Connecticut western news., 1880-12-22
VICINI1 !.

Diphtheria is raging in Thompsonville.
 Tie price of hay is $3O per ton in Birming ham.
 Ice IA inches thick is being cut at Litch- field
 New Hartford's literary association has be- gun its winter entertainments.
 The falling of derrck killed Allyn Lane at South Norwalk the other day.
 A mass of ice fell upon James Barry at Portland the other day and killed him.
 Eight persons were received into the Falls Village good templars' lodge last week. Harry Sedgwick's family of Cornwall Hol low are to spend the winter in Amenia.
 Two new Preston boys have built a small house, and are keeping "bachelor's hall" The N. Y. & N E. R. R. is running two palace cars and will soon have eight more.
 Canton had eight marriages in November and correspondent calls this "prosperity. East Canaan, it is said will witness game of croquet on ice, between Messrs. Mead and Tobey.
 MT. and Mrs. George Merriam of Ltchfeld recently celebrated the 6Oth anniversary Of their marriage.
 Connecticut is said to have had more and better exhibits at the Melbourne, Australia worlds fair than any other state. Al Irish ,,,on,op o,, o Conn Western trei; hearing the conductor call out ''Scotland!" inquired if the mkt station was Oireland!
 A Norwich firm makes business of ship ping live frogs previously fatteued on fish, to different parts of the country, principally to New York and Buffalo
 In Torrington they are all getting pious, according to correspondent. He says they have improved so far in morals that ''nonc oi us allow ourselves to butcher more than two or three hogs or beeyes on any Sunday" 1n the same paragraph, he says that last week l4e had eight liquor prosecutions to attend to. Dwight M Pratt of Cream Hill, was in ducted into the ministry Thursday, and in stalled over the Cong. church, Higganum by a council, most auspiciously. This must be scored as a victory in itself, as that church 'las never had settled pastor in it's 35 years of existence. Dr. Hartranlt of Hartford Sem nary preached tue sermon, Dr. Thompson offered ordaiuing prayer. His pastor, Chas N. Fitch, charged the pastor; Rev Azel Ha- zen, the people, Rev Mir Lewis expressed he fellowship of churches in cordial light aand Rev Dwight NJ. Pr~tt. pastor In full, pronounced the bcnedction.
 There can hardly be anything more touch ing than the story of the death Of Lucius Hotchkiss and wife in New Haven recently. MT. Hotchk'ss was a retired merchant, of wealth, aged 76. He and his wife, who was four years lis junior, lived in retired, unos- ;entatious way, and were deeply wrapped up in each other. Their two children had es- abolished themselves elsewhere, and the old couple sought no new friends, while those of their youth gradually passed away. Three weeks ago the old gentleman was taken with illness, and died on Monday. His wife was informed as he was breathing his last, and walked to hls bed; she watched his faint breathing moment, and then fell upon the bed a corpse In death they were not diVid- ed C0urGHt.
 FARMERS CONVENTION AT NEW BRITAIN Wednesday to Friday was fuller of excellent papers, better attended and more free from biting criticism than usual. Ex-Governor