The Willimantic Chronicle - Year of 1883

Published every Wednesday.

McDonald & Safford, Editors and Publishers.
Office, Hall's Block, Main & Union Sts.
$1.50 per year.

M. Wallen, A.H. Freeman, O.G. Hanks. Prompter: O.M. Richardson.

173. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: About Town.
Dr. A.J. Church was in town last week.
The Ashford stage makes its regular trips on runners.
The Willimantic river is much swollen since the moist weather struck in.
Patrick Cunningham, who broke his ankle some weeks since by falling on the ice, while about on crutches last week fell again and displaced the fracture.
James Carroll a brakeman in the railroad yards had one of his hands caught between the bumpers while coupling cars Tuesday and one finger badly jammed.
E.F. Spicer left his horse unhitched on the road between this village and North Windham yesterday and a badly smashed wagon and injured horse was the result.
A.S. Turner, as agent for the Turner estate, has sold the fine homestead on Maple avenue to James Walden. This is a very desirable and valuable property.
Telephonic communication direct from this village to Norwich was perfected Thursday and now we are able to talk with the people all along the line of the Norwich and Worcester railroad.
The millinery goods comprising the insolvent estate of Miss Annie W. Hall are being sold cheap by the assignee, George A. Conant Esq. They may be seen by calling on him at room No. 1 opera house block.

174. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Officer Flynn arrested Frank Carroll last night at his house for drunkenness and abusing his family. He was arraigned before J.R. Arnold Esq. pleaded guilty and was fined $3 and costs amounting to $12,26 which he settled.

175. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: A horse belonging to Mr. Edwin A. Buck became frightened while standing in front of his residence Friday, got away from the hostler and ran down North street off an embankment damaging both horse and carriage to a considerable extent.

176. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: E.B. Crane felled a tree in the woods on his farm at Chestnut Hill with the inscription “C.H.P. 1863” deeply cut into the bark. What is curious about the incident is the fact that it should remain there for twenty years in defiance of the work of nature to obliterate it.

177. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: The annual meeting of the Connecticut Pharmaceutical association will open in Hartford this evening. Jonathan Hodgson formerly of Willimantic will read a paper on “Ointment of Nitrate of Mercury.” F.M. Wilson, also of Willimantic, will prepare a paper on “How much knowledge should a Pharmacist possess?”

178. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: In the case of Bennett v. the Agricultural Insurance company tried at the August term of the Superior Court before the jury Judge Andrews holding the court, and in which a verdict was given for the plaintiff. The Supreme Court has granted a new trial for refusal to charge the jury as requested by the defendant. Briscoe and Maltbie for plaintiff. Hunter and Sawyer for defendant.

179. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: W.J. Bassett who has charge of the Erie and New England express office here, the public will be glad to learn, will recover from a severe attack of pneumonia. His son, who is in the government employ at Washington, was telegraphed for Friday with intimation that the worst might be expected, but the disease on Sunday took a favorable turn. R.E. Rogers has been in charge of the express office during Mr. Bassett’s sickness.

180. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: L.H. Tiffany while out on a meat cart of E. Harris, in whose employ he is, lost a pocket book containing $21 Monday morning. Jennie Hickey picked up the missing article at the corner of Milk and Union streets and deposited it with her father, John Hickey, who returned it to its owner.

181. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: A meeting of the Court of Burgesses was held in the Borough office Tuesday evening the full board being present. Chief Engineer Billings appeared before the board and asked that a telephone be placed in his house to be used in case of alarm of fire. A petition signed by H.T. Fowler and others asking that a grade be established for the extention of Belevue street north of Prospect was referred to the committee on streets. The following bills were presented and ordered paid: Labor bill for January $52; N. Palmer & Co. hose for fire department $486; D.W. Shurtliff night Watchman $62; Chas. T. Brown night watchman $62; Luke Flynn night watchman $62; Excelsior Hook and Ladder Co. salary $51.25; Alert Hose Co. salary $38.75; Montgomery Hose Co. salary $38.75; A.W. Bill repairs on Street lamps $6.95; Jas. Picknell repairs $2.95; Chas. R. Utley supplies $1.35; Jas. Walden supplies $0.75. Voted to dissolve.

182. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: General Manager Felton of the New York & New England has just issued a circular order for the use of fusee signals on that road by flagmen of passenger trains. One kind, to be used when a passenger train is delayed, or loses time between stations, so that its rear is in danger from a following train, is calculated to burn ten minutes, and is so made that it can be thrown off a train while in motion. It has a sharp point which will penetrate the ground or a tie and hold it in an upright position. An engineman seeing one of these signals burning on the track before him, will know that a train has passed within less than ten minutes, and will at once bring his train to a full stop, and then proceed slowly until he obtains definite information in regard to the train which left the signal. The fusees are also to be used when a flagman is called in from signaling a following train and has not had time to get back the prescribed distance.

183. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Superior Court.—The February term of the Superior court for Windham county commenced here Tuesday with Judge Beardsley on the bench but it is expected that he will remain but a few days when Judge Carpenter will take his place. The following jurors have been drawn for service during the term: Brooklyn, William Clapp, Willard Day, Hampton, Joseph W. Clark, George M. Davis; Killingly, Abner Young, Simon S. Waldo, Isaac Tillinghast; Pomfret, Frederick Hyde, Edward P. Hayward; Putnam, Thomas L. Bundy, John S.D. Grant, R.M. Bullock; Woodstock, Winfield Kenyon, J.F. Chandler, Nathaniel F. Andrews; Plainfield, Havilah M. Prior, Asher R. Herrick, William A. Leser
There are twenty-six cases noticed for trial to jury, eighty-two to court and states attorney Penrose gives notice of thirty-three criminal cases to be tried. At the opening of court yesterday the following prisoners pleaded guilty: Michael Moriarty of Putnam, selling liquor fined $50 and costs; George Brown and William Nelson for burglary in Brooklyn were sentenced to two years each in state prison.
James McGrath for being a tramp was sentenced to six months in prison; Wm. Newport for theft in Brooklyn ninety days in jail; Eli Barber for burglary in Plainfield was given two years in state prison. The case of James Morgan charged with being a tramp is on trial at this writing.

184. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: What might have been but for the greatest of good fortune, a very serious accident occurred at the depot on Monday morning about half past eleven o’clock. The driver of Edward Taylor’s coal team attempted to cross the railroad tracks on the New London Northern side at the same time with an engine which was moving up to get a supply of water, he not seeing its approach. The collision was about amidway of the wagon, and horse and all were dragged and thrown about two rods onto the depot platform tearing the harness almost entirely from the horse. Without the slightest injury the animal gathered himself up and in his fright bounded over a baggage truck in the way and struck a rapid gait for home. The driver jumped and the only injury sustained by him was slight scratches on his hands. The forward part of the wagon will need considerable repairing.

185. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Two of the principal carriage makers of the country have taken up arms in law against each other to test the patent right to a spring. Messrs. J.B. Brewster & Co. of New York have sued A.N. Perry of Boston for infringements. The plaintiffs claim that their patent combines the body of the vehicle, side bars and cross springs. It is set up by the defendant that such an arrangement was known and used years before the plaintiffs used and adopted it as their patent right. Last Spring the defendant moved for a preliminary injunction to restrain Brewster & Co. from manufacturing such springs but the court decided to grant no injunction until the present controversy is closed. A coterie of lawyers have been in town for a week taking depositions before J.T. Fanning, Esq., notary public. Messrs. Witter and Kenyon for plaintiff and Messrs. Preble and Barstow for defendant. The examination of witnesses is held in Hotel Commercial parlors. They have had Dr. G.B. Hamlin on the stand from the beginning and at this writing have not finished his deposition. It is thought that the hearing may be spun out as much longer. W.C. Witter formerly of this place is the principal attorney for the plaintiff and as a patent lawyer he has the credit of being very able.

186. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Death of W.L. Harrington.—W.L. Harrington died at the home of his mother on Valley street Friday afternoon at half past one o’clock at the age of forty-three years. Mr. Harrington was born in this town and always lived here with the exception of a short period in his youth when he was employed in a clothing store in Norwich, after which he returned to this village and took a clerkship in the clothing store of J.G. Keigwin. When he left that position it was to form a partnership in the same line of trade with Smith and Foster under the firm name of W.L. Harrington & Co. which formed one of the large combination of stores. Their place of business was that now occupied by H.E. Remington & Co. He continued in that concern for a number of years and during the time was very prosperous. He sold his interest in the firm some seven years since and shortly started the present firm of W.L. Harrington & Co. Mr. Harrington was a person of genial nature and made friends indiscriminately by his pleasing ways. As a business man he was a very capable and excellent salesman and the clothing firm of which he was a senior partner has built up a large business. He was unmarried and leaves a widowed mother. The funeral was attended from the house of the deceased, Rev. S. McBurney officiating, on Sunday at 11 o’clock. Mr. A.B. Palmer extends thanks to neighbors and friends for numerous kindnesses during the sickness of Mr. Harrington.

187. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Re Dedication of the Methodist Episcopal Church—Methodism began in this village upwards of fifty-five years ago and the first house of worship was built in or about the year 1827. It was a wooden structure built in the plainest and most inexpensive way and in dimensions one story high 40x60 feet and without a spire. It stood on the present site of Atwood block on Main street and was removed from that location about thirty years ago to Church street where it now stands it being the upper story of that building just north of C.E. Congdon’s block. The Methodists rapidly increased in numbers and prospered here and in 1850 erected the present house of worship on Church street, Warren Atwood being the contractor. Elder Dunham was the first preacher located here he being known in that denomination as a lay preacher. During the week he worked out as a mechanic. The present stone church was dedicated in 1851 and a notable feature of the services was a sermon by Rev. Mr. Olin D.D., president at that time of Wesleyan University. He was one of the most distinguished men in Methodism at that day and was a powerful and eloquent preacher. The pastor then stationed over this charge was Rev. Jonathan Cady. From that time no improvements worth of mention were made on the church until the pastorate of Rev. Edgar Clark who expended a considerable sum of money in 1869 on the auditorium the principal undertaking being the frescoing. It was then that on the walls facing the congregation the panels were originated, on which was hideously lettered the Ten Commandments. Enough money was also raised at this period to buy a lot on which to erect a parsonage. Rev. S.G. Carroll was in 1877 instrumental in remodeling the vestry and making it a very pleasant audience room adding thereto tasty parlors. The improvements which have just been completed under the supervision of Rev. S. McBurney exceed all these combined that have heretofore been made and paid for. The formal re-dedication took place last Wednesday. It was a dreary day up to the hour of commencement and it was then made more dreary by a increasing rain storm. This seemed to bode ill for an important event in the church but ere the first service was half done the rain ceased and the clouds were swept away leaving the heavens bright and cheerful as a spring morning. The unfavorable weather did not deter a stream of people from making their way fully half an hour before service time to participate in the dedicatory exercises. At the time of beginning the edifice was crowded to its utmost capacity and many were unable to be seated. An appropriate anthem finely rendered by the choir was introductory to the exercises of the afternoon and after this there was a lull which was improved by turning the gas on to the reflectors, which are flash lights, and illuminating the auditory. An idea suggested by the darkness from a cloudy sky. This made a very good impression on the audience and when the choir struck up the thrilling strain “All hail the power of Jesus name” the deepest interest was manifest. Rev. Geo. E. Reed, of Brooklyn, N.Y., then read a portion of Scripture from 2nd Chronicles, and was followed by Rev. G.W. Brewster, of Danielsonville. The hymn, “Rock of Ages” was read by Rev. Geo. King of Norwich and at the conclusion of the singing Rev. Geo. E. Reed announced as his test for the sermon of the afternoon: Psalms LXXXIV, X,--“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness,”—from which he preached a very powerful and eloquent sermon. His general theme was: the house of God; its significance and value. At his conclusion Rev. S. McBurney the pastor took the platform and his appeals for subscriptions to extinguish the debt incurred, made the dry bones rattle. There was a $1500 deficiency to be made up and at the end of the service $1395 had been pledged. It was expected that Rev. W.F. Worth, a former pastor, would preach in the evening, arrangements having been made with him, after word had been received that Dr. Lansing of Stanford could not be present, but he telegraphed his inability to be present with a sufficient excuse and so Rev. Mr. Reed preached again in the evening. This time he spoke from Acts XXVI, 19th,--“Whereupon, O, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,”—after the presiding elder Rev. H.D. Robinson of Norwich had offered prayer. At the termination of the discourse Rev. Mr. McBurney struck out again for subscriptions to make up the desired $1500 and he very soon raised it, and with it a reputation as an accomplished “begger” which will not perish. The Methodist society has now an audience room in which they cannot but take pride and which has no superior in this country. Rev. S. McBurney’s name will be treasured in the archives of that church as having helped it many steps upward. The improvements cost in all $6,800 and they are paid for. The Methodist church is to be congratulated.

188. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Senator Sabin of Minnesota.—The Hon. D.M. Sabin of Stillwater Minn., who has just been elected to the United States senate to succeed Senator Windom, is a Windham county boy, though his actual birthplace was in Aurora, Illinois. His father was Dr. Sabin a well known physician of Killingly and his mother was an Ohio lady. Just before his birth his parents removed to Illinois, but came back when young Sabin was a mere lad, and he spent the rest of his youth there. He was born in 1844, and is therefore now thirty-nine years of age. If we are not mistaken he will be the youngest member of the senate when he takes his seat. Mr. Sabin went west about fifteen years ago. He settled in Stillwater where he has since resided and joined a partnership for the manufacture of sashes, doors, blinds, etc. After a short time the concern changed into a joint stock corporation with a capital of $50,000, and from that time continued to grow until it possessed a capital of $1,250,000. As it increased in wealth, it widened its business and largely devoted itself to the manufacture of the “Minnesota Chief” thresher. About eight years ago the “Northwestern Manufacturing and Car company” was formed to succeed the firm of Sabin, Seymour & Company which had previously carried on the business. The new company had at its start $3,500,000, and Mr. Sabin was made its president. It has had an unexampled prosperity and is to-day by all odds, the largest manufacturing company north of Chicago. It is said that there are only two larger concerns of its character in the United States. It is recognized as the greatest business enterprise in the state, and wields an influence second to none. In addition to his connection with this mammoth company, Mr. Sabin is connected with the C.N. Nelson lumber company of St. Paul the largest in the state, and is largely interested in the pine lands in which Minnesota is so rich. His career has been so successful that the whole state has a sort of pride in the man, and regards him with a genuine western affection. The new senator is well known throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. He has friends in this village, and Willimantic and Killingly can well join in sending him their congratulations.

188. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: South Coventry.
Prof. W.O. Turner has a very pleasant class receiving his instruction. It is several years since there has been a singing school here and it seems to be much enjoyed by all in attendance.
Messrs. Sweet and Wilson fished last week on Columbia reservoir and Lake Waugambaug and took from the latter place a 4 lb pickerel.
Henry W. Mason was in New York several days last week.
Austin Boynton and Bogue in one week with two teams delivered to the Washington mill thirty cords of wood from a lot about a quarter of a mile from W.G. Judd’s.
The ladies of the Methodist church will hold their weekly prayer meetings with Mother Hibbard instead of going from place to place as formerly.
Mrs. Norman Dunham makes a fine exhibit of plants and blossoms in her bay window.
Mrs. Spaulding still remains with her sister, Mrs. Harding Fitch of Willimantic.
Mrs. Dr. Dean has gone to New York to attend the 10th wedding anniversary of her niece, Mrs. Benoni Irwin, and to meet her brother, Mr. Lucian Curtis of California.

189. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Andover.
Mr. L.H. Porter has so far recovered as to be able to resume his duties on the railroad. Mrs. J.H. Arnold who was quite ill last week is also better.
Mrs. Orrin Williams died Monday morning. She had been sick for some time with a complication of difficulties. Her age was 66.
D.M. Burnap Esq. has accepted a situation with the N.Y. & N.E.R.R. Co. at Waterbury and Mr. R.E. Bishop has accepted a position with the same company at Manchester.
Interest in our library is constantly increasing. During the month of January 127 books were taken out which is more than was ever taken out before in any one month.
The survey for a new railroad from Manchester to Andover is finished and the engineer in charge is reported as saying that he finds the route quite feasible; that it saves 3 ½ miles in distance and 100 feet in grade. It meets the old line about one half mile this side of Bailey’s station.
Mr. R.W. Post was inn town over Sunday.

190. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: It may be alleged that Delaware clings to barbarism in refusing to abolish the whipping-post; but while barbaric men continue to beat their wives nothing less than a barbaric penalty is adequate.

191. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: J.W. Lyons, a brakeman, was killed on the New York and New England railroad at Abington, Wednesday. He was struck by a bridge. Thursday night, another brakeman, John K. Price, was taken to the Hartford hospital, having struck his head against a bridge near Hop River.

192. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Representative Charles N. Allen of Putnam has introduced a bill into the legislature intended to regulate freight tariff over railroads in this state and make it uniform from one point to another. It is claimed that some roads discriminate in their charges in favor of terminal points charging intermediate stations a higher proportionate rate. It is of importance to merchants throughout the state that the bill be passed.

193. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Danielsonville and Vicinity News.
By the courtesy of Mr. Henry S. Young Town Clerk for Killingly, the statistics of the term for 1882 were obtained, viz: number of houses, 985; acres of land, 28,676, mills, stores, and manufactories, 85; horses, 715; cattle, 1314; Coaches and carriages, 282; Bank and manufacturing stock, $101,665; mechanical and manufacturing, $130,100. These items and other kinds of property not here enumerated make the grand list of Killingly, Oct. 1st 1882 amount to $2,256,165. Total number of births for 1882, 185, viz: males, 85, females 100. Marriages 77. Deaths, 128, viz: males, 74; females, 54; under 1 year of age 44. The population of Killingly 6,921. The death rate is therefore 18 ½ per 1000 inhabitants which compares formably with any manufacturing town in the state.
There is much complaint of colds and throat troubles in this community, but severe cases tending to diphtheria, and pneumonia are much less frequent—almost disappeared.
Killingly feels justly elated in the election of Hon. Dwight M. Sabin, a native of and a resident of this town until a few past, United States Senator. Mr. Sabin is a gentleman of great business ability, urbane and courteous to all, and while a resident of Killingly was a sagacious and valuable leader and laborer in and for the republican party and all, irrespective of party rejoice that Minnesota has conferred upon him the distinguished honor of United States Senator.
The second series of sociables at the Atewaugan House was held a few evenings since. The Philharmonic band of this village furnished the music, and the dancers varied in age from the rosebuds of sixteen to the dignified matron of seventy. All went merry as marriage bells, and much credit is due Mr. L.I. Plummer editor of the local publication, the Opera Glass, for its success.

194. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Columbia.
Vennor’s almanac has been very liberally distributed among the people with the compliments of Wilson & Leonard, and any one who has followed his predictions for 1883 thus far will find that “Old Vennor” is a guessest of the first class.
There was a kitchen dance at Chas. S. Yeoman’s Wednesday evening and was indulged in by the neighborhood.
A fox was imprudent enough to put his foot in one of A. Whitcomb’s traps a few nights since, but succeeded in extricating himself; but left one toe nail and a lock of hair as a token of esteem for a light trap.
We are pleased to learn that Messrs. Loomis and Cummings, of Liberty Hill, are able to be about and wrestle with knotty legal and theological problems. We knew that “Bill” was equal to the task in digesting fine legal points, but was surprised to learn that he was rash enough to tackle theology. He had better let that subject remain under the championship of “Nort” who is the acknowledged champion on that subject.
An enlargement of the store now occupied by F.P. Collins to double its present size is contemplated. If some enterprising citizen would build a new store with a public hall in the second story, both Mr. Collins and the public would be better accommodated. This would be a step in the right direction, and the e. c. would receive the everlasting thanks of the people. Would it not prove a paying investment?
Chas. R. Buell returned Sunday evening after more than a week’s absence. He had been in company with his brother Will, of Tolland who was suffering from a rupture and was in search of surgical relief.

195. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Born.
Herrick—In Willimantic, Jan. 28, a son to Wm. C. and Susie M. Herrick.
Barrows—In Willimantic Jan. 16th, a daughter to George N. and Jennie M. Barrows.

196. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Died.
Chapman—In Columbia Feb. 6, Eliza Chapman, aged 75 years.
Lewis—In Lebanon, Feb. 1, Jeffrey Lewis, aged 79.
Dennison—In Windham, Feb. 2, Mrs. George Dennison, aged 81.
Harrington—In Willimantic, Feb. 3, W.L. Harrington, aged 43.
McFarlane—In Mansfield, Feb. 5, William McFarlane, aged 51.

197. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Found.—A wolf robe, some worn found on the road between Eagleville and Mansfield Depot Friday night Feb. 2. The owner may recover same by calling on P.H. Presbrey at Mansfield Depot, proving property, paying for trouble and this advertisement.

198. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: At a Court of Probate Holden at Windham within and for the district of Windham on the 3d day of February, A.D. 1883. Present John D. Wheeler, Esq., Judge. On motion of Amos B. Palmer, Administrator on the estate of William L. Harrington, late of Windham, within said district deceased. This Court doth decree that six months be allowed and limited for the creditors of said estate to exhibit their claims against the same to the said Administrator, and directs that public notice be given of this order by advertising in a newspaper published in Windham and by posting a copy thereof on a public sign-post in said Town of Windham nearest the place where the deceased last dwelt. Certified from Record. John D. Wheeler, Judge. All persons who are indebted to the firm of W.L. Harrington & Co., are requested to make immediate settlement. A.B. Palmer, Administrator.

199. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: The Hartford sewing machine is at the front as a sewing machine. H.M. Morgan is agent for this section and exhibits the machine at the store of J.M. Alpaugh.

200. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: “The Willimantic Chronicle calls Putnam ‘an impecunious hamlet.’ A Willimantic editor, not of the Chronicle, was recently injured while climbing through a rear window of his office, and we always thought there was a bad appearance to this circumstance; but the Chronicle man will be discreet if he will open his window before the arrival of the next train from Putnam.”—Woonsocket Reporter. And the fact that Putnam sent away through her post office $17,751 in money orders, while Willimantic with nearly twice the population did but $14,5880 worth of that business would seem to afford the reason, and suggest that she do less on the credit system. But never mind, she is young and sprightly and may with age outgrow those spendthrift habits.

201. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: Columbia.
Seth S. Collins slipped on the ice spraining his foot, necessarily confining him to the house for a few days.
The contract for building the school house in Pine street has been awarded to Messrs. Goodwin of Lebanon.
The Cornet Band met at A.A. Hunt’s on Tuesday evening but the meeting was thinly attended as the boys are not fond of going away from the green, but should consider their leader has to go just as far every time he goes to the green.
Ashael O. Wright our esteemed fellow citizen has been confined to his house several days and is quite ill.
N.P. Little has the contract for furnishing the wood for the Hartford town farm.
The chimney in G.B. Fuller’s store caved in in the attic over the Lodge room last Saturday.
Miss Edith Clark is visiting her sister Mrs. Prescott Little in Manchester.
Miss Kate Downer has returned to Norwich after a short visit at her home.
Charles Bill in his early life a resident of this place is revisiting his old friends and seems like one risen from the dead as he was in the late war and since that time had not been heard from till within a few weeks. He has spent his time mostly in the Southern states and West Indies.
The efforts of the committee on subscriptions for the library are crowned with an anticipated success. At last account the amount necessary to receive Mr. Little’s donation was very nearly made up, and very soon the organization will be effected and but little time will elapse ere the town can boast in having a good public library.
The deaths in town for the year 1882 were fifteen:
Jan. 22d, Dea. Amasa B. Fuller, 55 years.
Jan. 29th, Geo. P. Willis, 51 years.
Feb. 11th, Amos G. Doubleday, 66 years.
March 12th, Mrs. Lucinda M. Gates, 87 years.
March 31st, Calvin Davis, 37 years.
April 30th, Mrs. Eliza Hartshorn, 80 years.
May 19th, Mrs. Mary A. Bascom, 48 years.
May 22nd, Mrs. Jerusha Windworth, 73 years.
May 28th, Dr. Harrison McIntosh, 68 years.
June 12th, Fred Brown, 17 months.
June 21st, Mrs. Sarah Wheeler, 52 years.
June 23d, Mrs. Asahel Hunt, 66 years.
July 2nd, Miss Sarah Potter, 44 years.
July 4th, Fred Micheaux, 17 years.
Dec. 28th, Albert Squires, 44 years.
A party from Bristol were located at Albert Brown’s last week and had remarkably good luck fishing through the ice.
(from another correspondent)
Mrs. Eliza Chapman an old resident of this town was found dead this morning beside her bed. The neighbors have for a long time expected to find her thus, as she chose to be by herself rather than to be at the expense of boarding even a boy. She is well known as an eccentric person freely criticizing people as far as she knew them, and sometimes her criticisms were rather sharp. She was good hearted, a kind neighbor and a well wisher to every one and she will be much missed in the southwest school district. Her greatest trouble seemed to be to keep free from debt and in no case would she receive gratuitous services from any one such as her dread of incurring obligations which she might be unable to fulfill.

