Connecticut western news., 1883-02-21
HERE AND THERE.

Lent came early this year, and will not again come so early in the year un til 1894.
 An extra engine collided with the en- zine of the up freight on the Danbury and Norwalk road, near Danbvry, yes terday morning. The engines were badly damaged. Engineer Dexter of the freight train stuck to his post and was badly cut in the head. The fireman escaped injury by jumping, as did also the eegineer and fireman of the extra engine. Two brakemen on the freight train were badly hurt. The caboose and four cars were burned by the explo sion of tank of oil, loss $5,O0O. The accident was caused by confusion of names in telephone message.
 An oak chair with leather back and seat, which once belonged to Thomas Jefferson and was assiduously sat upon by that patriot, is now the property of Mrs Walter c. Douglass of St. Louis. One of the arms is writing desk, with drawer beneath it for stationary, and Mrs Douglass will be deeply grateful to anybody who will prove that the Decla- ration of Independence was written thereupon. She inherited the chair from her father, MT Foot Johnson, prominent Virginia lawyer, to whom it was given by MT Foster of Bedford County Va, and MT Foster acquired it at Jefferson's death.
 The success of quail-eater Walcott in New York has induced some Connecti- cut men to enter upon curious eating and drinking matches.-Fred Reiss, of Bridgeport, is trying to eat kidney daily for 30 days. It is well soaked in water to remove the rank flavor be- fore cooking.-A Stonington borough sport is said to be attempting the feat of drinking three milk punches day for 90 days in succession on wager of
 $25.-A Winsted man has offered to bet
 that he can eat 100 quails in 50 consecu-
 tive days. One Matthews, of 40 West
 17th street, New York city, offers to bet
 sS200 that he cannot.-C. J. McDermott
 has patented a pantaloon protector
 They will be on sale, next summer, at
 High Rock, Parlor Rock and other pic,
 nic resorts. -Danbau,y Neus
 The billiard table factory of H. W
 Collander & Co at Stamford, which was burned last Wednesday night, was filled
 from the basement to the roof with ma , chinery and material for the manufac turing of billiard tables, large numbe
 of which, in all stages of construction
 and @ great deal of finished goods read, for shipment, were destroyed. Tn F loss will reach $25O,OOO The factor 3 was insured, and MT Collander will i'm l mediately proceed to erect large g building. The books and valuable pa f pers in the safes were all taken out; als e all the valuable balls and cushions an f. other portable parts of tables. The cot n tage residence of Mir Darby, which
 immediately south of the burned factor 8 was badly damaged by fire and water n The house is the property of MT Collar
 der.
 l. It was at the hour of morning praye , in the girls school at Hamilton, Mo h says the New York Tribune, and the p1 n pills were performing their devotion @ with becoming reverence, when one ( s them, in the act of seating herself afte # the singing of hymn, missed her cha j. and came down upon the floor wit ,f what the Missouri papers would call n sickening thud. The other girls with ( t traordinary self-control refrained frol e laughing, the teacher did not obser,