Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-09
Goshen, No. 496.

Mr. Gray and family have returned from Bridgeport.
 A few nights ago my door bell rang vio- lently, and young man, stranger wanted something to eat, saying that he was on his way to see relatives in Litchfied, giving the name of the family, but as he was drunk we did not believe what he said. The next morning we found the nice bread given him scattered along in the grass.
 Next Saturday night, or rather Sunday morning we are to have total eclipse of the Moon, beginning. about half an hour after midnight. An hour later it will be total con- tinuing so an hour and an half and the eclipse will not end until about four. On account of the light from the Earth reflected on the moon, and back again it will not be perfectly invisible.
 ' Sheriff Porter entered on the duties of hls office last Wednesday, and being at Litch- field Thursday when so many liquor cases were disposed of, he received subpoena for 15 witnesses to be on hand that afternoon at 3 o'clock to testify in the Soudant liquor cases from Goshen. The witnesses were scattered over Goshen, and one was in Torrington, yet the officer had every one on hand when they were wanted. In the necessary haste the names of three important witnesses were forgotten, but they will be on haLd the next time. Ssudant did not make his appearance and word came that he was confined to his room with bilious attack, which made the Goshen people smile, remembering how lately they had seen him out, and there was much fun up here because he was seen out again so very soon after the case was continued.
 Il find that on the 18th of this month, Mercury will not set until after nine o'clock. and 1 feel quite sure that we shall have a grand sight in the Northwest fer eight or ten days before that time as well as after. It's great Northern decination will be favorable, and we have nothing to do but to notice care fully where the Sun sets and look for it about one degree farther South about three quarters of an hour after sunset. It will be alone and easily found and shall begin to search for it this week. For long time we have seen none of the planets except Mars as they have congregated near the Sun, but it is all chang. ed now, and I saw this morning that Mars had risen and passed on little to the West and very soon Venus came up in all her brightness, followed in few minutes by great Jupiter, and the three were in a straight llne l failed to see Saturn, but he must be close by Venus for they were only sixth of degree apart last Sunday morning And old Neptune, although not seen with the naked eye, is among them. On the morning of the 18th, Venus and Jupiter and Neptune will be in heap, Jupiter almost hiding Neptune, and Venus being only 24 degrees from them.
 MONDAY EvENINa.-Following my own suggestions, which sent you this morning, I marked the place where the Sun went down in the Northwest, and at o'clock looked for the planet Mercury just above and little South, and there he was in the daylight, all alone, and as he descended the two stars in the heads of the Twins appeared above and the bright star Capella was little East. It is remarkable to find it 13 days before it's great est distance from the Sun. It set 4 minutes after 9.
 TUESDAY MORNING. Anxious to know what had become of Saturn, who has been gone some months. I watched the rising of the planets at 8 o'clock, and quite distance be- hind Mars, Venus rose, with Jupiter just Northeast of her, and looking carefully at Venus saw that Saturn had net been plotted out of existence, but there he was close by her, having been all this time partly hid be- hind her and partly lost in her brightness. The calculations are all correct IN.