The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-01-03

N. G., James L. McEwan.
V. G., James Collins.
R. S., Charles D. Pulver.
F. S., Clark NJ. Hunt.
Treasurer. Charles Planz.
Mr. McEwan is well known in secret
society circles, being past master of
ST Peters lodge, F. & A. NJ. He is a
young man of character and ability,
and is well qualified for the important
Office to which he has been elected.
INHABITANTS FELL ON THEIR KNEES
AS THEY THOUGHT THE EARTH WAS
COMING TO AN END.
Several thousand Inhabitants of
New Milford, on the Berkshire divi-
sion of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford railroad, were startled
last night by an explosion somewhere
to skyward of the town. The sound
was terrific, they say, and the side
walks trembled. People rushed out of
doors, and some of them declare that
they thought the day of Judgment was
at hand. They knelt in the streets
and began to pray.
AS the terrible sound came there was
bright flash about 200 yards from the
earth, directly overhead. A little
later the streets, were choked with
people, gaping at the heavens and
wondering what was the cause lof the
noise. It was fully concluded by many
that a meteorite had exploded over
the town. Some of the more religious
citizens, however, persisted in believ-
ing that the strange blast was intend
ed as warming that the life of the
| world was about to end. That no
fragments or traces of meteorite
could be found was used by them as an
argument that they were right in
their conclusions.
A. L. Conkey, whoconducts music
store, solved the mystery late this af-
ternoon by saying that he set off a
giant skyrocket, which caused the ex-
| element. The rocket/had been left
over from the last Fourth of July, and
his family thought fitting to celebrate
with it happy Christmas.-[New
York Times. 49,
The ludicrous dispatches sent out to
the Associated Press covering the
| above incident have made great
laugh in town. If the regular CORES
| pondent for the A. p, is responsible
for it, he has made himself a target
for the local jokers, who will not be
slow to climb on his collar. The AS
ISOLATED Press is not fond of being i'm
posed upon, and it may be the CORES
pondent's fortune to receive a calling
down he will not appreciate. And a
further train of thought is suggested
Was the A. P. correspondent one Of
those who fell in terror to the sidewalk
on his knees in an attitude of prayer:
OF course he believed he. was sending
a genuine news item and not a fake
for he must be a simon pure
and honest individual. If hi
did send it the members of the Hettie
Bumgarten Association should get to.
gether, pass eulogistic set of resolu
lions and present him with a leather
medal as genius of the first order
President Jackson and his fellow COM
patriots should take this important
and delicate matter in hand.
Who represents the Associated Pres.
locally, anyhow?
| That energetic and popular must
clan, A. L. Conkey, probably had littl.
idea in setting off a harmless sky
rocket, he would cause local religious
enthusiasts to fall in trembling or
their knees and have half of the peopl,
in the United States talking about tn,
strange phenomenon in the skies.
HAPPY TINE FOR THE CHILDREN.
The Christmas entertainment fol-
the Sunday school of the Congregation
al church was held on Thursday, De
cember 26, at 5 o'clock, and passed of
very pleasantly. The devotional ex
ercises consisted of singing by tn,
young men, and also by the primar.
class; reading of the Scripture by De;
Marsh, the superintendent; praye
and remarks by the pastor, followed
by singing by six OF the Junior En-
deavorers. Then came the most in
teresting part to the children. Thirty
nine dolls that had been finely dressed
by the ladies were provided for the lit
tie girls of the primary class, while toys
games and books delighted the boy
and older children. The presents
were not hung upon the tree, which
was simply decorated with ornaments
but were brought in hampers by SAINT;
Claus and his wife, who, as the curtain
was drawn, appeared on the stage in {
sledge drawn by a life-size reindeer
Dasher by name, which was kindly
loaned for the occasion by L. F. Curtis