Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-03-11
OVER THE HILLS TO THE BRANCH

as freight train dashed by.
 OVER THE HILLS TO THE BRANCH. Waterbury Innocents Abroad in Search |
 of Water.
 It was a tired and bedraggled, yet withal happy lot of mortals, who ar rived home yesterday afternoon from water hunting on the hills of Northfield. It was II o'clock in the morning when Ralph Blakeslee's fourth hand, five seated sleigh, left in front of City hall carrying the following officials: City Engineer Cairns, Aldermen Barlow and Cross, Couucilmen Kehoe, Bolan, Pill Panueton. Mayor Webster, A. O. Peck and H. w. French followed in a hack sleigh; City Clerk Madison and Thomas Kelly, Chief Snagg and J. A. Hynes and Will Gillette and DEMOCRAT represent
 ative, brought up the rear in single
 turnouts, City Sheriff Mcdonald was
 the chaperone of the party.
 That the roads were in execrable con-
 dition is putting it lightly. The trip
 tracks at Reynolds Bridge station to
 the Thomaston main road and a turn
 sharp to the left up through the village
 of Reynolds Bridge. For three miles
 above the station the circuitous ascent
 was continued. To the right all along
 the course followed the stream of water
 proposed by the city engineer for a
 water supply. Swollen from the recent
 heavy rains the water rushed along in
 a raging torrent, between pine hills and
 through rocky passways. The sight inn pressed the visitors favorably and the
 topography of the country added to it's charms.
 About four miles above Reynolds
 Bridge, where the stream divides
 Thomaston and Watertown, the first
 halt was made. Here was the second
 gorge, as they term it, where the pro- posed distributing reservoir may be To-
 cated. The stream, which had crossed
 the road mile or so below, was tumb- !, ling and cavorting through the rocky gulch. Deep down the hills whose pre- cipitous banks rose to towering height, forming natural basin, rushed the tur-
 bulGnt stream of crystal water. This
 was one of the prettiest sights of the E trip. After a careful look at the advan-
 tage to be derived from a reservoir at this point the journey was pursued about two miles farther on where the longest halt was made. Here the main
 branch of the stream was flowing
 through beautiful and hilly pasture lands. At this point the stream divides $ Morris and Litchfield. It IS here that Engineer Cairns proposes to build tenn porary dams for storage purposes, tc feed water gradually to the receiving point flows through the land of the Widow Johnson, which can be pur. ], chased now for a song. In fact talks l with few residents in that vicinity dis close the fact that land value is ex tremely low.
 On the hill opposite the stream wal pointed out where Lockwood the mur
 derer of Mattie Randall was found hang f ing. While the prospectors were r who lives in a spacious farm house 6 s half mile above, drove up and regaled l the sight seers with the trials of farm CTS life. He said that the stream al s this point was never known to run dry The emphasis on the last word was SC l strongly marked that the hint was not r thrown away and Farmer Titus left his 9 jocose friends not only ''liquidated' but bearing away with him the recep 2 hands of the city fathers.
 After careful study of the course oi s the circuitous stream and it's many tribu : taries which flow down the hills from s the gorge to the last stopping place the s journey was renewed. Along the course
 of the stream several small mills were r in operation, but no other signs of life 3 were observed to disturb the music oi . the rushing water. The journey on n ward was trial of the endurance oi v both man and beast. When the party ' reached the farm of Henry O. Gillette 2 they were compelled to make 8 drive ,- way through the farm yard, over barr V fields, surmounting fences, blowing
 through slush and snow, in which thu horses sank almost out of sight. Afte T T a struggle in which even the staid ok e passable drifts of snow the summit O . the hills was reached.
 # Councilman Hart was on this roaC ~ = the victim of a laugh. A lone farm o house occupied prominent position o and on entering the councilman wa .s mortified to find the supposed corpse O % Ia woman. He shouted to his com ,, to the scene. Suddenly the supposed y corpse opened her eyes ID surprise anG n the crowd retreated in dismay anC a stopped not until they reached thei companions resting on the peak of thu
 hills. Here good view was had of tn, surrounding country and the enormou '- watershed of the proposed site was { theme of much interest. After a care s full survey the return trip through d Northfield was began, and the staid olG residents of that village were awakened e from their lethargy by the young anC a old of the party. The sight of a minia Q ture emblem of the stars and stripe erected over a snow house awoke tn, = enthusiasm of the sleigh riders anC cheer after cheer rent the air. The res - of the journey was uneventful, witI T the exception of Councilman Bolan' n frantic dives after his head gear, whicl z would Dersist in f1Oatinu away On th, e winds, and sampling the quality of tn, 3 new water: The party arrived homeia
 6 o'clock. = .-