Connecticut western news., 1878-03-21
CANAAN. CONN
"REMINISCENCES. Falls Village Forty Years Ago.
BY REV. H. 8. BALL.

years, and is increasing as the laws of the Bible are obeyed; but forty years leaves but few of one's contemporaries. Of those whom we knew intimately Capt. Cornelius Brown is doubtless still living, at least we have never heard of his death or removal. Dr. Belden we saw when on the camp ground, 1876. If Capt. B. is living he will when married. A certain Miss Phillips claimed damages for breach of promise, and had the happy bridegroom arrested as soon as the knot was tied, sad interruption to the honeymoon. There was malice or some- thing else manifested in the matter. The Captain came honorablY out of the prosecu- ton, and Miss Phillips consoled herself by embracing solid piece of bacon. She mar. ried soon after MT. Rufus Cannon weighing two hundred and fifty.
 Forty years ago the iron works just be-. low the falls was owned and operated by Garfield and Sterling. We read of the death of Wm. c. Sterling, the junior part ner, in late number of the NEWS. As we remember Mir. Sterling. he was scholar and gentleman, very kind to woEkmen and very much interested in their mental and moral well-being. No doubt the Good Father has rewarded hlm for many kindly and encouraging words spoken to the vii ter, and which were not without their influ- ence in shaping hls destiny and eliminating in his present work. We remember re- mark he made to us one day when we were conversing on the subject of wealth: 'Men- tai and moral@ wealth are eternal yerities: possessed of them one is forever rich," saying well worthy of a philosopher, and Christian too.
 Probably most, if not all the older inhab- itants of Falls Village have passed away. Jabez Jaqua. Capt. Chauncey Bunce and James Bunce worked on the east side of the river. There was no bitter rivalship between the boys working on either side; If there was, the east side boys carried the banner, for Sherman Jaqus won the belle of the vil- lage, Miss Mary Bunce. We looked on, and though not quite an uninterested specta tor, (for we had some designs in that direc ton which .bashfulness prevented our ever making knOwn) and gave one grand, hear ty, old-fashioned Methodist shout when Sherm. and Mary were made one. The promise of the future for them was bright: Did the reality fill the promise9 We copy from an old paper, so old that it's name and date are gone. the following anecdote. Per haps others as we'll as the writer remember the pious old man, Father Osborne, he was famillarly called. and used to preach among the charcoal burners and iron workers of Falls Village, Lime Rock, Mt. Riga. Kent and Canaan. He was pious, worthy, but ignorant man. One night he took for his text Rev. 6-5: s'And beheld and saw 8 black horse, and he that satson him had a pair of balances in his hand" From imper- feet sight Or dim candle light, he substitut- ed for balances the word bellows, so it read, ''had pair of bellows in bis hand" We copy the sermon published some three or four years ago in the Baptist Weekly. We heard often in our boyhood of Father Os- borne and his wonderful power in preach ing; ths truth is, nearly all of his audience would accept the sermon as ''gospel truth. |" We renembSr the hearty responses of the older brethren in the ''amen corner" of the school house, as Father Osborne got off his solid demonstrations, which not only called forth the loud "Amen ]" and "Glory!" but made the drm-built desk tremble. Father O's preaching was somewhat like the Hiber. nians' dancing. ''not handsome but as strong as snybody's."
 Ed. Hawley was an odd genius. Once in boat with an Irishmsn above the falls, they got 90 far into the current and 80 near the falls, as to lose the control of their boat and boat and men went over the falls. The Irishman was killed, but Ed. somehow es- caped. Members ran to the foot of the falls and found him in the whirlpool made by the falling waters. Holding each other by the hand and Wadlng out into the waters, they finally reached him and drew him al most uncoMcious to the shore: The first words he uttered when he could speak was, 'T swew, wouldn't try it again for five dollars"
 4s 1o yOoAS oAhSS WV A0HS seen Falls Village. What changes must have occurred since then! Where are the early settlers, and the companions of those early and hopeful years gone, while memo " brings back the friendly voice, sweet as tonea of far off music? Yet not forever gone we shall meet them again. and the old familiar voice will wake the emotions of our earlier life,
 For the soul life fresh and warm,
 Like an ever flowing river;
 Leaving here the dying form,
 Lives in qaickening joy forever.
 In the coming cloudless day,
 For our spirits never fade;
 Though we die, shall live alway;
 Death is but twilight shade.
 So after the shadows are past we shall meet.
 Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co.,, N. Y.
 The proposition recently made to Con aress by James Gordon Bennett indicates .his speedy return from exile. Such pro posal will place him favorably before the puhIic and uive his name an additional ec-