Connecticut western news., 1874-07-24

tain road, is in very flourishing condition thls season, showing the untiring activity of the owner. His crops, with the excep- ton of corn, will turn out extremely well. There are 10 acres in oats, ? of wheat and about 10 acres in rye. The hay crop espec ially, will be very large one. MT. Ball is particularly the right man in the right place when directing agricultural matters.
 The Church Mansion.-Mlss Hattie s. Church, of this town, the owner and occu pant of this old mansion, has returned from New York-where she has soJourned for few weeks past It is pleasant to see the dwelling reopened again this season. Sails bury, with it's few dwellings and quietness, can i'll afford to spare it's best citizens, even for few weeks. Without making invid- ious distinctions, we can say that the dwell ing, with it's new coat of paint and fresh blinds, never looked so bright and home like as at the present time.
 The Chicago Fire.-Since our last issue the city ot Chicago has been the scene of another extensive confagration. Sixty acres were burned over, involving the loss of about one thousand buildings, but very large proportion were mere rookeries of the flImsiest description located west of State street. The loss falls principally on the east side of that street, where were located all the valuable buildings burned-the First ck oh G. ! Michigan Avenue hotels, post-office. Adel- phi theatre, Davis sewing machine building, etc. The whole loss is computed at about between five and six millions of dollars of which the insurance companies will have to pay about $2,5OO,OOO. The following conclusions, from the Tribune, are apropos:
 l. No city is safe when surrounded with corden of wooden buildings, or with any wooden buildings whatever in it's denser parts.
 ?. It is preposterous to talk about fire proof buildings constructed with iron col umns supporting floors, or walls, with wood- en beams, with wooden lathing, with any wood about the roof, or without iron shut ters. Probably not one building in hun dred, even of the best in the rebuilt Chica- go, deserves to be called fire-proof; and those which the last fire struck went down as promptly as if the builders had never heard of previous one.
 8. No great conflagration is going to be subdued by fire department which follows it instead of fighting it in front
 4. Chicago was rebuilt in advance of its wants. Under ordinary circumstances it would have taken from five to ten years for its business and population to grow up to the new houses. The last fire may to some extent increase the demand for houses in the rebuilt portion, and thus improve rents and heighten the apparent prosperity | of the better part of the city.
 | 5. The business of the country has stood so many hard knocks of late that it takes far more than such a Chicago fire as this last to make much of panic, either in Chicago, in New York or anywhere else. Hon. Geo. W. Sterling.-The Hon. Geo. W. Sterling, who died at Poughkeepsie on Saturday morning, July 18th, in the 62nd year of his age, was a native of Salisbury He was the seventh son of the late Hon. Elisha Sterling, whose long and honorable career is well remembered by all the older inhabitants, not only of the town, but of the county and state. He was lawyer of distinction, and had occupied several times seats in both houses of the General Assem- bly,. The son. the subject of this notice, entered Yale College with thorough prep aration for thorough collegiate course, which however, was not completed, on ac- count of impaired health. He subsequently engaged in mercantile and manufacturing operations for time in his native town, and afterwards removed to Great Harrington, where he spent some years as merchant. MT. Sterling was gentleman of more than ordinary ability, and notwithstanding the misfortune which deprived him of liberal education, was also highly cultivated. During his residence in Great Harrington he engaged warmly in the cause of anti-slav- cry, which was then enlisting so many , prominent minds in Massachusetts. He was an eloquent and effective speaker, and an able writer, and with his voice and pen did noble service in the cause which he had espoused, and was honored in this associa- ton with such men as Phillips, Garrison, Wilson and Smith and many kindred minds In his devotion to this cause and to our ac- tive business, he never forgot the duties nor allowed himself to be deprived of the en- joyments of domestic life, in which he was eminently devoted husband, father and friend. After several years pleasantly oc- cupied in Burlington, he moved into Dutch ess county, where he enlarged the sphere residence in the city of Po'keepsie, where he continued to reside during the remainder of his life. While citizen of Po'keepsie, he was elected in 1853 to seat in the Gen. eral Assembly of the state of New York, in which he occupied prominent place as one of the representatives of the county. Having retired from active business some years since, he established himself in a beautiful home on the banks of the Hud- son, where, surrounded by friends, to whom he dispensed liberal hospitality, it was to be hoped that he would be spared for many more years of easy retirement. His loss will be deeply deplored, not only by his immediate family and friends at Po' keepsie, but his cheerful countenance and social habits and culture will be kindly and warmly remembered by many citizens of hIs native town.
 Temperance Meeting.-An adjourned citizens temperance meeting was held Tn the M. B. Church at Falls Village on the