for the last hundred years, a further vote was passed, that the prosecution of the enterprise should be conducted without expense to the town! The committee which had been appointed, consisting of William Cothren, Nathaniel B. Smith, James Huntington, George B. Lewis and Cornelius J. Minor, most of whom were not present at the meeting, or learning the terms on which they could address the "worshipful" General Assembly, declined to turn aside from their ordinary avocations, to engage in such a thankless task at their own expense, and the other towns having evinced a similar want of pecuniary interest in the enterprise, it most ingloriously "fell through!"

There is a very prevalent, though probably erroneous notion abroad in the world, to the effect that ministers' and deacons' children are wont to be, in early life, more actively hilarious, and sensitively appreciative of wordly joys, than others of their age and condition in life. Parson Stoddard, who, for the long period of sixty years resided in the old parsonage, and presided over the religious interests of the people with so much fidelity and success, had a large family of sons and daughters. Though no scandal ever attached to them, the daughters are related to have somewhat rebelled at the rigid notions of their reverend father. It was not to their liking, when lovers called, to be obliged to sit with doors ajar, that their venerated parents might be assured by the "hearing of the ear," that no careless or irreverent word was ut

tered. So, after a time, arrangements were made by which the lovers ascended a ladder, and were admitted at the north-west chamber window of the venerable mansion. A notable occasion occurred, when there was a brilliant, though secret gathering in that old "tristing chamber." It was on the occasion of the first introduction of tea into the colony. The good pastor had obtained a small quantity, to be used in "cases of sickness." But the daughters were "minded" to have a model "tea-party" with their "sweet-hearts." As the article had never been "cooked" in the house, they were at their wits' end to know how to "do the dish." They solved the difficulty in the end by cooking it in a large iron kettle and serving it in a platter, in the same manner as they would a mess of greens.

Woodbury has had a specimen of everything that any part of the State has possessed. It has therefore had its witch. The name of this "veritable being" was Moll Cramer, who lived in West side somewhere near the Bunnell

place. She was the wife of the elder Adam Cramer, a blacksmith, who was living there as late as 1753. He took especial pains not to of fend his wife, for whenever he was so unlucky as to fall under her ire, everything went wrong with him. If he was shoeing a horse, and she came around in wrathful mood, no shoe, however well secured to the hoof, no strength of iron nails was able to withstand her influence. The shoe would im

mediately begin to loosen, and fall off.

Her conduct finally became so outrageous, that her husband, who was a Christian man, being dependent upon the patronage of the public for his support, and being in danger of the suspicion of "holding familiarity with Satan," was obliged to discard her and drive her from his house. She built a cabin of poles on Good Hill, slept on straw, in a filthy way, and eked out a scanty subsistance

by begging from the much enraged neighborhood. Her son, who was believed to have been bewitched by her, was inseparable from her in all her wanderings, and begging for bread. No one dared to refuse her anything she asked for. If she asked for a piece of pork, and it was denied, a blight fell upon that man's swine, and no wealth of meal and potatoes could ever fatten them.

One day she went into the house of a neighbor who was churning She conversed indifferent

cream.

ly with the lady of the house about

butter and other matters, and, after a time, no present of butter, or anything else being offered her, she retired. The churning

went on during the afternoon and evening, but no butter was produced. Next morning the churning was

resumed by the good dame

and her husband, with no better success than before. After a long time it occurred to them that Moll had been there the day before, and that she had doubtless bewitched the cream. The good man of the house, determining to burn the witch out of the cream,heated a horse shoe and dropped it

into the churn. A few moments after, the process of churning ceased, and the butter was "gathered." If these good people had been a little better acquainted with nature's laws, they would have understood that the heat imparted by the shoe, was just the warmth required to accomplish the purpose, and would not have supposed that any miracle had been performed in burning the witch! Further particulars about this crazy old woman, and the superstitious dread of her, will be found on pages 159, 160.

On page 214, an account is given of the passage through Woodbury of the French army, on its way south, to join Washington in his operations against Lord Cornwallis. In the account, a single

error occurs, in stating that Gen. La Fayette was with the troops. He proceeded another way to join Washington. It was Count Rochambeau who passed through Woodbury in command of the troops. Gen. La Fayette had generously raised the troops in his own country, and commanded them in the field. It was also stated in the former account, that the army passed over Breakneck Hill, in Middlebury, near the north end of Quassapaug Lake, and that the hill was so called from the circumstance of the falling of one of the cattle in descending that hill, and breaking its neck. The army passed over that hill, but we find by the records of ancient Waterbury, that it had borne the name of Breakneck for more than half a century before this occurrence.

One or two natural curiosities have been omitted in the chapter on the physical history of the town. One is a very singular spe

cimen of an oak tree, situated in the highway, near the house of Deacon Truman Judson, in upper Nonnewang, of which the artist gives the subjoined sketch.

Near the southern boundary of the town, in Transylvania, by the highway, on William N. Shelton's land, is another singular specimen of the freaks of nature. A tree stands there, which is formed by a complete union of a "shag-bark" hickory on the one side, and a white-oak on the other, both bearing nuts "after its kind."

It is a very interesting specimen in natural history, and many people go to visit it, to mark its curious combination.

Just below this tree, near the highway, and near the place where stood the old Elisha Minor house, is a mammoth frostgrape vine, which is judged to be near 300 years old, having been known ever since the founding of the town, in 1672. It is forty inches in circumference, at the place where it leaves the ground, and much larger just below the surface. It is thirty-five inches in circumference, ten feet from the ground, and is in no place less than twenty-eight inches in circumference, till it separates into branches, and overspreads a large oak tree. It is now (Aug., 1871) Joaded with grapes.

The Father's Monument, as has been before stated, is located at

the head of the grave of Rev. Zechariah Walker. In locating the monument, the ashes of himself and wife were not disturbSued. ed. The original head-stone, was made from a native boulder uncut. The artist gives a fac simile of it in the margin. The writer caused the original let

ters, which had become nearly obliterated by the storms of 160 years, to be cut very deep, so that they may be legible for ages to

come.

Ram-pit Hill, which is near Hotchkissville, received its name

from a pit, which was dug to entrap a wolf, that had been making great havoc among the sheep. A ram was placed within it as a lure for the wolf to enter it. The bait proved sufficient. In the morning the wolf was found in the pit, and the ram, instead of being devoured, had defended himself

with so much spirit and bravery, that he had reduced the wolf to a state of great docility. The wolf was despatched, and his companion released.

During the 17th century, there was a custom prevailing among the Congregational societies, (as indeed has been the case in later years) of supplying their pastors with their year's quota of wood, by what was termed a "wood-spell," or "wood bee." It was also in accordance with the custom of the times for the pastor to invite his parishioners "to take something to drink," on arriving at

his wood-yard before unloading their wood. Rev. Mr. Wildman, pastor of the church in the Southbury society, at this time, was a wit, and fond of "cracking his jokes" on all suitable occasions. A certain poor, but jocose man, who had no team, but who liked well

the customary "treat," on one occasion, took a large log on his