Connecticut western news., 1896-04-16
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
An Answer to "lpha bitant.'

Editor or Ne,ps:
 Referring to letter signed "Inhabi. tant" ia a recent issue of the NEWS, con- menting on the decline of industries etc. in the town of North Canaan, and more particularly the village of Canaan, the writer evidently belongs to that class of people to be found in every we'll regulated community vbo believe that public sentiment must be aroused by presenting the faults and failures of it's people, instead of praising them for their virtues and good deeds. They get so enthusiastic and absorbed In their thought they often overdraw the picture. This appears to be the con- servstive criticism of the article refer ed to. The Jingoes say all right; The Old fogies (fossils) say all wrong.
 Now let us look at some of the facts. About 30 years ago what is now known ss the village of Canaan began to pick up. A new Methodist church, new dwellingsbegan to appear. Later came the Conn. Western R R. Village pro. perty advanced in price, the town voted S34, 900 in aid of the railroad entelp and paying annually about $1200 in terest on this debt. From the time this road was built to the present our vil- lage has had continued prosperity Spring water from the mountain sup plies all our people, so that no dram shops are required or allowed. h. dustries have grown and prospered, I suppose not less than 140. 900 bbls. of lime were made and shipped out of this town the last year. This industry alone gives employment to many men and the cost of production mostly goes to the laborers. the raw material, stone and wood. being very cheap. This answers iu part the query of your correspondent "what do all the people in Canaan do for living?"
 In looking over the town we find it prosperous generally The Barnum Richardson Go at East Canaan are making pig iron, not as extensively as formerly but think the only furnace in the Housatouic Valley in continuous blast The White Brick and Terra Gotta Co., is a new industry located at Clay ton, just over the Massachusetts llne, and has its outlet and inlet at Canaan. Its large fine horses with their big loads of coal and terra cotta are seen ln our streets daily, Sundays excepted.) A receut order for 10000 pieces for ship ment to New York is now being filled. Drive over to Clayton some pleasant day and see the fine buildings this con- pany has erected for it's manufactures
 Now word about the might-have- beenf Without quoting the poe), the re- pair shops. When the Housatonic road decided to remove it's shops from Bridgeport there was an effort made to induce the company to locate them at Canaan. The Ames property at Falls Village was idle and for sale cheap. The late Messrs Barnum ard Feet were then prominent managers and directors of the road and it was decided the best interests of the company would be ad- vanced by locating at Falls Village. Later on Mir Bsrnum, then president of the Conn. Western road, met the citizens of Canaan at the Warner H ,use and stated that if some financial aid could be assured by the Canaan people he thought the car shops could be remov- ed from Hartford to Canaan, also the general offices of the company. The aid was promised and preparations be- gan to carry out the project. MT Bar num's health failed; a fey months later he died, the project was abandon ed, that is the history of repair shops in Canaan. Other cases might be cited to show thlt Canaan's business men have always been ready to encourage any legitimate industry that wished to 10. cate in town.
 And what about the city people and the roads9 Canaan people have always been ready to welcome good citizens to their town as residents or guests, either city or .'country folks" s'In. haoitant" contrasts Salisbury and Nor folk with Canaan. Norfolk and Sails. bury have attractions for summer guests that we have not. They have few million dollar people, lakes etc, that we cannot boast of. Aside from that we have advantages in the way of cen tral location, railroad connections etc Our Hotel Warner is open 365 days II l the year, the proprietor prosperou and happy, does not have to close il r winter for lack of patronage.
 The roads, ''what miserable road they do have in Canaan" Yes, the, are not as good as they ought to be, bu we are promised some improvements the coming season. But what abou . the State roads? State roads that COS $5,000 per mile in country towns i { only question of dollars, no cent about it Yes we all want them, bu the majority of towns in Litchfiels Oouuky uaNo uOs Not solSeu buo pEob lem how the old New England farmer } are going to pay their savings bank in terest and be taxed for macadam road ,, for the banker and bondholder to driv his fine horses over. but they say thes ;, people bring money to your town Yes, they do, but that does not solv |. the problem.
 R. Oscar Leach, 65. the state auditol @ died at his home in Durham on Satul n day of heart disease. He had serve