davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
CO1lfMSVille.


 Franklin R. Ferry of Collinsville, has a cat of the masculine persuasion having five claws on each foot, and besides being death on rats and mice, drives all poultry away from the yard and garden. .....A spell ing match came off in the Congregational church on the evening of April 30th, ID which 10 pupils of the High school con- tended for Webster's unabridged diction- ary. Clifford J. Atwater was the lucky speller. Another match is coming off at the same place on Friday evening, May IA, between twenty from the High school and twenty of our citizens. Howard Higley in Canton, while burning brush few days since, accidentally burned up good coat, pair of gloves and his favorite meer- schaum......Asa Case of Canton. fell from the scaffold in his barn May 4th, striking on wagon wheel, inflicting severe inju- ries, but will probably recover..."L. B. Stroud, workman in the employ of The Collins Co.,, lost fore finger while work ing at trip hammer last Saturday. wv. w. Bidnell, Esq, our village lawyer, has bought the Pettibone place on Maplc ave nue with six acres of land, which. adjoin-- ing MT. B. E land, will make him neat lit tie farm on which to exercise his physical powers as relaxation from his profession al duties. The Episcopal church and so- ciety are cramped for room in their little chapel, and talk of building church edl- flee to accommodate the1r increasing num- bers. John E. Wheelock offers to give them the land to build on near his residence on Maple avenue......At this writing. May 10th, ice is still visible on the west noun tain. D.B.H.
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
Peculinritiex of Men and Genius.

Homer. it is said, had such an aversion to natural music, that he could never be prevailed on to walk along the banks of murmuripg brook nevertheless, he sang his own ballads, though not in the charac- ter of a mendican., as recorded by the in- famous Zoilus.
 Virgil was so fond of salt that he seldom went without box full in his pocket. which he made use of from time to time, as men of the present day use. tobacco.
 Zoroaster, it is said. though the most profound philosopher of his time, tbeo- retically, was very easily put out of tenn per. He once carried his irritability SO far as to break marble table to pieces with a hammer, because he chanced to stumble over it in the dark.
 Shakespeare, though one of the most gen erous of men, was great higgler. He was often known to dispute with shop keeper for half an hour on the matter of a penny. He gives Hotsput credit for 6 DOT ton of his own disposition, when he makes him say, I would cavil on the ninth part of . hair
 Peter Corneille, the great wit of his time, so far as concerns his works, was re- markedly stupid in conversation. as was also Addison, who IS acknowledged to have been one of the most elegant writers tha, ever lived.
 Handel was such miser, that at tho same time he was in receipt of fifty pounds night from the opera. he was frequently known te wear shirt for month to save the expense of washing. ....rs
 Burns never remained sober so long as he could get drunk. It was in the fits oc- casioned by his peculiarity, that he wrote so many of those simple deggrels for ser want girls that we frequently find attached to beautiful airs, under the title of poetry, such as Wandering Willie, &c.
 Byron was also sadly addicted to the malt stoup.' Some of his stanzas, how ever, were produced under the influence ot the jolly god. According to his servant, Peter Conroy, pint of brandy was his nightly allowance.
 Samuel Rogers is an invetcrate punster, albeit from his poetry, one man might sup pose him to be the gravest man in Christen dom. He has one peculiarity that distin guishes him from all poets, past, present and to come. i. e. three hundred thousand pounds.
 Thomas Campbell, though an ugly man, it is said was very vain of his personal ap- pearance; he once discharged servant for limiting to him the propriety of getting a wig, as his hair was turning grey.
 Sir Walter Scott was said to have taker no pride in the wonderful creations of his genius, at the same time that he was ex- tremely vain of his title of sheriff of tho county.
 Hogg, however, was the victim of stil more unpardonable vanity. Whenever h, was asked out to dinner, he invariably said, I shall do ye the pleasure, and ther ye will ha' it to say that he had the honor te st in company with the EttriOk shep herd, allowed on all hans to be the great est sang writer in the wairld.'
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14

