Litchfield enquirer., 1878-12-19
LITCHFIELD.

LlTCHF1ELD.
 There will be Christmas Eve services in St. Michael's church.
 Mir Truman Catlin IS moving into his new house on Lake St.
 A choice lot of roses; csrnation, heliotrope. calla, and bouvarda blossoms for the holidays can be obtained ct Plumb's green house.
 St. Michaeps is to be very nicely trimmed for Christmas, and new forms of decoration are being introduced.
 -Champlin has large new assortment of holiday goods, fruits, candies, etc. F. E. s. starts out for orders to-day Wednesday,
 Every holiday season, Buell. & Wheeler seem to outdo themselves in catering to their patrons wants in the gift line simply because they know how.
 There will be business meeting of the Litchfield Temperance Association at the office of II. B. Graves Esq, on Saturday, Dec. 21st at ! p. m.
 G. H. HoLLIsTER, President.
 An persons having in their possession any books belonging to the Library of St. Pauls Lodge, No. II, F. 6 A. M., are hereby re- quested to leave the same at the post-ofice, without delay.
 The damage te the Shepaug railroad by the rain of Tuesday last, proves to be much less than first reported. The delay to trains was not serious, as they were running regular ly on Thursday.
 Somehow, during the holiday season, pub lie interest seems to center at Buell. & Vince ler's Emporium. The cause for it can be ex- plained by calling there.
 Ralph s. Goodwin, M. D., of Thomas ton, will deliver lecture on the "Physiologi- cal Effects of Intemperance," at Armory Hall on Saturday evening at 7:30 p. m. Dr. Good win has spoken in many adjoining towns, and has always been listened to with great interest. We shall be very glad to hear this subject treated by competent physician upon the cor rectness of whose views on the physiologica al branch ct the subject people can safely rely.
 The Milerton Telegram publishes letters KlfIuS n IuiI dGCOuub Ol IuC OCotn OA LuSCuC Buttolph, reported in this paper few weeks since. It seems that as he was crossing the railroad track on his way to his boarding place a passing train struck him. His right arm was broken, his left side was much bruised, and 8 gash cut in his head His condition was not at first considered dangerous, but he seems to have suffered some internal injury and after a few days suffering became unconscious, and soon after died.
 The jail returns for the past year have been prepared by the County Commissioners The number in jail has decreased more than half. On Nov. 30, 1877, there were "A pris- oners in jail. On the Both of last November there were but eleven. The committals of the year have been 100 of whom were colcred 2, women !; and 13, minors. Forty were na- lives of Connecticut %, of other States and 3S, of foreign countries. Only 43 were mar ried, and there were but who could not read or write.
 The statistics of temperance are very sgnif- icant. Only five of the hundred claimed to be strictly temperate, B were habitually in- temperate, and 62 considered themselves mod crate CD drinkers. There were more commit tals for drunkenness than for any other of- fence
 The offences for which they were committed were as follows: drunkenness, 24 !; theft, F; burglary, 10; attempt to kill, 8; murder, miscellaneous, 56 In nineteen of the cases the States Attorney entered nolle; twelve were sent to the State Prison six escaped and were not retaken one was tried and acquitted.
 The most important feature of the new re- turn consists in the decrease of prisoners. A part of this decrease may perhaps be attribu- ted to the earlier payment of fines. By a. statute passed by the last legislature, prison- CT committed for non-payment of fine and cost is allowed $1 day for his labor while in prason in payment of such fine and cost. Formerly they were given but 25 cents per day. There is also a diminutiou in the num- Der of tramps which have infested our high ways for some years past Our States Attor- iney, however, in @ conversation we had with him month or two since, attributed much of the local decrease of crime to the temperance movement. Indeed most of the crimes of vio- fence which fill eur criminal dockets are di- rectly chargeahle to liquor. Most of the thefts and burgiaries are also due to demoralization resulting from habits of intoxication. We hope the decrease will prove permanent fea- ture; and nothing, certainly. will tend more strongly toward 60 desirable a. result than re- .newed activity in the cause of temperance.
 For Holiday Goods we know of no better place to gratify the eye and taste. than at Bu. sell < Wheeler's, on West St. They are making quite speciality of Papetiries and Stationers Fancy Goods, this season.