Connecticut western news., 1873-08-29

"reminiscences, newspaper and
 neighbOrs-Am Office among Hob-
 gOhlfns-A couple of editors Om a
 Lark-Car Wheels mud other things From the Berkshire County Eagle (Pitts6eld Mass )
 Having day or two of leisure and a long neglected invitation from 'Joe" Pease, of the Conn setSsut Westsrn Ne,os. to "come down and see him." we started off last week. We don't often lock our sanctum and run, but we did this time, and Brother Pease made our visit one of the happiest vacations we have ever taken. We found him meditating over quart of fresh peach es at the Canaan depot, and more pleased face we have never seen or felt a more hearty grip of the hand His whole honest heart was in the welcome we got, and it was just like his impulsive generosity to crowd the whole of his lunch upon us, which we might have accepted had we not had constitutional objections.
 Canaan has nightly improved since the Housatonic and Connecticut Western rail- road companies have made it connecting place. A large, handsome depot has been buik for the use of the two roads, and pas sengers are no longer landed upon the low CT steps of hotel. It is by far the best depot, excepting Pittsfeld's, on the Housa- tonic road. The shabby, dirty, thief-in' tested structure at Bridgeport being put to shame efectually by this cleanly, bright and commodious station. There is well kept restaurant in the building, where ex- ceusnt refreshments are served cheaply and with scrupulous tidiness. There being sev- eral hours to spare before the train would leave for Salisbury, we dashed up to Ashley Falls on freight train, that Joe might pay visit to the ''old folks at home." And here we found the sire of our brother quill hale and stout at 66 years of age, and ss brisk in his business as man of half his years. He lives on the homestead that was his fathers before him and where he has spent his whole life. Then we must roam through the meadows where Joe chased the tuneful robin and investigated most ruin- ously their little domestic concerns when he was an innocent youth and went to Sun day school; and by the little brook, where when lad, he went in swimming In spite of the parental prohibition and wickedly imposed on his poor mother by telling her he'd "been turning summersets" when she caught him with his shirt on wrong side out; and round by the school house with well whittled desks and clapboards carved with an array of curious works of art, such as are commonly seen carved on country school houses and into the grove adjacent that furnished the Timber, willowy, but tough correctional rods of ''painful mem ory and stern remembrance" as Joe says; and SO we whiled away most delightful y, oyer "reminiscences of the days that are sweet in all mems recollsctions when they come to tussle with larger cares, the days of lsd-life.
 Back again tOCanaan and we connected closely with the train fer Salisbury, and had the good fortune to find Conductor Egg gleston in charge. We had heard of him from travellers over this road, as being the model conductor, and he certainly merits his good name, for more affable, courteous and whole-souled specimen of that long suffering and much tried class, the railroad conductor, we have never net. We actu-l ally bought ticket to ride with him, where as we should have tried to s'dead head" had he been like some other conductors, to-ride with whom is sufficient penalty and the payment for the privilege an iniquitous inn position.
 Salisbury. where Joe's home and news paper are, is one of those virtuous and thrifty little villages of which Western Con- nscticut has many. Shade trees line the streets, the houses are low but broad and comfortable looking, everybody has gar den so that one walks through a region blossoming like the rose. The stores are well supplied with all that heart can desire, | and there's not want that the inhabitants Feel that these stores cannot supply. Medi- ] cine, millinery and mackerel, calico, cast iron and cocoa nuts are included in their supplies. They are generous advertisers, as 1 all good business men are, and they flourish 1 as they deserve.
 As to the Naaos, it is an almost marvel | ous success. It has reached circulation in Salisbury and the surrounding towns that is creditable to any country newspaper however favorably located, as we are glad to know, for the energy of the proprietor and his genuine and indefatigable efforts to make it useful and newsful home journal deserves reward. He gathers closely the incidents and happenings of the little places of business of which Salisbury Is the cen ter, scatters weekly these gleanings, and more faithful and complete record of local matters isn't sent from any editor room in the country. He has printing office, too, connected with hls paper, fitted with all the material necessary for the work of his To- cality, in which he is efficiently assisted by thoroughly practical printers. We don't say all this just to give friend Joe "puff'' but because he deserves it. There are few men who would have the courage to start a newspaper in village of three or four hundred inhabitants, and fewer men who. having made the experiment, would have won success. There IS one or two things about it of course that don't just hit our fancy. Practical, strong-mlnded Joe will "laugh us to scorn" for suggesting them, but we can't help it. The office n in a ! great wilderness of building that hun dred years or so ago was probably hotel. 1 It's place ot departed spirits, and we don't object to it so much because the spsr- Sts have departed as for its forlorn and de- caying look. The piazzas are dropping and passing away; it's great wide hall | echoes the footsteps like vault; the rat fling of the nreaaea atart q thonaand ra.za