Connecticut western news., 1872-05-17
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
fTncidents-Continued.l

UldlICT lOOh uIt db GuG uOILu eLlO ot tut ledge, and the northwest wind helping, it spread rapidly toward the meeting house, climbing the dry hemlocks, and the flaming bark and limbs were scattered round and near the meeting house, which was nearly or quite finished. The inhabitants near the centre were aroused to exertion, and spread the alarm as far as possible; help came from every quarter, water was obtained from well at the house where MT. Giles Pettibone, Jr., formerly lived, it was drawn about dry by Mrs. Dudley Humphrey, who did not leave the well or stop drawing the water until the danger was over. A line was formed from the we'll to the meeting honse, of men. women and boys, each for warding the water.
 In the hard winter of l779 or l7sO, the ,X,:rme cold and great body of snow in ga! season, made it necessary for many families to go quite distance and out of town to get grinding. They took the fol- lowing method. The father or one of his robust sons, put Say half bushrl of grain in sack, tied on his snow shoes, and thus accoutred, with his dinner in the sacks mouth, commenced his walk down to Jacob Beach's mill in the hiiher part of Goshen. or the one in the nort-east part of the town. Follow in imagination this pe- tlestran adventurer, lopeing across fields and over fences to cut short his way, avoiding in his route the shin-bush, which would abou, as certainly trip him up, or throw him down. as the modern tangle-legs, and he could not lie down 80 quietly and doze until the cncumbrance was removed; no, he must manage to unharness his snow- shoes and get rid of that encumbrance be- fore he could hope to free himself from the snow, which almost covered him, and again take an erect position. If no other hindrance happened, he returned the same day with lis flour. Meanwhile the good housewife would boil part of their grain, as substitute for bread-a fine treat for the childlen, surrounding the blazing fire, composed of large wood, urged in by the lever or in some instances dragged in by a horse. Fine winter evenings of olden times
 To give an idea of the immense bulk of snow which fell in this elevated situation in some of our early winters, I will relate the following incident: Mir. Reuben Mun- ger, then living near where Solomon Curtis now lives, built him barn, with cow house at each end, forming large square yard open to the south. A heavy snow- storm came on, which, with the help of the northwest wind. filled this space, and rising with gradual ascent until it reached the roof of the barn, strong crust formed on the surface. Mr. Munger arose on a fine morning, went out to feed his cattle, and the strange idea came into his mind, to feed his yearlings on the roof of the barn he took an armful of hay and led several of his yearlings, where he fed them on the very ridge, from which elevation they de- scended in safety.
 When the late Rev. Ammi R. Robbins found his way through the thinly- settled north part of Ltchfield county, pursuant to an engagement with the agents of the church and ecclesiastical society of Nor folk, to preach to them on probation, he came to house on the old road, east of Mir. Dutton's fnow) dwelling-house, said to be that in which MT. Thomas Tibball's afterwards lived. He rode up to the door and inquired for the boarding house de- signed for their expected minister he was informed that that was the place. He alighted, glad to find even a temporary home. After taking some refreshment, he inquired the way to the meeting house, and very leisurely wended his way, frequently , looking forward to catch first view of the sanctusry; but the view was so obstructed by the dense forest of hemlocks and other large trees, that he arrived near the house where Mir. Ebenezer Burr then lived, at the south end of tue green. His eye soon caught the sacred dwelling, dressed in its peach.blow hue, which gave striking con- trast to the murky shade of the thick-set hemlocks which remained near it. Follow him in imagination, and think of his sensa. tions, when raising his hand to the latch ot the door, which opened without the grating of key, he entered-silence reigned where subsequently,, and for more thar half century. his voice was heard by [ devout and attentive audience, especially on the Sabbath, which his Divine Master had sanctifed. He returned to his lodg ings we may suppose with his mind so, oc cupied with his future prospects that h. passed over his rough way with needles steps.
 The year after MT. Robbins was settled over this church, Mir. Henry Akins cam from Torrington and purchased farn westerly from the meeting house, which b occupied through life. Soon after fixin his residence here. he left his family on pleasant winter morning, taking his gun hoping to find some deer in his ramble He strolled on in southerly direction probably west of Toby's pond, but not i sight of it. In the after part of the day
 became cloudy, the sun was hidden, and
 soon began to snow He thought best [ be on his return home he attempted, br soon found that he was wandering; b outbound tracks were covered with snow without compass or anything to guid him, he could preceive, by often-recurrin objects, that he was retracing his recel steps. He was alarmed. believing that had not gained rod towards home. IT cold increased; darkness, and no reli' from moon or stars, came on, rapidly on he concluded that he must spend the nigl in this wilderness, far from relief and ho
 far from home he knew not. He pc ceived that his feet were numb, but be felt no pain in them he came to col
 venient place for kindling fire, and fin'
 ing dry combustible in plenty, which