Litchfield enquirer., 1880-01-29
A Lyons Letter.

LYONS, IOWA, Jan. 21, 1880.
 Ed. EnQ.-I have seen several notices by your correspondents that churches had voted to use unfermented wine at communions. It has seemed to me that more of them would, if they knew how easily and cheaply it can be obtained, and what delecate flavor it has. We have been Tn the habit for some years of putting up quantities of it for 'home consump- tion." IL is splendid cordial for the sick. we are all on the sick list when fresh bottle is openeu) and relished equally by the robust. The process of manufacture is very simple you have but to express the juice from the grapes, sweeten it to the taste, bottle and seal hot, the same as fruit. We opened a bottle three years old, short time since, and concluded it had improved with age. We can generally buy grapes for three to four cts pound. Fifteen pounds ought to make a gallon of juice, and from one to two pounds of sugar will sweeten It. Parties who advertise it at five dollars gallon must have a holy horror of using .fermepted wine.
 We have passed the noon of Winter, and not sleigh ride yet-and no prospect of one, but mud, mud, is found on every side. With the exception of few stinging days, when the mercury dropped to minus 2Oo, we have had almost perpetual spring. But during that spell theriver froze over, making good crossing :; and, for number of days in succession, from fifty to sixty loads of hay and straw came over to find market this side. Everything was booming up to about New Years, when the January thaw" set in, with three days rain. spelling our ice bridge, and rendering the roads almost impossible.
 The great strike among the pork packing workmen in Chicago, and the glut in the grain market that has filled to ovt rf1owing all their grain warehouses in Chicago, have de- moralized the markets, and it is doubtful if they recover former prices. But the country is full of products and we still look for better times. The lumber interests still flourish The Clinton Mills made, last year, 89 million feet of lumber, 34 million shingles, and IA million lath; the Lyons Mills, .24 millions lum. Der, million shingles, and 4, 75O, 900 lath, some person computing it, says if it was load ed into cars, it would make train over seven- ty miles long.
 We have had good deal of sickness and four more deaths among prominent ipdividu- als an aged Presbyterian minister, retired from service; retired farmer living on the interest of his money; his daughter, Miss of l6, who it is thought contracted the disease while taking care of her father and bank CTS wife, who died after three weeks illness, eaving large and interesting family and a very large circle of friends to mourn her loss The funeral yesterday was one Of the most largely attended of any held in long time. It is currently reported that our new dentist from Winsted is deeply interested in one of the two grown up daughters, but cannot vouch for It yet. Another death, reported this morning, is that of the ''frai' young girl, step daughter of a physician, who has been the unpleasant subject of some of these sketch es. She died suddenly of brain fever
 The ice went out of the river this morning, and sunk the ferry boat, with the prospect that it will be some days before it can be rais- ed and put in repair for business More rain and mud If this is not cheerful letter, lay it to weather and surroundings. A. B.