Connecticut western news., 1874-03-06

FRIEND f1ASE. In publishing my letter to you of the 2Oth inst, you represent me as saying The summer of 1908 worked for William DimTick, and in November of that year starting for Cairo, Green Co.,, N, Y.' Instead of 1903, it should read 1906, (eighteen hundred and sx.) was in my 17th year when left home instead of my fourteenth.
 With kind regards, yours truly,
 P. BUSHNELL.
 Bethany, Penn., Feb. 2Sth, 1874.
 "Reminiscences of Salisbury. - EDITOR NEWS. It is now twenty years since re- sided in Salisbury, and the frequent com munications which appear in your paper from former residents are interesting to me, evincing as they do, kind remembran- ces of birthplace associations, and all re- jocing in the prosperity of the good old town. In your issue of the 2Oth inst. read with great pleasure the graphic ac- count of (my old time friend) Pope Bush nell's trip to the north and west and ad ventures by the way. He spoke of old manuscripts, apropos of which will cite another. His journal has awakened mem- ories of other days, and would remark, that in the time of our fathers, Salisbury was seconG to none, in providing for the improvement and instruction of it's citizens, as witness ill part it's two libraries, when books were rare. The qualification neces sary to entitle one from family to the privileges of the Youths Library was to read inteligibly before committee which met fortnightly, at the time of drawing books, when the girls and boys in their Sunday suits, four years old and upwards, came from all parts of the town. Smith Library, so named in honor of an English man, who on his return to England pur- chased books in London with funds sent by the library company. The father of Pope Bushnell was a great reader and thinker, and it was at the monthly drawing of books from Smiths library that l al ways met him, or one of his sons; and at those meetings there frequently occurred spirited biddings for the months posses ion of fayorite authors. To show the l AAuA SoAC lhC WOlIulC6 OL OIU udu over all public matters, besides pecuniary right in the library last named, it appears that documentary evidence was required that the applicant for it's privileges was an inhabitant of the town and of good moral character. In corroboration of that fact the writer of this has before him paper, yellowed with age, received few years since from the archives of the Smith Li- brary Co.,, written by Rev. J. w. Cross man, dated Jan. 3rd, 1910, stating that he was an inhabitant of Salisbury, nine years old in Nov. last is capable of reading, and is of good mora! character Said doc ument will now pass to his grandson,
 HENRY SIDNEY NORTON
 New Haven, Conn, Feb. 27th, 1874.
 4 Spirited SpiW Om.-Almost everybody knows that Fred. Laffargue, who lives about two miles west of Ashley Falls is the sole proprietor of span of black colts ;-or at least if they don't know it, they ought to. A few days since Mir. Fred treated his team to drive over to the en- tenprising burg of Ashley Falls, and after filling the back end of his wagon with tea, coffee, sugar, molasses, coddsh, &c, start ed for Silver Street, having invited for pas sengers couple of his neighbors, who gladly accepted the proffered opportunity to ride home. These colts, as would be very natural to suppose, having spent all their lives among the quiet and order loving citizens of Silver Street, had not been in itiated into the mysteries of railroad To- comotive, and just as the three were nicely seated and ready for start, an extra train on the Housatonic road very unexpectedly rushed through the village, and it isn't at all necessary to say-they started, and al - though Mir. Laffargue held them in with so much zeal that he pulled bis feet through the dash board to his knees, he failed to convince them it was for their interest to slacken their pace. They flew from the hotel with the speed of greased lightning, and when they arrived in front of Leroy's store, sudden wrench of the wagon ope- rated unfavorably for the equilibrium of two of the three of it's occupants. Fred lodged out at one side and Wickwire, after describing nine double somersaults landed on terra frma frightened, if not wiser man. Somebody says the atmosphere was full of legs about that time: The horses sped on till one of the reins, which were playing around the wagon in a very l careless manner, chanced to catch on the | hub of one of the wheels, around which l it was quickly twisted, refining the dashing steeds up to MT. Pulver's front gate, where they stopped. Roraback was found in the wagon clinging to the dashboard solilo-. quizing as follows: 'If it hadn't been fer me, those horses never would have stopped in the world," all of which would have been we'll enough if the frightened popu- lace who hastened to him had not found him not exactly pulling with the despera- ton of despair,-at the rens, as he sup posed he was doing but instead was cling ing with the tenacity of drowning man l to the dash board. These three worthics would scarcely admit they were much l frightened, but all who saw them will tes- tify that chalk pencil would have made ! black mark on thelr countenances. As soon as the wandering parts of Wickwire were assembled together the entire len gth of him, the journey was resumed with better success.
 West COrnwaH.
 Two or three days of second quality sleighing last week.. March commenced it's usually Yariepate6 career in a trn)v lamb