A curious case of somnambulism oc- cured in New Haven the other day. It seems that young Hartford man named Burke called at the house of John Burke on Wallace street, and stated that he was very feeble from consumption and was on his way to the state hospital, and desired to re- main at MT. Burke's over night. Mrs. Burke got neighbor, Mrs. Flood, to watch with the young man, and went te bed. In the morning Mrs. Flood and Mrs. Burke's in- fant five months old were missing. The police soon strengthened out tbe matter. The .infant was found lying in front of a residence on Bradley street, and Mrs. Floed explained by saying that she must have wandered off in 8 state of somnambulism, for when she came to her senses she was far out on the road to New Haven. As she has been queer in her mind for some time, she was not charged witha criminal intent.
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
As you cannot avoid your own company make it as good as possible.

As you cannot avoid your own company make it as good as possible.
 "I'll come to thee when daylight sets" :" as the lamplighter said to the lamp.
 What word is always pronounced wrong, even by the best scholars2 Wrong.
 It is said that the Digger Indians are nev CT known to smile. They are grave Dig gers.
 Mrs. Gubbins says her husband is like tallow candle; he always will smoke when he goes out.
 The hair of young lady in Vermont turned white in . single night. She fell into flour barrel.
 MT. Sherry of Indiana became pale Sher- " on being arrested for obtaining money on worthless draft.
 Two things in this world that should not be triaed with-a woman's opinion and the business end of wasp.
 Precoeious boy maunching the fruit of the date tree: Mamma, If eat dates enough will grow up to be an almanac P
 At recent meeting of society com posed of men from the Emerald Isle, 6 member made the following motion: 'Mr. Prcsident-I move yes whitewash the eel lar green, in honor of the old flag"
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14

FLORIDA VIsIroRs.-The season in Flor ida has closed, and the resorts of Northern travellers are deserted. The estimated amount of pleasure and health travel to that state during the past winter is estima- ted at 32 900 persons, who are supposed to have spent $3, 900, ,0OO among the Floridi- ans. It is cheering to learn that the profit ableness of Florida hotel keeping in the winter season is attracting the attention of class who know how to keep hotels. and that the accommodations are likely to be fuller and better next winter. A new fea- ture of the Florida travel this winter has been the large proportion of persons in good health who have gone South for pleasure compared with those who have gone for health. Until this year the inva- lids have been in the majority, but it was the other way during the past season.
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
Another ocean Horror.

The Eagle line steamship struck on the Retarriere ledges, near Bishops rock, about 35 miles from Lands End, England, at ten o'clock Friday night of last week and was wrecked. A fog prevailed at the time, and terrible sea was raging. The first reports estimated the number lost at 200. There were 3s5 persons on board.
 A heavy fog prevented observations on board the Schiller since the Tuesday pre- vious. In consequence of the fog the en- zines were put at only one-half speed and sail was reduced at nine o'clock Friday night. At ten o'clock the same night the ship struck the ledge. A great panic pre- vailed, Two boats were filled with men who refused to come out. The captain fired his revolver over their heads to drive them out, and then fired at them but with out effect. Afterwards the ship was washed with her broadside to the sea, and all on board these boats perished. The tackle at the sterns was released too soon, leaving the boats suspended by the bows. These boats then got away. One of them, life boat, was so badly injured that she sank, and eleven of the people on board of her were rescued by the other boats. The fog lifted an hour after the steamer struck and the lights were plainly visible. Two of the boats on the steamer were crushed by the falling of the funnel Rockets and guns were fired from the steamer until the pow der became wet. The deck house, crowd ed with people, was swept away at ? a. m. The captain gathered some of the survivors on the bridge. All were gradually swept away by the flood tide which took the doc tor and captain last. The rigging which remained above water was crowded with passengers and crew all night. The main mast fell at 7.30 g. m., and being of iron sank with all who had taken refuge on it.. The foremast gave way soon afterward. The life boats ard wreck stuff saved the lives of some who drifted miles away. One man was rescued after being in the water ten hours. Two boats from St. Agnes ar rived 8 short time before the masts fell. They were uu able to approach the steamer on account of the shoals, but picked up the | strugglers in the water. The passengers say Captain Thomas left the bridge at 8. m. to assist those on deck, and when he reached the deck was swept away by g heavy sea. All concur in saying he exer. cised the greatest care, and was not abed for five nights previous 10 the disaster. The sea began to break over the vessel half an hour after she struck, and the tide rose twenty-five feet before daYbreak. Only one woman was saved.
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
Innocent Till Proved Guilty.

