Connecticut western news., 1880-10-27

The passenger receipts of the Housatonic R. R. for the fiscal year ending Sept. sOth 1880, show an increase of $27,ooO over the previous year, and are the largest of any year since 1875. The total freight and passenger receipts for 1880 will show an increase of $142, 2,o00. over the year 1879. This speaks volumes for the management of the road, and it's growing favor with the travelling public.
 We thought seriouslys of making our printing press do the work of cider mill, to dispose of the quantities of apples coming to this office, but as there is no one in this office who drinks cider-not even the "devil"-we are not going to do it. We've got the apples, though, ':just as hard" MT. Abel Stevens of East Canaan sent down the other day 8 bushel basket chock full of great big. sound, perfect apples, and there were twelve varie- ties too. Mr. Stevens takes broader view of editorial capacity than-than some folks.
 To get an idea of alacrity with which the mail matter is handled on the trains, 1t is only necessary to go into the mail room and watch the operation. We looked into Char. lie Gorham's compartment coming up the oth. CT night, and gollyl how he made the mail fyl Two sides of his little room are lined with re- ceptacles for mail for different points, and the dexterity with which he threw the papers and letters into their proper boxes, made us open our eyes about as the unsophisticated ''greeney" does when he goes into news paper office and watches the nimble fingers of the compositor, as they pick up the type from their little boxes with quick and steady mo- ton, and wonders "how in thunder they can tell where the right boxes are." Charlie had just received two or three delayed mails which made it necessary for him to be live- Her than usual. in order to catch up. so we did our wondering Show in thunder" etc. all to ourself, knowlag that it wouldn't be any safor to speak to him just then than it would be to speak our typos when our corres- pondents don't send in their contradictions until Tuesday, thus forcing upon them the necessity of doing two days work in one. It Is quite interesting to watch this part Of the mail handling, and all things considered, it is surprising that more mistakes do not occur in the delivery.
 Its too good to he kept 30 here goes:
 Last Thursday night-about midnight we be- lieye-the inmates of one of our hotels were reused from their peaceful slumbers by the l aconfoundedest" racket imaginable. Ii sounded as if train of cars were going
 through the house, with all the passengers shouting s.Firel' and s'Murderl" at the tor of their lungs. It went from one end of the hall to the other, up stairs and down, and
 finally ended by crashing through door
 Then the circus commenced in good earnest
 with the whole menagerie turned loose in th' ring. There were female shrieks, and angry Ithreats, and athoroughly frightened voic'
 shouting "Oh my God keep 'em offl' Yer.
 soon the landlord appeared with light whicl
 shone upon an interesting tableau with thre
 characters A young man dressed rathe
 Blight and airy" in ''shirt of male" his cyl flashing with indignation" anger writer in every feature, and unmistakably expresses i; in every word. In a'tragic attitude he stood
 holding in one hand cooked revolver, ant
 the other clutching the throat of the tremh Il ling, frightened wretch, dressed in the sam flight and airy costume, who he'd caused a
 the disturbance. The poor wretch was in ploring in tones of mortal terror, to "Kee thim niggors awayl" On the bed lay tn frightened wife of the indignant young mar sobbing hyssericaiiy; and soon the other board CTS, of both sexes. appeared on the scene, a
 in tropical uniform, to see "what was th matter with Hannah" As soon as the tri l could be quieted down to their normal cor } dition," it was found that ''old John" tn man-of-all.work about the hctsl. who slept U ! in the garret, and who had probably bee
 imbibing too freely of last years apple croI
 had become frightened by an imaginary fos and, starting from his bed, went down stair
 at single jump. and ran through the house
 shouting bloody murder, and declaring ths the 'niggers were after him with knife. In his frightened race he crashed through tn [ bolted door of the young married couple room and flung himself on top of the sleepin occupants of the bed, pleading for proteotio t from his pursuers. As soon as the matte
 was explained John was told to go back n garret to bed, but nothing could re-assur him to that extent nor would he go to tn barn to sleep, for he knsv his would-be .mul derers would come out and find him, so b , was allowed to sleep in the parlor. Hereafte
 watchman is to be placed at the door (
 each room in the house, with big brass car non, bulldog and hunk of limburge
 cheese, to keep intruders away
 VICINITY