Litchfield enquirer., 1878-01-03
New Preston.

Everybody sleigh-rided on wheels to the Christmas tree. This was beautiful affair, and the occasion is one long to- be remembered by the children. Among other elegant pres ents was a gold-headed cane presented to Mr. Lancashire by the members of his Sunday school class, as a slight token of their friend ship for him.
 On Thursday night, the 27th ult, Dr. Hall lectured in the church. The subject of his lec- ture had not previously been stated, so that many were surprised on discovering that .even- ing that he was firm believer in Darwin ism. His lecture contained many assertions that have not been proved. .yet-mere theories in fact, not facts-and for that matter cannot be disproved either. So the matter stands, mere hypothesis, without proof and without disproof, and for this very reason will always be subject of dispute Among other asser- tions he said, Man was evolved, not created" which cannot be proved, perhaps not dIsprov- ed. When he affirmed that we were evolved from apes, and only by evolution and success sive developments had arrived at our present state of attainment, we felt like putting in 8 demur and enquiring why some men fad been evoluted and developed without any conscience. He stated also that it has been proven without shadow of doubt, that there was a race of ! historic men who inhabited this globe about 10, 1000 years ago. If that is certain and | absolute why not fix the precise date? Though he affirmed that we are descendants of apes he did not find the missing link and define it, any more than has Darwin himself The fact is that the missing link" is that where the chain ends, and that's why when we work along down the chain of developments and come to the end we cry out, We can't find the missing link, and can go no farther" He stated that, sometime, during the age of the world, ages and ages in the future, the earth would become so thickiy inhabited that it would need some pestilence to carry its over- population off and make way for others, Fur ther, it is only aquestion of time when the OK ygen of the atmosphere will become entirely exhausted and used up by the plant and ani- maj life of the globe. When that time arrives, of course the exhausters (pAnts and animals) will die and the earth beconiea cold, uninhab- itable mass of matter. If any one should find any difficulty in respiring they can take
 ''cough balsam" as usual and still charge it to a hard cold for years to come.
 The Lyceum last week was very interest ing. The question, Resolved that Intem- perance has caused more evil than Religious Intolerance" was ably discussed by w. Hale in the negative; K. H. Beardsley, affirmative. l The question was decided in the negative. -Carter's hotel looms up in twice it's former proportions, and is being painted by w. H. Dougal. ~ ~
 F E. Jenks is recovering slowly from his severe illness.
 Geo. H. Gillette, of Salisbury, spent the holidays in New Preston
 l The Congregational society held their an nual meeting on Monday. .a
 There was New Years Eve partyatH. | w. Browns on Monday evening, and the young folks danced from 1877 till 1878 Home tal ent' furnished the music. CHMPANzEE. [''Chimpanzee" may be right in treating the development of man from the ape as a mere I hypothesis; but it is hardly correct to say that
 there is neither proof nor disproof'' of the development theory in any form. Prof Marsh, I of Yale, has shown, through the fossils gath cred on our western plains, the development of the horse from an animal differing from the 1 present horse more than man differs from the ape. That, therefore, there is such fact as the ''deyelopement of species" seems pretty thoroughly established; that there is any such proof of the development of man from the ape, will. not we imagine, be claimed.
 People have been in the habit of considering the 4,OO4 years before Christ allotted to man blythe Usher chronology as resting on positive biblical authority. We do not understand that 1 to be the case There were variations of a thousand years between the various computa- I tions before the science of geology was heard of; and the discoveries of flint implements in ] old deposits, and of the bones of animals long sinceextinct, marked by such implements, in- dicate much gaeater.age than is usually al- lowed to the human race.
 Whether the gases that form the atmosphere l of our earth will eventually combine with it's solids 30 as to leave it as .'slead as the moon,