In the New York Tribune of Monday, a correspondent from Northampton, Massa- chusetts, ples6s for charity instead of maudlin sentiment for Beecher, in the fol- lowing language:
 There never was fairer field for the ex- ercise of the spirit of true charity than in MT. Beecher's case. Here was a man whose life for forty years had been lying like an open book before the world, read as few lives ever arc of all men; man whose superabundant abilities and energies had all been consecrated to patriotism and philanthropy, and who had done more probably than any other living man to ex- alt purity, integrity and righteousness, and to lift up the weak and oppressed of every color, sect and race; man beloved and reverenced by the best men of this and other lands. Was he to be considered a debaucher. liar. a perjurcr? Of all men, surely Henry Ward Beecher, should have been believed to he innocent till proved guilty.
 Most of the leading papers of the coun- try took an honorable course in regard to him; while conceding that such man might fall, they have maintained that a lifelong reputation, based on noble living, | ought to count for something and inspire | confidence and Q generous interpretation of his words and acts. Still, there were other papers which, from the beginning, seemed to gloat over every detail of the scandal, selecting the most vulgar items and inge- niously perysrting them into evidence of Mr.. Beecher's guilt, rolling them under their own tongues as toothsome morsel, and presenting them to their readers as the choicest tlt-bit indeed, had they been paid agents of MT. Tilton, some of these papers could scarcely have worked more indefatig ably shan they have in the same lines he selects for his personal operations. If Mr.
 Beecher be proved guilty of the crime Mr.
 Hilton charges him with, then he will be no ordinary villain, and 1t will be no time for namby-pamby sentiment. If he ii guilty he is doubly dyed and steeped 1T crime. If Henry Ward Beecher is liber- tine, he is also liar, 8 perjurer, bias phemer, who through every hour of hi
 examination has been heaping guilt upor
 his soul. Standing before the world b,
 must be publicly judged, and for the sak,
 of all that is most sacred in our homes ant our churches let no maudlin weakness si- lence the voice of justice. Good men vii indeed bow their heads in bitter grief .ant sorrow at the fall of such man, but nom
 the less should they protest that such hy
 pocrite should not pollute our most hol,
 things, or longer minister at Gods altar.
 is false estimate of charity that woul, make it cloak for baseness. A might. voice would be hushed, but if the man ha guilty heart within him it should b hushed, for its power lay in it's purity.
 You rightly say, MT. Editor. that whil the case is in progress, discussions of MI Beecher's guilt or innocence are not in or , der; but, for one, I should like to proclair my firm belief in his entire innocence an truthfulness. Is not that in order?
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
Affairs i'm west virginia.

Among other things in note to us, dated May 9th, Mir. W. c. Daley of Huntington, West Virginia, (formerly of Lime Rock alludes to matters in that region as follows:
 Business with us IS little dull; money tight; weather cold; vegetation backward by at least one month. Yesterday morn ing, May 4th, we had very heavy frost, water freezing nearly ons-quarter of an inch thick. Although apple trees are in blossom, pomologists say the fruit is all killed, all of which was before unhea1d of by that centennarIan, the oldest inhabi- tant' The c. & o. R. R., which is about our only outlet, is doing but very little bus mess, owing principally to competition be- tween the northern and southern lines. We think New York has it's death grip on the road, but It dies hard. We await with anxiety it's demise and resurrection to a new life, when we hope to tell different tale. Emigration to this place stopped about year ago, owing to lack of busi- meas and high prices of real estate, and might add taxes, for of all the places for assessments and taxes, this caps the climax. We have state and county tax upon noth- ing of about $3.5o; road tax, $500; mu- nicipal tax from $l.oo upwards, to say nothing of school and church and paupcr taxes, which are innumerable, but we have a very well regulated city, and for the next three months will be under the no license system, notwithstanding our mayor is an ex-Confederate captain, and liquor seller before bis election. He owns and rents buildings for the sale of liquor, but with our straight haired Northerners in the council, he is kept pretty straight.
 8 p-- @aa r4s
 Hard ddy;nkinr--ehevvfn1 ice 4&
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
Ashley Falls.

