Connecticut western news., 1885-07-08
.Canaan ana Et. At,rac,,on.,, ;,
A COMPOSITION BY MISS FANNIE PAGE ol
 CANAAN HIGH SCHOOL.

"Canaan and Its AttractiOns.'
 A COMPOSITION BY MISS FANNIE PAGE OF
 CANAAN HIGH SCHOOL.
 The original town of Canaan included
 Canaan and North Canaan. Persons
 had to go to what is now North Canaan
 to vote, as all town business was done
 there, and it made it very unpleasant for
 those living at the southern part of the
 town, therefore it was thought best that
 it should be divided, which was done about 30 years ago, the southern DOT tion. which includes about two-thirds of the original town, being called Canaan, of which am to write.
 Canaan is bounded on the north by North Canaan, east by Norfolk, south by Cornwall and west by the Housatonic river, which separates it from Salisbury.
 From the top of Canaan mountain, branch of the Green mountains, the town looks like plain, with the excep ton of what is known as the Cobble. In the summer, when it is clothed in green, the Cobble has been said to look like huge haystack rlaced ln the cen ter of this plain. Anyone that likes natural beauty would enjoy a ride around this Cobble. It rises several hundred feet almost perpendicular and is covered with rocks, which look as if it would not take very much to push them down into the road; between the rocks are bushes, but few large trees.
 Years ago, in various portions of the town were large iron works, which were equal if not superior to any in the state
 At Lower City, which is small vil- lage in the southern part of the town, is a large furnace; the ore used is primer pally from Salisbury, although I think that occasionally a portion may come from Richmond, near West Stockbridge. | The ore from Salisbury is mined in three or four different parts of that town and l believe varies in quality, each produc- | ing different grade of iron. They stopped work short time ago at this furnace, I suppose on account of the hard times as well as the long distance they had to haul the ore and coal and | the transportation of the iron to the rail road stations. There are in various parts of our country furnaces located | close to mines of ore and near great | tracts of woodland, therefore they can produce iron much cheaper than that | here, but usually of an quality, although good enough | for many uses. Pig iron made from ore is said to be unexcelled | by any other American iron, and were it | not for this fact they would probably | have had to abandon the manufacture here long ago because of the cheapness 1t which it is made elsewhere.
 Amesville is in Salisbury, the Housa- tonic river being the dividing line, and is not properly part of Falls Village, although they receive their mail at that place. In Amesville, from about 40 years ago up to during the civil war, were large i works, which were conducted by Hora- 5io Ames, who carried on large busi- ness. The pig iron from the furnaces was remelted in what was called pud- | Hing furnaces and worked over and re- fined and drawn under large hammers into heavy irons of various kinds, such | IS tire for locomotive engine wheels, car wheel axles, steamboat shafts, etc., and | ater during the war Mir Ames made | cannon for the United States govern nent, but at his decease, some ten or twelve years ago, the works were pur- chased by the Housatonic railroad com pany and their repair shops at Bridge port were moved there; now almost i everything pertaining to cars or engines can there be made or repaired.
 Canaan mountain pond is situated on the top of Canaan mountain and is about two miles long by perhaps half mile wide and although not having the repu- tation of other bodies of water is never theless quite resort for camping par ties from this and adjoining towns.
 The town is we'll watered by several rivers. The Hollenbeck enters the town from Cornwall and flows almost it's en- tire length, uniting near the "Point of Rocks" with Q river which flows from Canaan mountain pond; they then enter the Housatonic river. On this river at Amesville are located the Housatonic falls, which are formed by ledge of limestone rocks crossing the Housatonic river obliquely from northwest to south east The length of the ledge is about 30 rods; its perpendicular height about 60 feet. There are falls and rapids both above and below this river cataract, but of much smaller size. Persons travel ling on the Housatonic railroad often cross the car to view this cataract when passing by it.
 There are many other attractions in thls pleasant town, but I will not try to describe them.
 TEMPERANCE WORKERS IN co UNCLL. A Glimpse of Norfolk and a Christian