Connecticut western news., 1873-01-03


 had arranged for them a considerably lar ger tree than at the Episcopal church, and being filled with more than it could hold," from the highest point 10 its base, of the sparkling mementoes, or tokens of love from one to another. it was said to be the largest, most elegant and heavily laden Christmas tree ever erected in this town. The excrclses of the evening consisted of occasional singing of Christmas songs by the children and the distribution of pres ents. The tree contained verything in the line of Christmas, from an elegant and very costly silver ice pitcher and salyer, to 8 wooden COW, MT. T. l.. Norton being the happy recipient of tho silver pitcher, pre- sented to him by his large class of young men, and MT. Tom Wells became the de- lighted owner of the wooden k.ow. TTom contcmplates an extensive business in white oak cheese the coming season.) The church was tastily trimmed and very large audience assembled to witness the ex- ercises. Various articles of fancy knit work occupied conspicuous places on the tree as well as pictures, and notices neatly 1 framed, toys, &c., &c., and occasionally very intelligent looking cotton rabbit. All would have passed off very pleasantly had not Lawyer Roraback of Canaan watched the proceedings with view to criticism, persisting in calling the elegant little gilded mugs passed out 10 the children, shaving cups, and all that sort O thing, saying, the good people of Canaan don't fool away their time with shGoing cups. We tried several times to drive him out, of doors, but he would not go. He said he had given Lawyer Warner good licking in Lake vile that afternoon, and if we didn't hush up, he'd give us one, but we are wandering from our text. Master Holly Rudd is thank ed by Master Charlie Pease, for the val uable present of his splendidly illustrated an tobiographY. This is rare work, and can- not be appreciated until seen. We are serry we chanced to be in New York, when an invitation reached our office to witness the fun, Gas the note of invitation express ed it,) of the pupils at Dr. Knights insti
 tute, in receiving their presents from a tree erected for their special benefit. It is said that this tree was one of the prettiest in the county.
 Our Ghicago Lettsr-Editor NEWS: l suppose that nothing is further from your mind~at the present moment than to know that on these distant prairics, midway be- tween tue New England States and the slopes of the Pacific, there are 8 few per sons, at least, who appreciate your paper. Well, such is the fact, and although we are an entire stranger to you, we are not stran- gers to the locality in which you live and of the surrounding towns of which your paper speaks. The NEWS is regular weekly visitor, and to say it gives us great pleasure in perusing it's pages would feebly express our feelings. It usually arrives at our business office, Mondays, at p. m., and thence carried to our home to be read aloud to the family. Dinner is announced at half-past 6, and after doing justice to what is placed before'us, and without leav- ing the table, the NEWS is taken up and its pages carefully looked over Permit me here to say that opposite us sits as genuine Salisbury stock as ever left the land of steady habits, while at either end of the table are chips from the old blocks. First we look to see is any old friends have pass ed to that country from which none return, and, alas we find too many, and our hearts turn away in sorrow and exclaim, how rap idly are we passing away, and wonder whose turn will come next. We raise our eyes to tue top of the paper and com mence with the various towns, all of which are as familiar to us as our own name, and almost every foot of ground we have trav- ersed in hunting for the snipe, the wood cock and the partridge. The brooks and streams we have followed in their wind ings among the hills and mountains from their sources to their mouths, and we'll do we remember the scores and hundreds of speckled trout we have taken from their gravellY beds, and of the dainty meals they have made us. The correspondents that you have in the different towns is all institution which makes the NEWS doubly interesting to those who live at 8 distance from the scenes of their childhood. It is but few weeks since we noticed the death of Mir. Robert Bostwick, and although we have not had the pleasure of meeting him for some half dozen years, he was held in kind remembrance by us, and we deeply sYmpathize with his bereaved fami- ly. It pained us to learn of the sudden death of the Hon. George Cofhng. We last met him, some four years since, in the streets of Chicago. His greeting was just as cordial as in former times, and the pleasure he expressed at our unexpected meetingconYinced us that he was still the same kind, noble and generous hearted man he was twenty-five years ago, but MT. Ed itor, am making this communication too long and will close with few words about Chicago. Perhaps you have not forgotten the little blaze we had here one year ago. We felt blue just then. but now the smoke and the blue have cleared away, and noth- ing but clear sky looms up before us. Not withstanding winter is upon us and the weather intensely cold, building still goes on. The last of the bridges that were burned is thrown open to the public. c.- The grade of the city near the river has been raised two feet, which enables us to build deeper and better lighted basements i; an improvement much needed. The cpl zootic is among the things of the past to us. It has come and gone, and with it has gone some six hundred horses and mules. But didn't Chicago q mean the streets) pre- sent novel appearance during the epidem- ic. Every conceivable way that could be thought of to get goods to the depots and