Ashley Falls.
 We are all alive up this way, and lite moves on in the good old way. The hodse- keeping fever rages severely, and we poor men are driven out of doors, while woman reigns supreme within. Well, we believe in woman's rights once year, provided they don't choose election day on which to exercise their authority! No startling events have occurred of late to make our place noted, yet we are content to remain unknown to the rest of the world, if the hail storms and tOrnadoes will only let us alone this year. As June 7th approaches, the anniversary of that dread night when the terrors of the whirlwind spread devas- tation in our streets, many recall to mind the scenes of last summer and pray that in the coming season kind Providence may temper the winds for our safety.......We think we have improved somewhat within a year, and look upon the changes here with satisfaction. The park bids fair to become thing of beauty and a true orna- ment to the village, thanks to the labors of those men who have lately planted shade trees there for the benefit of coming gene rations who shall rest under these pleasant shades The new school house is we'll liked, and we are justly proud of our four ishing school: but where is the bell which in imagination we heard so long ago peal ing forth from the now vacant belfry. Has any one seen it Trade seems thriving, and all the merchants keep busy. Our en- terprising neighbor. R. c. Taft, is doing a good business here, and yet finds time 10 make himself useful in New York part of each week......Robert Taft, with his family, has spent the spring months in
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14

Barnum vs. Hartford Mud.-A very undignified foe to contend with is mud, and yet the indomitable snowman, Barnum, was compelled to ''heave up the sponge" in his contest with it in Hartford last Fri day. Tue rain of Thursday had rendered the peculiar clayey soil of the low land, on which the mammoth tents of the Hippo drome were being pitched, of about the consistency of mush, and pretty soft mush it appeared to be too, and although about two hundred men labored all one night, aided by camels and elephants, trampling hundreds of bales of hay and straw on the track. it continued to ''get no better very fast" the mud getting constant ly deeper and deeper, till Q horse going on there would sink almost to his knees, and when the time arrived for the admission of the audience, the track was simply bed of slush, which forbid an animal going on there at all. to say nothing of the possibli- tY of chariot race, one of the most at tractive features of the entertainment. Prof. Donaldson's balloon was partially in- flatcd at noon, and bid fair to make suc- cessful ascension, but the managers wele compelled to announce at the last moment, that they could not possibly give show that day. We are informed that the grounds of the Hartford base ball club near by would have served an admirable purpose for the Hippodrome, ,and after it was found impossible to do anything where they were, efforts were made to obtain them. Barnum offering third of the gross receipts of ad- mission, and guaranteeing the club three thousand dollars. but as play with anoth- CT club had been advertised for that after. noon. they would not consent to give them up, and the Hippodrome ''pulled up stakes" and packed off for their cars to go to Springfield. 1t IS said Barnum "sunk' twelve thousand dollars in thirty hours in Hartford. It is thought by some that tn ( Hartford ball club fell far short of mani festlng the right spirit in so stubbornly re. fusing to postpone their play till the next day. If the three thousand dollars offered was not sufficient inducement to post pone, the fact that the city was full of peo pie who had been to the expense of getting there from the surrounding towns, some oi which are fifty, sixty and seventy miles away, and who were compelled to return to their homes brim full of disappointment ought to have been considered enough
 but no, their ball play must go on if tho whole country should sink in mud unfath- omable. "It would dlsappoint the Bostor club who were going to play with them, say they. That would be too bad simply awful, in fact, but if It had occurred tt them to have spent small portion of Bar num's three thousand dollars to entertain their Boston friends over night, or, if nec essary over Sunday, feeding them on tho fat of the land, toast and sweet cider in cluded, it unquestionsbly would have re moved the greater part of the terror, ant secured for them the eternal gratitude o
 thousands and thousands who were spilinl to see the show"
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14
Nli1lertO91s

