well, if not in fighting the rebels, spades are trunps.
 Every body knows what the surface of titchheld earth ia composed of :: soi loam, mould, or whatever you call it, for about eight cen inches, and hard-paa" all the rest of the way to China. In this ease the soil, or what. eyer, was removed by the excavation of the cellar to the depth of two feet, (the remainder of the cellar being to be built above gssuad,) after which, on which and in which the well proper began. l am not aware that the cere- mony was inauguFated with any formalities other than the throwing of coats, spittiug on hands and grasping shovels, on the part of the workmen.
 The first two days of digging offered noth- ing aside from common experiences. The pick-axe and the shovel were brought into juxtaposition, the geological strata were laid bare, and at depth of about eight feet, water began to triekle down the sides of the exca- vation and form little pools where tLe men stood on the bottom. It is always something, however, to see what mortal eye mas never seen before and that may reasonably be claimed for any deep digging into what may be termed the natural surface of the ground, anywhere The horizontal and parallel lines of particol- ored earth attest its original condition and set one to thinking how it came so. My friend, all this while, was on the alert for mineralogi. cal specimens. and. hammer in hand, he made his way into every suspicious looking stone that turned up. Some proved to be aurife rous, some saponaceous, and some conglome rate thus far, nothing ferruginons nor mete' oric On the morning of the third day, we had about two feet of water in the hold: but t vas bard, surface water and fit for nothing but to put out fires. This, being painfully bailed out, ran joyously down the eastern slope of the hill into the Bantam-more or less while the sturdy laborers resumed their task oi delving.
 We are now twelve feet from the surface with more water than we want, consid erlng that it comes from the wrong quarter, two platforms of doubtful political complexion are already placed, and everybody begins to lool about him. All of sudden, the character Q the ground changes and, in place of com mon earth, up comes lump of blue clay, of [ quality to make brick-maker laugh. An other lump follows, and another, and at grot time we had enough of the raw material t produce aa thousand of brick" This wa hard digging, but it can't last long. At sun aet. we have gained two feet into the clay, which is itself hard, dry and impervious t water. We are therefore near the end of thu task. A few hours tomorrow morning morn ing will take us through the clay to the, sand and then, boys, be lively with the stoning. Tomorrow morning comes. As usual, two feet of water in the hold, which must first b' removed; and then for the end. Grog time Dinner time. Supper time. Sunset Foul feet gained intp this solid mass of clay, but nt appearance of getting through it. The mel scratch their heads and go home.
 Another morning, and as usual, two feet o water in the hold. WesFe now eighteen feel down, and have four platforms. We'll any how we win get through this clay to-day. At i they 60 with will. The water comes out Clay follows. The hours roll on. Clay-clay -clay i three feet and . half deeper, and ne end to the clay.
 Another day. And still another day. Cla, -clay clay-clay. Herr we are, twenty eight feet on tho road to China. Six plat forms. Prospect bad. My friend discouraged Orthodoxy of platforms begins to be ques | n R I1-g