Year: 1873



 was about as stirring place for it's size as there was in the country, but one after another, those immense iron hammers were silenced, until all were asleep in a death which has known.no resurrection, and the vii lage has suffered correspondingly. The Housatonic railroad company, having pur- chased the great Ames works and remod- eled and reconstructed them for their use for locomotive and car building, business of all kinds seems awaking from it's Rip Van Wrinkle sleep. and the place is now moving with long and rapid strides toward it's former state of life and activity; and even blds fairly to outstrip in increase of growth and business enterprise anything ever before attained. New streets are be- ing laid out and buildings erected, the busy hammers of the carpenters rattling in the various parts, like flock of wood-peckers in yellow pine forest. Some of the most desirable building lots are being staked out on the hill just east of the railroad depot in fact we are informed that MT. Miner, who is the owner of the property, will have at least one hundred building lots there, which for location certainly can- not easily be surpassed. Everyone of these lots commands an extensive and charming | view of mountain, hillside and valley seen cry; the Housatonic river creeping along it's course at the foot of the mountains at. the south, as though utterly unconscious of it's almost deafening roar, as it was tumbled over the rocks at the falls above. This land for building purposes, commanding as it does such beautiful scenery, possesses an advantage over most localities of that class, inasmuch as it is of such easy access, the ascent to it from the north being very grad ual, and it's nearness to the railroad depot, bank, post office, churches and stores. (be- ing not three minutes walk to any of them We are informed these lots are offered for sale at a low figure, which certainly is the right start for rapid growth of the will lage. The new Citizens Hall, which is to have frontage of 50 feet, and will be 60 feet deep, is being pushed forward to an early completion. On the first story will be two stores, and the hall for the town and court business will be overhead. The two churches in that village (the Congregational and Methodist,) are in more fourishing condition than ever before, the slips in tt e Congregational selling thi s season for $500 more than at any previous year. Thus it is; Falls Village is really improving Tn ev cry way, and that rapidly, and this improve ment bids fair for being substantial and per manent. Let's all move over to Falls Vil- lage and build our homes in the new city on the hill.

 Ira0ezjng West.-Friend Pease, hope you are not worrying about me, thinking am off the track or lost on the broad prai ries of the West. Thanks to kind Provi- dence; none of these have happened to me. I left home the 5th of May, Monday, stop- ped over one day in New York, took the cars Wednesday morning and was soon on my way to Philadelphia, Harrisburg and the foot of the Allegany mountains, and began to ascend it's lofty nights. The seen cry was grand and romantic, and the view as you near the top is extensive and beau tiful. In the year 1909 1 crossed over this mountain nearly in the same place, and as I was leading my horse along huge bear crossed the path just before me, the sight of which made me jump for the saddle. Flocks of wild turkeys and prairie chickens nearly blocked my path. don't remem- Der that there was house till reached the top of the mountain, where Altoona now stands. Now you pass small villages and small we'll cultivated farms as you cross over. staid at Altoona the first night, took the cars the next morning and was in Pittsburg and stopped for dinner. was here at the time I mentioned when there were but few houses, only one public house where lonely travellers were cared for Across the Alleghany river there was not 8 house, but dark dense forest now there is city nearly as large as Pittsburg.

 The cars run many miles beside the beau tiful Ohio river, and anyone can't but en- joy the ride. After leaving the river passed through handsome country, rich and highly cultivated farms and growing villages all along the way. Night was upon us and we took to our berths and slept as we'll as we could and woke in Illinois. We arrived Friday at Chicago, between 10 and II o'clock A. M It had rained all the way from Pittsburg, and all the time was in the city, and saw but very lttle of it. l left the same night, and as we neared the great river of the West, daylight began to appear and had fine view of that mighty stream. The flowing current of such a body of water was magnifcently grand. Clinton, large city, stands on the west bank of the river. A further ride of 2e0 miles through Iowa landed me in this young city. The first house built here was five years ago. There is now between six and seven hundred inhabitants. They have a mayor, and the people are governed by city laws. like Iowa, the soil is black loam, very easy of cultivation and very productive. It is vast expanse of rolling prairie and seems illimltable. It looks to one like vast ocean of land with not a tree or shrub to obstruct the view. The sky shuts down all around it. These prai- ries are burned over every spring, and as the grass starts early they are now beauti- full and look like highly cultivated mead ows. Large herds of cattle are grazing upon these prairies under the care of a herdsman, and yarded every night. Farm CTS cut all the hay they want without cost. The sowing of wheat here is immense, and is looking finely. Fields SO large as would nearly cover up old Salisbury. am mak- ing this letter too long. am one hundred miles from Omaha, and you may hear from me when I have seen that city.