Litchfield enquirer., 1881-07-21
WESTERN CORRESPONDENCE.
LYONS, July 9th. 1881.

SS-3
 Editor Enquirer. The last wrote was something about the snows. To, day tis 96 Tn the shade and everybody transpiring. 1t is difficult to fix ones thoughts on. anything ex- cept Garfield, but you are as well posted as we. I just heard westener say, "he should like to see rope around Guiteau's neck and the other end fastened to wild mustang, headed up Pennsylva Avenue" !" But no rope, is long enough or mustang wild enough to do the subject justice from present put look. -E
 The weather has been wet, and comparative ly cool up to the 4th inst, since then it has been sweltering.
 In consequence of the sudden change from Winter to Summer farmers were not prepared, and in many places corn picking. planting, and cultivating would all be going on In the same field. The wet weather has prevented proper cultivation and the corn crop az well as others will not be up to average in this part of the West. There has been quite an emil grafton from these parts to the Dakota wheat fields of the North and they report prospects excellent. There has been 8 good boating stage of water and business on the River is booming. A new boat has been put on the route recently, intending to make the round trip from St. Louis to St. Paul and back (1600 miles) in one week, they have not fully &C., complished it yet but may do so.
 Coups Circus was advertised here July 1st But while on their way from Dubuque by rail, in two sections, the last section ran over COW throwing the engine from the track and smashing up two or three of the forward cars, killing one Camel and a number of valuable horses. The Elephants car was thrown from the track and smashed, but the Elephants es- capped serious injury, one man was killed and others injured, loss about $20, GOO to the circus and Railroad Co. have just read that one of Barnum's Advertising cars with all its con-
 tents had burned in Canada, loss $28, 600.
 The N. w. R. R. Depot in Fulton burned
 July 4th, fire.crackers A soap factory burn- ed here last night, loss $5O0O. The burning
 rosin and grease. added to the hottest night 1 of the season. made it warm for the fremen. A curious freak of the wind occurred here l short time since. A new combination | bridge" (wood and iron) had been built over l stream dividing Clinton and Scott Counties 1 (called the Wopdepinnicon river) 15O feet
 long in 3 spans, that was thought to be extra strong by an extensive and experienced bridge company, and costing several thousand dol lars. During storm, as is supposed for no one saw it, the bridge was lifted, turned part. ly round dropped in the bed of the stream in a very demoralized condition, while there was no evidence of wind or flood anywhere near it, but at some distance from it, on either side, perhaps mile or two, small place was dis covered where large trees were uprooted, and part of barn taken away, from which. it has been inferred that the bridge was struck by what is known as a bounding tornado, it being mostly in the air. but occasionally the small end of the funnel touching the ground, it oc- curing in the night on one seems to have seen it. A most extraordinary hail storm oc- cured, last month, near Colfax in this state the atones resembling door knobs in size and shape, one man says 8 stone crushed through his roof, ceiling, chamber floor, and fell with the p.astering to the ground floor, another that in addition to the above it passed through cane bottomed chair. It completely demol- ished church at Newton, leaving only the ground floor another man said he could throw his hat through the side of his house any where; a man stepped outside railroad ca- boose and was knocked senseless and nearly killed before he could be dragged back in. -,..es.
 One of the sensations of the day with us has been the thousand mile swim of Paul Boyton from St. Paul to Cairo. His first great feat after his release from prisoner of war in South America. where he was captured in try ing to aid the Peruvians to manage their tor pedo service, and came near losing his life in consequence. He passed Lyons about noon and we had good look at him in the water, and afterward at Clinton where he spent the night. great crowds gathered on the river banks to see him, all along the river where ever he struck a town. He swan or foated feet foremost on his back propelled by double paddle, his head raised on an air pil. low and the paddle resting on his breast and worked with both hands, making about 4 to miles an hour down stream. He was ac. companied by German student editor, and artist, who was in another boat, with negro servant, and was taking sketches for his paper Tn ''Fadder" land. He was u fine intellectual looking man and expressed himself as delight ed with his trip, and scenery of our River. He was making voyage round the world. We have been having almost an epidemic of accidents here, this season, in our sawmllls and railroads. Eight have been killed in the last two months, an, 8 number lost limbs, and been more or less injured. The ninth occur red yesterday, one of the owners of sawmin across the river in Fulton. Mr. Hall, of the firm of Sanford & Hall. was killed instantly by 2 kind of derrick falling on him. He was the foremost man of the city in every gcod enter prise and his death felllike pail on the whole community. His last public act was to order new fence built around the church of which he was 8 member, and they had just com menced It. He had commenced building fine residence for himself, which was not fully enclosed. Thesworkmen have left work there and all hands are at work on the fence and grounds to have them completed in time for his funeral there tomorrow. Two years ago a most promising son, on whom the family had built high hopes, was drowned in the river, there is now left only the widow and two young daughters in their teens. He was the business manager in the mill his partner furnishing the most of the capital and it is feared that it will throw many men out of em-. ployment. 9ae
 Some time since wrote you of 6 large pur- chase of timber land in Wisconsin by parties, one hailing from Litchfeld County. Since