Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-26
AS YOU LIKE IT
tome Stray Leaves From Reporters
 Note Book.

Note BoOks Waterbury was visited by a real old khioned New England snow squalI to-day. The wind blew with cons1d- erable fury, thus ding lsnow in all directions and gil people who were out of doors all they could do holding onto their headgear and keeping clear of Instructions. The day is known in the Roman calendar as the feast of St Stephen, a good share of which is devoted to hunting the wren in some of the runtries of the old world, and at tin to-day some of the scenes witnessed in Exchange place, when crowds rushed madly after an tnno- cent appearing hat. or. cap, were al- most as exciting and amusing as any thing one saw in a wild chase after the dlminutive bird that seems to be a special object of attack on St Ste phen's day.
 In Corea the people tell Cinderella story that is much more ancient than that familiar to western people. The key of the latter story Is the slipper, but not so theirs. Peach Blossom, the CoTean Cinderella's name, was the family drudge. One day as the mother was starting off with the favorite daughter to picnic she said to Peach Blossom: 'SYou must not leave until you have hulled bagful of rice and filled the broken crock with water" While sitting there bemoaning her hard lot she heard q tw1ttering and hut- tering of wings. Looking up, she saw a flock of spaIrows pecking the hulls ~Nfp bat rs9o D QoPn her surprise a little imp jumped out of the fireplace and so skillfully repaired the crock that but a few minutes of work was required to fill it with water. Then she went to the picnic and had royal time.
 A few men were discussing the municipal water sources last night, when one of the party remarked that he knew place where population of 250,o0O souls is supplied with water pumped from river into which sev- eral shops empty all kinds of refuse, and asked how it could be made fit for domestic use. Somebody said that per haps it purified itself in a long run through pipes before 1t reaches the city, whereupon the man who asked the question replied that he considered that a silly explanation, adding that if one started out in the morning with 8 dirty face he would travel a long dis tance before it would clean itself. His idea was that if the source of the sup ply was Conta minated the water had to be thoroughly filtered and all ob- 1ectionable matter removed before 1t could be of any benefit to the people. He then went on to show how this is done and wound up by claiming that 1t would be much cheaper for Water bury to purify the Naugatuck river than go to the expense of building and maintaining sewage disposal plant.
 One Waterbury man received a Christmas present in the early part of the week which he thanked the donor for very cordially, but if he could find him a few hours later he would have given him a free lecture and probably something worse. It was a handsome Christmas tree which was supposed to have been bought in 8 South Main street market and the person to whom it was given knew nothing to the contrary until he took stroll through his lot and missed a
 
 grow taller and more slightly since it was planted several years ago by one who was called to her reward few years ago. Whew, but wasn't he mad. and no wonder. He Used to go out in the stiffness of the night and sit for hours beside that little tree and dream of the one who set it there He thought her spirit lowered about II.a-- rounding it with substantial railing to save 1t from being injured by cat tle that make occasional incursions into his land. Just what prompted anyone to cut it down 1t would be hard to say. but it Is thought that the mar who applied the axe to it was not aware of it's history and did it believ inc that it was of no account and that the joke would hp appreciated by his friend when llo caught on."