Litchfield enquirer., 1874-12-17
FArRyrLLE. Wayne Co.,, N. Y.


 -EpFFUR. Permit stranger, Qhough not an alien, to occupy little space in yonr excellent paper. We make it our boast that we are an American citi- zen, and born in dear old Connecticut, in the valley of the roaring Housatonic, in the town of Kent Our father who was an ironmaker, called a "bloomer," car ried us in childhood to almost every part of Litchfeld county. There our youth -and manhood completed 6arnomadic ex- -psrience in several adjoining counties. With such a very extended. .acquaintance with old family names in many parts of the state, the mention of these in your Hone correspondence, with old familiar localities in Lltchfeld county and also in adjoining counties, woke up il. -ps thoughts aha memories ofthe long ago. We we'll remember when Naugatuck first began to put on airs as "village belle," and when the city of Waterbury laid claim to no otner distinction than that of an old town center, where Gen. Washington had once been entertained on his route to Hartford. Peqnabuck IS new name to us, but we rather the idea it is a new village between ferryville and Waterbury, from your last issac which reached us. Those who gath erthese items from the different parts of the county can never know till like ourself ;hey are an exile, how dear are even little things, '.small news,' ,'' to the children. who gre absent
 0ur employment as a school teacher in many different localities made us still more familiar with families. Our scholars are now grey-headed; some of them we have met in the distant west, on whom were resting the cares of business and the furrows of age. But others still finger about their old homes and now and then we meet their names in the business col umns, news items, and also in in the death list;" none in the marriage list. now, for it is almost thirty years since we left eur dear old native state. One refer enee in your correspondence is full of in-
 
 saw recently reference to station at Cha piusiIle. Here we first began to know oursen Dear, dear old memories of mo-e than fifty years ago! It was our fa- ther's home and consequently our home from five years of age till our thirteenth year. In the state of Pennsylvania and from the hands of a stranger, We obtained Ooodrich's Historical Collections of Con- recticut. In the sketch of Salisbury Gen. Ire, we saw the old familiar scenes of our ooyhoOd, the old coal wagons just as they used to stand at the sheds of .'Bushnell's tavern" the green, the churches and school house. We were present at the opening and consecration of the Episco- pal church. There we saw for the first time an ''illumination" on Christmas eve. Ah, sir, none but the absent can know our emotions Our tears flowed unrestrained aud we unused in the years since "'then'' aud the kind ppevidences which had led us. We see your correspondents speak of the ''Twin Lakes" These we suppose to Do ''Long Pond and Large Pond," which pass through an artificial lake called in our boyhood Forge Pond" They SUD- ply water for the furnace now, and oth- CT works at Chapinville. The memories of those bodies of water hnger with more vividness in the mind than any childhood 1 memory of my life. I am there in my dreams. and finger there in my wakeful l moments. But I must stop. Age is gar rnlous and We must beg your pardon and 1 that of your generous readers for the in- srusion. If it should please you, we 1 should bo glad to record some incidents of our wanderings and our meetings with l the children of dear old Litchfield county. l We never yet met one who shamed us for 1 their lack of virtue, enterprise, or suc- cess. They are not all rich in gold and 1 silver, but in better wealth, goodness and ! superior intelligence with but few excep- liens N.A. DEPEw. November 24th, 1874.