Nil1ertOM.
 On Sunday last we had a regular July day, and we are constrained to believe that spring has really come at last in good ear nest, and that we shall have settled weath- CT now, and sunshine..... Millerton Lodge of Good Templars is increasing in numbers and influence. On Tuesday, the 4th inst, the following officers were in stalled for the ensuing quarter, by L. P. Hatch, Lodge Deputy: Rev. M. R. Lent, w. c. T.; Miss Abbie Reed, w. V. T.; George Wells, Sec.; Eva Hutchinson, Asst Sec; H. Eggleston, F. s.; Mrs. Geo. w. Brown, Treas; Helen B. Eggleston, Chap; James Lent, M.; Estelle McAllister, D.M.; Eva Pratt, l. G.; Joseph West, O. G.; Mrs. Darius Penny, R. H. s.; Mrs. David Chap man, L. H. S......One of our townsmen was the victim of the light-fngered frater- nifty in New York street car, one day last week, to the extent of thirty dollars. He is not very proud of it, he has often been heard to say 'that he would like to see the person that could rob him" "......Rev. T, l.. Holman formally rendered his resignation as pastor of the North East Baptist church last Sunday. He will preach his farewell discourse one week from next Sunday, in the evening. ......Mr. Freeman Traver, a we'll known and much esteemed resident of this town, started for the far west some few weeks since, Tn company with one ot his sons, for the purpose of selecting a place in which to make It his future home and that of his family. On the 30th of last month he wrote to his family in this place, stating that he had purchased a boarding house in Virginia City, Nevada, and wished them to move out there imme- diatclY. He also stated that he was suffer ing with a cold. This letter was received on Saturday last. On Sunday noon they were very much startled by the reception of telegram bringing the sad intelligence that the father and husband was dead. In less than twenty minutes another telegraph ic dispatch was brought to them, stating that he was sick. This should have reached them some days previous.....On Saturday night last some parties entered the store of Ward B. Grey, and robbed the money drawer of the post-ofice of about $27.O0 in stamps, five cent pieces and pennies, and also the money drawer of L. P. Hatch to the amount of $6.00. DIXIE.
Connecticut western news., 1875-05-14

Hampton, Vs., but returns soon to resume his various duties here, and everybody will be glad to see this genial Robert at home ence more...... The new minister here seems to have made good impressions on the peo- pie. The meetings continue interesting, and are we'll attended......T Congrega- tional brethren have an established meeting at Deacon Griff1ths every Sunday evening, and the interest felt is such as to draw crowded house each night. Rev. Mir. Reed of Canaan was with us at the last meeting,
 and 'tis hoped this first visit will not De his last here. Friend Parsons seems to have settled himself very costly in his new quar- ters; everyone wishes him joy in his new home, and believes he will find it therein. ......We see many transient visitors at the hotel, and hope to see it crowded with sum- mer boarders ere long. for those who know best speak we'll of our landlady's ability to entertain her guests also tell of the tempt ing suppers to be had there, and everybody knows that Landlord Ferris can "keep tav- ern"-and when you talk of horses, who can drive better team than he does Come and see for yourself. .Messrs. Bishop, Peck and Kells of Bridgeport paid visit to this village last week for the pur ., pose of disturbing the trout in this vicinity. Their success was satisfactory, we learn, though one of the number who is skilled in the plseatorial art did not catch peok of trout; another of the party fished by proxy and succeeded admirably, for we are told by an eye witness that this fisherman ex- tracted from the trout brook an eel of such magnitude ss to excite the wonder of all, and they decided to carry it to Bridgeport as present to the mayor; then the ques- tion arose as to how they should get it there; various ways were suggested, and at last "Abram, the Patriarch" decided to drag it home l; but after weary march of four miles, the eel increasing in weight at every step, he concluded it wouldn't pay,
 and left this monster eel by the waysLe.
 So Barnum lost an addition 10 his great show! FERRY.