Connecticut western news., 1881-11-09

times, but are less worked now than formerly, and of course variable quantity" in the market. The first forge in the colony was To- cated at Lime Rock, Salisbury, in 17S4. What should we think of the use of bar iron as 6 circulating medium, or of making promissory notes oftener payable in iron than in money ? Yet it was very convenient in those days, and probably answered as well as our paper cur rency has done since.
 The first furnace, built at Lakeville in 1762, was employed during the Revolution in the manufacture of cannon, shells and shot for the army and the navy. After the war, the navy received, to great extent, the guns for its heaviest ships from this establishment. Here, as elsewhere, the adoption of national con- stitation gave prompt and palpable impulse to both manufactures and agriculture. Paper was first made in this county at the Housa. tonic Falls, in Salisbury; in fact, this town seems to have taken the initiative in almost every respect. Not here, perhaps, do we see here the cotton and sugar of Southern planta- tions. But here we find excellent dairy pro- ducts, and here, in full measure, do we see the New England characteristic economy, indus try, intelligence and energy which formed the basal elements of the early republic. The re- cent homage rendered to one who, through these very virtues. took the highest place in the gift of the nation, proves that they are not beneath our praise e> en now.
 The patriotism of Salisbury people has al-
 
 lustrate this. Some of us have heard, per haps. of the equestrian statute of George i'll, made of gilded lead, which stood on the Bowl ing Green in New York, and mysteriously dis appeared after the signing of the famous Dec laration. But perhaps we do not all know where it was found-at the house of Hon. Oliver Wolcott in Salisbury. The daughters of this gentleman melted down the imperial efigy into the more useful form of forty thou sand bullets, which were forwarded to the ArNo oriN a-lx okn k.h ko~ to resist the encroachments of Q more power ful enemy than George III King Alcohol Many years before the modern improvement | in temperance reform was suggested, such 6 project was conceived in Salisbury, and en- couraged hy it's most prominent men, thirty l six of whom, in May, 17S9, signed temper ance pledge. '--.-.
 The law school, founded in Salisbury by Judge Reeve, in l7s4, gave q new impulse to legal learning throughout the country. In 1878, every State in the Union was represented l there. It counts among its graduates vice president of the United States. two judges oi the Supreme Court, forty judges of the highes State courts. thirteen senators and forty-s1 representatives in Congress, besides several cabinet and foreign ministers.
 We have said nothing hitherto of the reli- gien of the people. When examining house we do not insist on seeing the lowest founda' tions. If the structure stands firmly, and re- sists all assaults of wind and weather, we con. clude that the foundation needs no scrutiny So when we find people virtuous, intelligent industrious and patriotic, we may be tolerably sure that this recognition of each others rights is founded on Q due regard to the claims of God.
 It is we'll known that Dr. Horace Bushnell was native of Litchfield County. Other dis tinguished names on its clerical list are those of Dr. Rufus Babcock and Dr. Jonathan Ed wards.
 Salisbury claims another, Dr. Adam Reid, already referred to as native of Scotland whose history is 30 closely identified with that If the town, that description of it would be incomplete without him. Boston, too, has special interest in him, since he came very near being one of the shining lights of hel own pulpit. His early life reads like . TO- nance. Born in 180S on the busy banks o the Clyde, he was doubtless familiar with tho last events of Napoleon's career, and probably quence from Chalmers, whose pupil he was at St. Andrews. It was often said that among the wise and solid men of his parish were ''enough fit to form 8 cabinet" His rars oratorlcal powers attracted persons from al parts of the country; and he received no les' than eight calls, sent by fourishing churche, l in Rochester, Baltimore, Providence, New Yorl and Boston. But he remained with his frs, flock, and lived to become the oldest Congre- gational pastor in the State, by continuout settlement.
 Itmay not be generally known that the State of Vermont is the child of LitchfelC County-its earliest settlers having emigrated l from that point. Many of the Green Noun. tain Boys" went from Salisbury. and among | them we find the familiar name of Ethan Al len. Everywhere the sons and daughters oi | this Stalwart Puritan town have made theil mark, and the roll of honor which should hold all their names would be a long one.
 As the smallest streams serve to make broad and deep the greatest river, so do these quie but busy New England towns give breadth and depth and power and fulness to the life of oul I largest cities. Their beauty of situation anG l marvels of production, combined with the ed ucational zeal, industrial habits and religiou power of their inhabitants, render them i'm | portant factors in national existence. | A. c. JENNINGS,