Connecticut western news., 1875-08-20

August 27th to carry people to and from the Springfield races, consequently the South Berkshire excursion mentioned last week is put off to Sept. 3rd, and the ticket lists will be open till August 27th. It should be understood that the Housatonic train will return from Pittsfeld after the river tour to carry all home the same night, and that extensive as the tour is it can all be done comfortably in one day. Leave your name and' order for tickets with MT. Dean at the Savings Bank, Falls Village, or at H. T. Robbins, Great Burlington, and secure participation in this grand river and railroad excursion.
 Ball Matters.-The ''Mechanics" of Lakeville clipped the tips ot the laurels of the "Clippers" of Pittsfield, in game of base ball in the latter place Friday forenoon of last week. The score stood, ''Mechan- ics" 10 and the "Clippers" 5. We are get ting tired of recording victories for the ''Mechanics. Wont some club or other come to Lakeville and beat lem and see how it seems. ''They say" the Lone Stars of this place went to Ashley Falls last Sat- urday afternoon and let the Clayton club beat them. We have not learned the score, as the Salisbury Stars appear strongly in clined to be reticent about the details or the general result of the game. They don't appear to be interested in that game. Have forgotten all about it. Perhaps they didn't go to Ashley Falls at all.
 In our item on base ball matters last week we wrote in one place, referring to the "Nameless" club of Burlington = Judging by their maneuvers of late" " and the typo made it read: Judging by their aeanness of late." As we are not aware the Burlington boys have been especially mean, the word scarcely does them justice, or us either.
 The Balloon Ascension.-It must have required skill possessed by but few in- deed, to have made selection out of last week, day and time for the ascension of balloon, so favorable for the success of such an enterprise, as was chosen by Pro- lessor Spencer, who ascended at Winsted in his air ship Eagle" Friday afternoon last. The week had been one of alternat- ing shower and sunshine, with perhaps two showers to one sunshine, and it seemed as if Nature on the occasion in question sus | pended operations for two or three hours to witness the flight; save perhaps the wind, which wbisked about as if disturbed at the unusual phenomena of its not raining al l least once in two minutes.
 A goodly audience was gathered about the inflated creature, that seemed every mo ment struggling to be released from the nu merous small ropes that prevented its going to its home ''up among the little stars,'' d half-past twelve, noon, when we arrived or the grounds, and numerous other audiences were perched at convenient places on tho hills about, witnessing the proceedings without money and without price Aftel the lecture, or more properly, the socia talk of Prof. Brooks from his elevated DO sition standing in two-horse lumber wag on, during which he said he had made ont hundred and fifty seven ascensions, ant there was much danger in t,and he wished a collection could be taken up for Profes sor Spencer, who was about to ascend, al he regarded it as dangerous day. Exactly how much benefit to the Professor to have collection taken at that time, in case h, should spill himself out of his basket at al altitude of mile or two, he didn't mak' plain to us, but presuming it was all right we permitted the collection business to pro ceed. As we started to say: After th lecture, Professor Spencer ordered the rope which held the balloon gathered in and at tached to the basket, and at fourteen min utes past one o'clock, he, with his compan ion, young man from Wolcottville wh' arranged with the Professor to ascend witt him, was ready and the word was given t 'let go the ropes" when tke massive thing with its small basket carrying its livin freight suspended, swooped out of the rim and toward the large oak tree and house on the eminence few rods at the east, bu fortunately rising in time to escape them when it got quickly into the strong curren from the south and was carried rapidly t
 the north as it ascended, and-what's that Something has fallen from the basket Down it comes quickly a few feet when is caught by the atmosphere and spread ou like an umbrella :-Ah, yes; we see it parachute, and the small basket suspende
 beneath contains small dog. As soon a
 spread, it's velocity downward is checke 'and it descends slowly and gracefully, land
 ing the 9ronautic canine safely Tn the hand
 of somebody who chanced to be away i
 the fields and caught it before it struck tn
 ground. It was very pretty sight,-br
 where's the balloon Eagle ?" Unobserve for moment or two it has climbed the a
 and is getting rapidly away. The bit (
 fright which was perched prominently ul on the countenance of the Wolcottvil amateur as the monster glided out of th
 ring with him, may be there still for ougl we know, but distance, which lends el
 chantment, etc., has rendered him in al
 pearance as brave as the Professor himsel
 Ordnu anu lnaJtSlCally Lne uuSe Cltdl Ill : scars upward and onward getting ava l rapidly over the mountain at the nortl t Those with extended visions discern some thing being thrown from the basket > t Chickens" says one: ''He advertised t throw out chickens at great height, al r it must have been chickens" It is true e might have been chickens and it migAtha! ta e been bag of sand, and it m5ght have bet r tall in your eye," as for the fact of an 1T thing being thrown out, the distance aw' 1T being so great, lively imagination cou & tumble cut ar object at will.
 At one time the balloon for few m