202. TWC Wed Feb. 7, 1883: For Sale.—New and Second-hand Horse Powers and Machines for sawing wood and thrashing. Also, all parts of a A.W. Gray’s Son’s machines for repairs. Will sell at list price. J.B. Ensworth, Scotland, Conn.

203. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: About Town.
Ice is twenty inches thick.
Peter Happ has bought real estate in New London and will remove there immediately.
Prof. J.P. Miller is giving a series of socials in South Coventry, and also Colchester.
G.F. Tilden has purchased of Charles T. Kenyon a house and lot near the head of Chestnut street.
D.H. Clark the popular liveryman, has sleighs, harnesses, robes and all kinds of horse equipment for sale.
The post office hitherto known as “Merrow Station” on the New London Northern railroad has been changed to “Merrow.”
Rev. S.R. Free has a collection of old copper coins of the United States denomination some of which are extremely rare and valuable.
Harrison Johnson Esq., the Putnam lawyer who is well-known in this village died Sunday morning of typhoid pneumonia after a short illness.
Foran & Shea, the meatmen, will launch out into the grocery business also, they having leased the store vacated by O.D. Brown in Melony block.
Martin Card has bought of Dunbar Loring, trustee, property valued at $2,000 located on the west side of Walnut street between Main and Spring.
A.S. Turner has sold building lots located on the Rollinson place from the Turner estate to James H. Picknell, Maria M. Powell and H.F. Parrent.
The locomotives were out with snow plows clearing the railroad tracks of snow Sunday. The fall north is reported to be much greater than in this locality.
The vacant lot south-west corner of Spring and Walnut streets has been purchased by W.J. Hastings who contemplates erecting a dwelling house thereon in the spring.
Dr. F.O. Bennett has been for a few days confined indoors and part of the time in bed by rheumatism. Dr. F.H. Houghton is attending Dr. B’s patients during the latter’s illness.
An exceptional opportunity to buy clothing cheap is offered by W.L. Harrington & Co. beginning next Saturday. The stock must be sold off to settle the estate of the late W.L. Harrington.
We understand that E.B. Chamberlain will claim damages of the railroad company for injuries received at the Pomfret collision some months ago.

204. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The new five cent nickel is in circulation. The design is a complete change from the old one and the piece is thinner and larger in diameter. Rev. S. McBurney obtained a dozen from the Treasury Department the other day and after adding what he wanted to his collection of coins he disposed of the remainder to James Walden. They sell for a premium of one cent.

205. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The telephone exchange here is draped in mourning as a mark of respect to the late Marshall Jewell. He was president of the Southern New England telephone company.

206. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The Ministers’ Conference of the Ashford Baptist Association met yesterday in the Putnam Baptist church. A public service in the evening at which Rev. G.W. Holman of this place preached the sermon.

207. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The Dayville Sunbeam, published at the east of the county, has changed its name to the Windham County Sunbeam. Editor Kennedy makes it a spicy and newsy paper and that it will be a permanency is assured.

208. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The Western Union telegraph company has just completed negotiations for a lease of the Mutual Union line for ninety-nine years. The latter is the line which runs around this village having an office at the residence of J.C. Hooper.

209. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Mrs. Vera A. Bartlett has engaged the store vacated by Annie W. Hall, in Cranston block, and will continue the millinery business at that place when the spring season opens. Mrs. Bartlett finishes a five years’ engagement with Miss H.E. Brainard to take this millinery business.

210. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: William Judge, residing in the lower village dislocated his shoulder by jumping from a carriage Thursday. As he jumped the wheel to which he clung turned and swung around on the ice twisting the bone out of its socket. It happened in South Coventry and he was brought to the office of Dr. McNally who reduced the dislocation.

211. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: E.L. Cundall, Esq., clerk of the Superior Court and representative from Brooklyn, has introduced a bill into the legislature to increase the salary of the state’s attorney of this county from $700 to $1,000. The salary of the attorney for this county is out of proportion to that of all the other counties except Tolland, but the salaries of the attorneys for other counties are too high. Fifteen days in a year will, on the average, be all that is required to try the criminal cases in this county; indeed we don’t believe so much time as this has been taken in any year lately. The salaries of states’ attorneys should be scaled down instead of being scaled up, taking that of this county, for instance, as a standard.

212. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The French Naturalization society of this village expects to make freemen of about twenty of its members at this term of court and have first papers issued to as many more.

213. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Mrs. Dunbar Loring died of consumption at her home south of this village last Thursday at the age of 56 years. She was well known and highly esteemed in this town and lived here many years.

214. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: A rumor was afloat early Tuesday morning that a man had been found frozen to death in the lumber yard of Lincoln & Boss, but it had no foundation in truth. It probably sprang from the fact that a boy by the name of Herbert Chappell had been found under a platform near Hyde Kingsley’s lumber yard beastly drunk who was saved from freezing to death by being picked up late in the evening, and deposited in the lock-up

215. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: E.R. Babcock, who resides in the suburbs urged his horse into a sudden trot just as he turned the corner from Main to Union street this morning and as he did so one side of the thills was detached from the sleigh which came to an abrupt standstill against a hitching post front of H.C. Hall’s store. By the collision the fastening of the other shaft was broken and the horse and sleigh separated, the former striking a lively runaway gait down the street with the thills dragging at his heels. As he passed the store of John Dunham, milk man Potter’s horse became frightened and cleared himself from the sleigh but before he had run up Main street he was stopped. When the sleigh brought up against the post, Mr. Babcock calmly remarked, “This is a very convenient place to get out,” and strolled leisurely down Union street after his horse finding him safely anchored to a post in the lower village.

216. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The foundation for statements made by Professor W.G. Sumner of Yale college in a recent lecture at Brooklyn, N.Y., on “The Forgotten Man” touching on the Willimantic Linen company was the following article taken from a copy of the Chronicle published last August: “The amounts of profits apportioned to the stockholders of the Willimantic Linen company this year is $1,432,500, or 97 ½ per cent on the par value of January 1, 1882. The total profits of the stockholders for the past three years is $2,525,000 which is 202 per cent on the par value of January 1, 1880. It is a question how much in the long run protection increases the compensation of labor; but there can be question how much it increases the profits of capitalists.” The professor’s remarks were erroneously reported on that occasion and have since received liberal adverse comment from the press of this state. President Barrows took him to task by telegrams and letters for singling out his institution and the professor replies in a published letter which we copy into the Chronicle this week. It furnishes a great deal of food for thought on the subject which it treats, and comes from one of the clearest minds in this country. The calculation which we made last August is, we believe, absolutely correct and on that point there was no need of modification.

217. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: A large audience gathered at the temperance meeting in Mission hall Sunday evening. Meeting opened by the president, Rev. J.L. Barlow, with reading the scriptures and prayer. A few remarks were made by J.A. Lewis, J.A. Conant and Joel Fox, after which Dr. E.G. Sumner, of Mansfield, chairman of the legislative committee on temperance, was called on and very pleasantly addressed the meeting. His committee had recently been visited by a delegation of temperance people, headed by John Hamlin, Esq., formerly of this village, from Enfield, and among whom were two clergymen.

218. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: South Windham.
James H. Johnson of this village is shortly to remove to Scotland to enter the mercantile business with Mr. Palmer successor to the firm of Burnett and Palmer.
O.M. Larkham has engaged in the meat business here having opened a market in the basement of Backus Bros’ store. He drives through this and adjoining villages several times a week and will supply customers at the market at any time.
The snow plow did good service in our streets Sunday.
Mr. Burns has an ice boat upon the reservoir.

219. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: North Windham.
The New York & New England Telegraph office has been removed from the station a building erected expressly for that purpose on the east side of the tracks and opposite the station. Mr. T.W. Minthorn of Zanesville, O. has been appointed day operator, and Mr. A.E. Harmon of West Buxton Me., will attend to the night work. The office will be open for commercial as well as railroad business. Station Agent Bennett is thus relieved of much care and responsibility, and will remain in charge of the station as heretofore. Mr. B. reports the business increasing every month.
Our empty tenements are rapidly filling, and business of all kinds seems to be good.
Mr. M.A. Bates closed his school at Brick Top last week.
Mr. H.P. Snow, Mr. Geo. Spafford and Mrs. E.L. Burnham have been suffering from attacks of rheumatism. Mrs. Charles Chamberlin is in a very critical condition and but little hope is entertained of her recovery.

220. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Scotland.
Henry Lincoln’s valuable horse fell down in the yard last week and broke a leg. The fracture was successfully reduced by Dr. Parks of Pudding Hill, after which the horse was killed.
E.S. Parish has moved into Joseph Ensworth’s house and will improve Uncle Joe’s farm for him this year.
Stanton Brothers of Stonington have been in town picking up Alderney cattle. They purchased two from Charles A. Brown, two from Mrs. Reynolds, two from Amos Chapman and one from Horace Brown. They returned home last week with a drove of twenty or more from this vicinity.
John Webb and bride are stopping with Henry Webb.
Workmen are busy at Charles A. Brown’s getting out fourteen-foot hoops to be sent to West India. Mr. Brown expects to furnish about 15,000 hoops.
Last Wednesday a party of relatives met at the house of Seth S. Safford to celebrate his seventy-seventh birthday.
The frame for Tucker’s blacksmith shop on the Horace Brown place has been raised.
We understand that John Babcock is to return to Scotland, and will occupy the quiet and healthful Lewis Smith place.
H.M. Morgan is doing a thriving business about home with the New Hartford sewing machine, having sold several in this town lately.

221. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Mansfield.
Sledding is complete and farmers are making the most of it as any one would judge to take a view of Mr. Jacobson’s saw mill yard which looks very much like a navy yard.
We are pleased to once more see the beaming countenance of Mr. John Smith of Avon. He is here to assist his brother-in-law (Mr. Jacobson) in running the saw mill.
Some of our sick are on the improve. Mr. Gurley Babbington of Gurleyville is mending slowly.
Perry Halley’s physical health has so improved that he is able to assist in cutting his wood, but mentally not improved. We learn this week that John Wing Yeomans son of Samuel and Martha Yeomans is quite sick with Bright’s disease and grave doubts are entertained as regards his recovery. The sympathy of their acquaintances are with the family who have suffered much with sickness during the past year.
Some sneak thief broke into the Wormwood Hill school house some weeks ago and stole the teacher’s clock. The district omitted to sue out a search warrant and the clock is a total loss. Suspicion pointed to one of your village gentry who is now taking a sweat in Tolland jail.
Mr. George W. Le Valley is preparing to put up a new barn and hennery in the Spring. Messrs. Fenner & Read have the contract for getting the lumber on the ground and Mr. Gallup of Ashford will probably put up the building.
Two boys by the name of Albee late of Mount Hope fancying that they owed Mrs. Philo Chaffee a grudge shot two of her turkeys last week and Mr. Wm. Reynolds (administrator) has notified them to settle the hash at a stated price or face the singers, and one or the other they will have to do. These boys have been under high pressure for some time and it is about time that something burst. (We are informed that the boys above mentioned have stepped up to the captain’s office and settled to the tune of $8.—Ed)
Mrs. John Wood presented to her husband a twelve pound boy recently, John says he is going to raise a family.

222. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Liberty Hill.
Mrs. Wm. H. Noyes, we are happy to state, is recovering from a severe attack of pneumonia. Dr. Card is her attending physician.
Mrs. Mary E. Church and daughter Mamie, who have been spending several weeks in Norwich, have returned to the paternal mansion.
Capt. Henry W. Abell of Illinois, who came east to attend the celebration of his mother’s 90th birthday anniversary, was on the Hill visiting his nephew Fred W. Abell and his other numerous friends on Tuesday of last week.
Charles Bill from—“Greenlands icy mountains and India’s coral strand,”—Capt. Hen. Abell from Kankakee, and our old friend Hen. Palmer from Wamphassett, accidently met at Dan Fuller’s store on Tuesday last. Merciful Moses! What a cyclone of stories! One excited individual from the neighborhood of Tobacco street, declared that “Old Wiggins” had made a mistake of a month and that the “big blow” had actually commenced. For once the “regulars” had to take a back seat. Even our voluble William, who, as the acknowledged champion talker and story-teller, is always accorded the “right of way,” switched off on a side track banked his fires and allowed this tricorporate “Extra” the freedom of the road.

223. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Willington.
The recently organized Sunday school at Daleville has received a library of about 25 volumes generously donated by the Congregational Publishing Society of Boston. The school was organized through the efforts of the pastor, Rev. F.A. Holden, and is doing well. Sessions are held every Sunday at 4 p.m.
By letter received we learn that Rev. E. Colton, of New Haven, formerly pastor here is soon to remove to Roscoe, Ill., to reside with his son, E.P. Colton.
C.A. Southworth, who owns the old “Eldredge” place, near Daleville, sold his stock and tools at auction on Saturday last. We understand the farm is also for sale.
On Sunday Feb. 4th, two children were baptized in the Congregational church, and last Sunday 11th four persons united with the same church by profession, one of them being a young lad of eleven years, which fact added tenderness to the occasion. Rev. Francis Williams of Chaplin officiated. There have now been seven additions to the church and three children baptized during the last three months.

224. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The Storrs’ Agricultural school should be abolished. It don’t amount to shucks and never will. Where is the good in expending thousands of dollars on this institution with less than twenty scholars. The state has to support the school and scholars both, and this being the case we suggest that some more inexpensive charitable institution would be more in the interest of the people. But seriously, if this school had any prospect of future advantage to the farmers of this state we should refrain from opposing it and give it instead our hearty support. The fact is, it is but a laughing stock for every farmer in this vicinity who knows anything about its condition and workings. We can see how such a school might have been made of some benefit to the pursuit of agriculture in this state, but public enterprises will ruin themselves just as successfully as will private undertakings. If the legislature had officered the institution with practical men instead of politicians it would have been more creditable to that body. Now the only aim of the trustees seems to be, how shall the money appropriated be expended to the best advantage of the individual members. They have the sublime cheek to ask $10,000 of the state for next year’s expenses, but before the legislature puts that into the pockets of private individuals an investigation should be held. When the futility of the undertaking as at present organized shall have been demonstrated the people will have the pleasure of seeing the farm with all its improvements revert back to its donors. By this little business operation of their part they will have made a number of thousand dollars by a stroke as simple as turning one’s hand over. Abolish the thing now.

225. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Sprague.
A pullet belonging to Alexander Allen that had been missing for some little time recently made its appearance accompanied by sixteen little chicks.
The selectmen of the town have appointed Curtis Hazen collector of taxes and William E. Austin constable.
Miss Lillie Whiteside of Willimantic was the guest of Mrs. C.M. Dow the past week.
Half pound parties are raging. One at Sylvester Maynard’s and one at Byron Watson’s recently; both were large attended.
Mrs. W.H. Johnson who has been visiting friends in Rhode Island, has returned home.
Deacon Israel K. Tefft of Danielsonville is the guest of his son William J. Tefft.
Mrs. Major Nathan Gardiner has returned from Boston where she has been visiting her daughter.
The Rev. D.D. Lyon of Montville, reviewed the history of the Baltic Baptist society in Sprague hall last Sunday evening. Elder Lyon commenced preaching in a carpenter’s shop in Baltic twenty-seven years ago, when the Baltic mill was being built. In the year 1881 by his labors a church was erected. At one time the church had about 100 members. He was pastor of the church for many years. Seven years ago this spring the church was destroyed by fire. Death and removal have taken nearly all the members from this section. The society have a fund of some $1500 and Elder Lyon is anxious to see the money in a house of worship here. He gave notice that he would preach again in two weeks, on the 25th inst. in Sprague hall, at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

226. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Representative Sumner of Mansfield was appointed one of the committee on the part of the house of representatives to represent that body at the obsequies of the late Governor Jewell.

227. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The citizen’s corps of Temosachi, Mexico, in two battles with Apache Indian killed sixteen and captured thirty-three, with a large number of horses and supplies, losing six of their own number killed.

228. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Two boys in New Haven, aged ten and twelve respectively, named Sperry, recently ran away from home to fight Indians. They had been reading dime novels.

229. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The sixty-third anniversary of the marriage of Samuel Slater and wife was celebrated the other day at Tolland, four generations meeting. Samuel Slater is eighty-six years old and his wife eighty-four.

230. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Columbia.
Franklin and Smith in connection with the Cornet band give an entertainment at the Town Hall on Friday evening. Mr. Franklin quite a number of years since was engaged in the occupation of tailor in this place and several ladies learned the trade in his shop.
Mrs. Prescott Little is spending a few days at her father’s, W.B. Clark.
Albert Abell has gone to the New Haven Hospital to have an operation performed on his eyes.
J.E.H. Gates after settling some business matters intends to go to New London and work at his trade.
Another kitchen dance at H.B. Frink’s on Wednesday evening with Coates for prompter. These gatherings are prolific of much pleasure to the young people.
Joel Tucker went to Norwich on Friday and disposed of a large load of farmer’s produce.
Messrs. Hunt, Collins, Brown, Thompson and Holbrook, took in Buffalo Bill on Thursday evening.
Mrs. Anson Holbrook sustained a more severe injury than was at first announced in her recent accident having dislocated every bone in her wrist besides breaking a ligament.
L.C. Clark has sold the timer form his Unadilla lot to Mr. Sanford lumber dealer.
Mrs. Boyce has carpenters at work in the erection of a new dwelling house on the old Eleazer Bill place.
(from another correspondent.)
Thradore [mean Theodore?] Erdoni, while chopping at the wood-pile Saturday, struck the axe into his foot, splitting it open. Dr. Gallup was called and dressed the wound.
A little rivalry is at present existing between managers of second class “shin digs” and each party accuses the other of appropriating a part of the “voluntary contributions” raised to pay the fiddler, to their own use, and trying to influence others to “stay away from his party and go to mine.”
Frank Woodward has moved back from Colchester to this town and now occupies the Mrs. Armstrong house. The stopping of the rubber works at which he worked necessitated this step. It does not seem reasonable that the Rubber shops through the country ought to shut down because rubber in crude state is only $1.20 a pound for there is not probably a pound of it in a case of boots.
J.A. Utley and F.R. Cobb have stored from 30 to 40 tons of ice from the reservoir 19 inches thick.

231. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Born.
Hickey—In Willimantic, Feb. 7th, a daughter to John and Mary Hickey.
Brennan—In Willimantic, Feb. 13th, a daughter to Michael and Hannah Brennan.
Colburn—In North Windham, Jan. 1st, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Colburn.
Chamberlin—In North Windham, Jan. 19th, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Chamberlin.
Johnson—In North Windham, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Johnson, Feb. 2.

232. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Died.
Phelps—In Hebron, Feb. 9, Theresa Phelps, aged 85 years.
Brady—In Willimantic, Feb. 10, Cora Brady, aged 21 years.
Chapman—In Columbia, Feb. 8, Eliza C. Chapman, aged 75 years.
Loring—In Lebanon, Feb. 9, Harriet Loring, aged 56.
McNulty—In Willimantic, Feb. 11, William McNulty, aged 17 years.

233. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Old Revolutionary Powder Horn. Wanted to purchase a good specimen of an old times Powder Horn with engraved inscription on it, such as the owner’s name, date, and other illustrations, such as buildings, forts or map. Apply at the Chronicle office.

234. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: At a Court of Probate holden at Coventry, within and for the district of Coventry on the 10th day of February, 1883. Present Ralph W. Storrs, Acting Judge. Cullen L. Potter of Coventry in said district having assigned all his property to Dwight Webler of said Coventry, as trustee. This Court doth appoint the 20th day of February at 1 o’clock in the afternoon at the Probate Office in said district as the time and place for the hearing relative to the appointment, acceptance and approval of said trustee, and it is ordered by this court that public notice of such hearing be given by posting a copy of this order on the public sign-post in said town of Coventry and by advertising in a newspaper published in Willimantic.

235. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: The two factions of the Creek Nation, now fully armed with the most improved weapons and well equipped, are getting ready for the battle next week. One party is entrenched and the other will attack. Both have spent their “orphan money” for arms and ammunition.

236. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Storrs Agricultural School. The committee on agriculture on Wednesday considered the matter of appropriation for the “Farm School” in Mansfield. The board of trustees asked that the amount appropriated be $10,000. John P. Barstow of Norwich, vice-president of the state board of agriculture, said that the school was of such a character that he felt sure it would be well patronized when its advantages became well known. The extra $5,000 asked for this year was in part for heating apparatus which would cost $1,000. For debt already contracted, largely in furnishing the house, $2,000 more was needed. There are improvements which ought to be made during the next year or two to increase the productiveness of the farm and these would take $2,000. There are now nineteen boys in the school of ages between fifteen and nineteen years. Most of them pay tuition and some pay their board in part. They work on the farm during certain hours in the day for which they are allowed wages toward their board. Here is a daily programme taken from the report of the secretary of the Connecticut board of agriculture: Breakfast, 7 a.m.; farm work, senior class, 8 to 11 a.m.; recitations and lectures for junior class, 9 to 12 a.m.; dinner, 12-15 p.m.; recitations and lectures for senior class, 2 to 5 p.m.; farm work for junior class, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.; supper, 6 p.m.

237. TWC Wed Feb. 14, 1883: Ashford.
Several transaction in real estate are occurring in this town one of which is the exchange of farms by George Young and George Squires. The parties to the trade exchanged residences on Saturday last week. Another similar trade is reported between M.H. Whitford and Mr. Avery and it is stated that Mr. Whitford is expected to form a partnership with his brother John E. Whitford and will erect a dwelling house and store on the site of those destroyed by fire about a year since.

238. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: About Town.
Dr. Bennett is again able to attend his patients.
The effort to form a medical society among the physicians of this village has been abandoned.
John Bowman has been making improvements in his tailoring and furnishing goods establishment.
D.E. Potter has returned from an extended visit to Florida and is now confined to his house with malaria.
Dr. J.D. Jillson the dentist, and Dr. T. R. Parker, the physician will remove their respective offices to the vacant rooms over the post office.
We notice in the court docket among the new cases that W.E. Barrows et al have sued the Borough but what for we are unable to find out.
The Borough has been sued by the Williams’ heirs for a strip of land jutting out into Union street near the Linen company’s store which they claim to own.
Rev. I.W. Hallam and wife, formerly the Episcopal clergyman in this village celebrated their golden wedding on Tuesday at their residence in Stonington.
Patrick Cunningham, who broke his ankle some weeks since by falling on the ice and three weeks since broke it again by falling down stairs is able to be out on crutches.

239. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Huber Clark, Esq., as guardian, will sell all the right and title of Josephine G. Kenyon in the house and lot just West of the Sanderson house at public auction next Saturday.

240. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: The family of the late Warren Tanner wish to express their sincere thanks to the many friends and neighbors for the sympathy and kindnesses rendered to them in their recent bereavement.

241. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Samuel Hughes was arrested Thursday afternoon for assaulting A.L. Fuller without provocation. He was locked up by Sheriff Pomeroy and Friday morning paid a fine $3 and costs for his little picnic.

242. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Representative Sumner of Mansfield was unaminously nominated by the Tolland county caucus as county commissioner Tuesday in place of David Huntington of Coventry whose term expires July next.

243. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: In the case of Norman Melony vs. Michael Somers which was tried here by Judge Andrews at the last term of court after having been on the docket for thirteen [unreadable] and appealed to the Supreme Court, the opinion was rendered partially reversed [unreadable] the decision against the defendant.

244. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Thomas Keeler, a brakeman on the New England road had his right leg terribly crushed while coupling cars at Hartford, Monday. He was taken to the hospital [unreadable] died at 3 o’clock the next morning. He was 22 years old and a resident of New York.

245. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Isaac Sanderson has sold the Sanderson house to Thomas Crandall. The purchase was effected Monday.

246. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Mr. Stetson of the Boston and Willimantic clothing company has just returned from Boston bringing with him a very select line of gentlemen’s furnishing goods which the company are going to sell at manufacturers price.

247. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: George F. Johnson formerly proprietor of the Windham house at Windham Center and latterly landlord of the Mortlake house in Brooklyn, has purchased the Tolland County house at Tolland and will take possession March 15th.

248. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: A.J. Bowen Esq. and Mrs. Dr. O.B. Griggs were elected superintendents of the Congregational Sabbath school last Sunday. Dea. N.A. Stearns and Mrs. Lucius Carpenter assistants. R.B. Truscott was chosen librarian and Austin Boss assistant. N.A. Stearns was elected clerk and treasurer.

249. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: A drunken plumber assaulted S.A. Comins last Thursday afternoon near Bank building but the latter paid no attention to him other than pushing him aside. This enraged the fellow and he came right down street and bought a pistol and went back declaring that he would shoot him (Mr. Comins) but he was prevented from doing anything rash.

250. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: W.R. Babcock, the hackman, died last night at 11 o’clock. He had been suffering for many months from cancer in a very malignant form and death was a great relief. His features were entirely unrecognizable the disease having eaten away the flesh on his face and into his neck and also eaten away a part of the jaw bone. The funeral will be held at his late residence on Church street on Friday at 11 o’clock and will be private.

251. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: A Norwich correspondent says: “William H. Higgins, proprietor of the Preston Silk factory for the past two years, has sold the entire establishment to Willimantic Silk company on private terms. Edwin Oldfield, formerly superintendent of the Preston factory, and now holding the same position in the Willimantic company negotiated the sale. It is expected that the purchasers will transfer the machinery to their Willimantic establishment, and that very soon Preston will lose one of her chief industries.

252. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: A strange ceremony and one which has attracted attention and comment throughout the whole county was that performed by Rev. Frank Thompson a former Windham divine. “The funeral of Hon. Wm. D. Gregory, late secretary of the Fairfield Agricultural society, took place last Wednesday afternoon at Wilton Ct. At the same hour and in the same room his daughter, Miss Annie Gregory, was married to George Pike of Southport. The marriage was solemnized in accordance with the request of the deceased.

253. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: The Philo Chaffee farm in Mansfield will be sold at public auction on Tuesday March 20th at 10 o’clock a.m. on the premises. It is a farm containing 500 acres located eight miles from Willimantic on the main road up the Mount Hope valley to Warrenville and Ashford Center. Anyone wishing to engage in farming will find this a rare opportunity to purchase a pleasant home, within ten minutes walk of school, store, post-office, saw and grist mill and spoke factory. The farm must be sold to close the estate, and will be sold as a whole, or in parts as may be desired by purchasers on the day of sale. Also, at the same time, a quantity of household goods and several tons of hay will be sold.

254. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Superior Court.—Court came in at eleven o’clock Tuesday morning, according to announcement last week, Judge Carpenter presiding. The jury was called and excused till 2 p.m. The following cases were called and the defendants failing to answer, their bonds were called and forfeited: State v. Bennet, State v. Higgins, State v. Norton, State v. Wilcox, 2 cases, State v. Wm. G. Clark, State v. D.W. Page. In the afternoon the case of State v. Peckham, of Pomfret, for keeping a place where it is reported intoxicating liquors are sold was taken up and tried to the jury, and resulted in a disagreement, it being understood that the jury stood nine for conviction and three for acquittal. At 5 o’clock, there being no further criminal business ready, and Thursday being a legal holiday Judge Carpenter being obliged to meet with the Supreme Court judges on Friday, court adjourned to Tuesday of next week at half past ten a.m. The assignments for Tuesday are: State v. Thomas Shea 5 cases, Town of Windham v. Town of Lebanon, Hildreth v. Martin, 2 cases. Martin v. Hildreth. After the cases to the jury and to the court from this end of the county are disposed of, the court will adjourn to Brooklyn to try cases from the eastern part of the county. We understand that the large docket of liquor cases have been mostly settled without trial, the parties accused pleading guilty to one offence taking a small fine and paying costs and when they had more than one case paying the costs in the others upon their being nolled.

255. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: The Collegians’ Visit.—About two hundred attaches of Yale college came here by special train to-day over the Air Line to view the great Willimantic Linen company’s property. They were entertained by a Hartford caterer with a dinner spread in the new mill, which is as yet but about three-fifths filled with machinery. They will probably never, all of them, again see a property owned by a mill corporation where money has been so lavishly expended to attract the eye. In No. 2 mill they have seen one of the finest buildings in this country and in No. 4 one of the prettiest structures that contains machinery, albeit the “natural-curvature of the earth” was not visible to the natural eye. Their eyes never rested on a collection of handsomer girls, all dressed in white array. They never before saw children fed gratuitously (?) on crackers and milk and digestion promoted by a ten minutes’ romp about the mill yard, and hot coffee offered to robust mill-hands at five cents a cup. They saw nobody on the corporation that cannot both read and write. The beautiful store did not escape their gaze—that institution which does so much for the prosperity of this village. We hope they went into the library and witnessed some genuine liberality on the part of the entertainers. If they inspected The Oaks their eyes must have rested on that attractive dancing pavilion, and if the more wayward youth did not pine to enjoy such opportunities to be led astray he was a student of theology. They must have found their trip on the whole pleasant and satisfactory, and doubtless every one of them now has visions of managing a similar great monopoly. If they had come up street and inquired they would have heard all these things rehearsed just as they are above rehearsed and the company given its just due. If they thought it was a corporation without a soul they could have settled that point by investigating the case of Jerrie Wilson who now seeks charity through the town. Let them then think well about “The Forgotten Man” when they study the tariff question.

256. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Death of Warren Tanner.—The surprising intelligence flashed through the village on electric wings early Thursday morning that Warren Tanner had hung himself. At first the report could hardly be credited but investigation revealed the fact that it was only too true. It could not be credited because he had often expressed a desire to live to a ripe old age and a horror of death, and his always jolly and buoyant spirit would seem to indicate him as being the last man who would seek death by his own hand. There can be no doubt but that he was laboring under temporary aberration of mind when the rash act was committed. Mr. Tanner had been suffering for five months just preceding his decease from disordered nerves aggravated by a stomach trouble which affected his accustomed amiable disposition and produced a depression of spirits. It could be seen by the family that his mind was gradually giving away under the strain of sickness and his advanced age of 74 years was an obstacle in the way of recovery. He had been about the street up to within a few days of his demise. Wednesday he seemed to be in no worse condition mentally and physically. About six o’clock Thursday morning the servant girl on coming down stairs noticed his night lamp and cane lying on the table which was usually accompanied by his cape but then this was missing. She thought the circumstances strange and went to his room, but he was absent. Her suspicion that something must be wrong was aroused and she accordingly notified Mrs. Henry Wales, his daughter, who went immediately to look for him. She noticed that a door leading to a platform, connecting that with the adjoining building was ajar and stepping out saw a sheet tied to the balustrade, protecting the platform, and divining its meaning she hurried in affright to tell her husband. Mr. Wales went without loss of time to the spot and found the unfortunate man suspended by the neck between the two buildings. Help was summoned to cut the body down and a jury of inquest was impaneled to pass its judgement upon the case. They found a verdict that “the deceased came to his death from suicide by hanging while laboring under a state of temporary insanity.” The sheet which was used as a means for committing the act was folded corner-wise and then rolled up. He wound one end around his neck and had a stubborn knot under his right ear that would not slip and when he had securely fastened the other end to the railing jumped over breaking his neck by the fall. Mr. Tanner was born at Coventry, R.I. Mar. 11, 1808. His early life was passed in a cotton factory, and for fifteen years he was an overseer in Gov. Jackson’s mill at Scituate. He was afterwards overseer at Harris’ mill in Plainfield, and in 1840 engaged in the livery and hotel business at Natick, R.I. In the spring of 1848 he came to Willimantic and purchased what is now Alanson Humphrey’s property on West Main street, and transferred his livery business from Natick here. In 1854 he purchased of Gen. L.E. Baldwin, the property on the corner of Main and North streets, where he has since resided. Three years later he purchased the site and barn now owned by Johnson Brothers and removed his business down town. In May 1877 he sold his livery stable to J.R. Root and retired from business life with a handsome fortune which he had amassed by good judgement, indomitable energy and perseverance. He enjoyed a large acquaintance among all classes in Conn. and Rhode Island. Mr. Tanner was an honest man. The funeral took place at his late residence at one o’clock Saturday afternoon. The large house was crowded with the friends and neighbors of the deceased, and many remained on the sidewalks unable to gain admittance. The body was encased in a casket covered with black cloth, plain but rich in appearance. On the lid was a silver plate bearing the name and age of the deceased, below which were ferns crossed with callas at the base. The features were natural and had the appearance of quiet sleep. The services were conducted by the Rev. Messrs. McBurney and Free. The casket was placed in the vault at the cemetery, there to remain until spring, when it will be buried in the family lot. There were a number of friends present from Hartford, Rhode Island, Norwich and other places.

257. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Mansfield Centre.
Mr. I.P. Fenton, who for several years has been dealing in furs, has on hand a large assortment, purchased in Northern Vermont, Northern New York, Canada, and the region round about Lake Champlain. Mr. Fenton has made this business a specialty for some twenty years, and is well known as a dealer among the northern hunters and trappers. The season for buying has but fairly opened, yet, he has on hand nearly three thousand muskrat skins, two hundred fox, among the latter a silver gray valued at a fabulous price. This species is very rare, hence the value attached to the fox. The one Mr. Fenton has, came from hear the Canada line, and it is a splendid specimen, the tail is large and dark, the belly mottled with black and yellow the different colors clearly defined, the back and sides a beautiful gray, the fore shoulders, neck and head are very dark—blacker than a New Haven ballot. He has also noted more in history for its part in politics, than the quality of its fur. In 1840 this denizen of hollow trees and rocky caverns, was one of the chief emblems coupled with hard cider, log cabins, gourd shells, and latch springs, emblazoned on the escutcheon of a great, and successful political party. At that time the demand for their pelts for political regalia, was so great that it depleted the species nearly to extinction. Aside from the aforementioned he has one specimen of black bear, one hundred mink (American sable) formerly more valuable than at present, and whew – nearly a thousand skunk, (latin, pole-a-bus, cat-a-bus.) This noted little nocturnal rodent, a little more big than high, and usually more black than white, has within a few years come into general notice on account of its fur, and is generally known throughout the country by the pungent odor it emits when disturbed, several of them in unison being able to demoralize a nigger camp-meeting in dog-days. They are easily caught in traps and are valued chiefly for their hides and tallow, attempts to utilize them for diet, having in most cases proved a failure.
The remarks in last week’s Chronicle relative to the Storrs agricultural school, were well timed, pertinent, and to the point. It is high time that the tax-payers of this State, should look after their pecuniary interest in this case, and call for a thorough and searching investigation into the management of its affairs, and ascertain if possible what good, if any, will result from its continuance under the present management. That it is a superfluity, feeding at the public crib, and of no more practical benefit to the interests of agriculture in this state, than the fifth wheel of a coach, is beyond peradventure. Its abolition is only a question of time, and the sooner it is accomplished, the less the State will lose, and the less, the original grantors will have gained by the speculation.
We are pleased to learn that our esteemed friend and able representative Doctor E.G. Sumner, is doing credit to himself and constituency in the present state legislature. He holds the important position of chairman on the temperance committee, and made an eloquent, effective, and telling speech on that subject a short time since in Willimantic. We are glad the Doctor is thoroughly in earnest in this matter, and sincerely hope that before long, he will see his favorite project of turning the Natchaug into Willimantic consummated.

258. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Mansfield.
The young people’s dramatic exhibition at Town hall, Wednesday evening was well attended considering the stormy weather. Each act was well played and highly applauded by the audience. The thirteen year old daughter of Mr. George French presided at the organ and played several pieces in a splendid manner which was greeted with rounds of applause. Miss French seems to take to music as readily as a duck does to water. The company was wholly made up of home talent and considering the short time they have been training, having been their own teacher, they did extremely well. As there were quite a number that did not attend on account of the weather, the company repeated the exhibition Tuesday evening to a good audience and with better effect than before.
The valuable real estate known as the Chaffee property is advertised to be sold at auction the twentieth of March. Any one desiring one of the best farms in the country will have an opportunity to purchase one at a bargain. What is much needed at the present time is more tillers of the soil, more producers of that which will feed the inner man and fewer middle men that live on what others produce.
If the managers of the Storrs Agricultural School manage to run the concern in debt to the tune of $1,000 or more a year, may it not be in order to inquire what has been done with the $5,000 appropriated yearly by the state. As there are no visible signs of its having been laid out in improving the farm or buildings it would be interesting to tax-payers to know where it has gone. It is said that a new furnace is needed to heat up the house, --cost, $1,000 and no doubt Mr. Barstow would like to furnish it for a small profit. Really it begins to crop out that the big elephant is an unprofitable one to winter. To have the concern prosper a practical common-sense farmer should be in charge and with the money that has been appropriated every field could be made to flourish like a garden and the barn and granary would be filled to overflowing. Sleek-looking cattle would roam over luxuriant pastures and the farmers as they rode along the street would point with pride to the improvements made.

259. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Ashford.
Rev. James B. Connell tended his resignation as pastor of the Baptist church at Westford on Sunday last, and is to accept the ministerial charge of the church at Greeneville, Conn., on April 1st. He has made many warm personal friends here, who will regret very much his departure this place where he has preached so acceptably for the past year, and done so much good in the church and community in which he lived. He was a very eloquent advocate of the doctrines of the Bible, and much good has been done through the instrumentality of his preaching.
Marshall H. Whitford has traded farms with Christopher W. Avery and is to move this week. The farm on which Mr. Whitford is to move is known as the Joseph Philips place and was considered the best farm in Ashford, but the dwelling and store were destroyed by fire about a year ago, and Mr. Whitford will rebuilt in the course of the year and with his perseverance and industry will make it the most desirable place in this section.
George Squier and George W. Young have made an exchange of farms, and have just moved.
John T. Sampson who has just had a pension granted and back pay amounting to about one thousand dollars, has just purchased a farm of Nehemiah C. Clapp.
Miss Lois Smith fell on the ice and hurt her considerably although no bones were broken.
Deacon S.C. Robins was returning home from a visit to the store in Warrenville, when his horse became frightened and after wrecking the sleigh, left the Deacon to find his home on foot and alone.
One man from Ashford froze his feet in walking by the side of his ox team to Willimantic, on Feb. 13th which was a very cold morning, the thermometer marking 10 below zero.

260. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Under the new treaty which it is proposed to make with the Sioux Indians, the government, in addition to giving 320 acres of land to the head of each family and 80 acres to each minor child, stipulates to furnish to each Indian settlement a physician, carpenter, miller, engineer, farmer and blacksmith for the period of ten years. On their part the Sioux surrender over 17,000 square miles of their former reservation, and agree not to sell or slaughter for sale the cows and oxen to be furnished them by the government, unless by permission of the interior department. The commissioners who negotiated the treaty say that the agreement was fully understood and approved by the Indians before signing. A prominent feature of the agreement is the setting apart of a limited territory for the exclusive use and occupancy of the Indians of each agency.

261. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Columbia.
Mrs. William Foote of Colchester has been visiting her daughter Mrs. Dr. Gallup.
Mrs. Sybil P. Robertson has returned from her visit to Hartford, where she attended the birthday party of her only grandchild Florence, on St. Valentine’s day.
Mrs. Norman H. Clark was with her son in Hartford for a few days last week.
Mrs. H.E. Lyman returned Saturday from her visit with her home friends in Woonsocket, R.I., accompanied by her son who has finished his labors as teacher for this term.
Messrs. Lyon, Coleman, Mattison and the night operator have taken up the study of shorthand.
G.B. Fuller while driving his colt past a sled loaded with logs, the steed became frightened and took Mr. F. up on the bank over rocks, etc., but he stood by the ship and was master of the situation.
Mr. Dohrenwend and family invited Ralph Root and family during last week’s good sleighing to take a ride one evening and with his business wagon body fastened to bob runners a merry party of twelve piled in and came up to Pine street corner where in attempted to turn around, the snow had covered up all obstructions, they drove off the culvert capsizing the load and injuring Mrs. Root so that the next day she was taken to Dr. Sweet who pronounced her shoulder dislocated.
Fred Brown who went to Colorado in the early fall for the benefit of his health, but not improving returned East, has recently been suffering from another hemorrhage.
(from another correspondent.)
Ever since a public library in this town was talked of the desire was to make it a free library. Even Mr. Saxon B. Little, the gentleman who gives the income annually of $1,000 towards its establishment and $50 in money and $50 in books when established, wishes it to be absolutely free if possible. The people who have subscribed the bulk of the funds, did so with the understanding that it was to be free; yet after the money has all been pledged, a certain class, clique or ring opposes every move to make it free. At a meeting Tuesday p.m. (13th) for the purpose of hearing the report of the committee on constitution and by-laws considerable discussion arose on a proposition to amend the first article by inserting the word free, making it read “The Columbia Free Library Association.” The opposition to this amendment came from four or five representatives of the church, who for the life of them could not see any way clear for paying the running expenses. After carefully considering the necessary expenses of starting it and maintaining it for a year the actual expenses had dwindled down to a little oil and fire wood. Still this clique stuck to the ship and failed to be convinced that it could be met without a membership fee of 25 cents be imposed on each and every member. This is thought by some to be a stroke of policy as it would decrease the roll of membership as some who are unable to pay more and some who refuse to pay more on any account would not sign, leaving a majority of members church-members, who could then control the meetings in future. But there is no danger of that. Not all church members are opposed to a free library. It is only the master spirits and those who willingly shut their eyes, open their mouths and take the drastic purgative on their tongues that are opposed to it and from force of public opinion has dwindled down to five. Since the action of the meeting in making it a free library, library stock has gone up, as one gentleman stated at a meeting Thursday evening 75 per cent. Mr. N.K. Holbrook and A.H. Fox were the chief advocates of a free library. The success of the enterprise is more encouraging than the most enthusiastic individual dared to hope for, and it is due more to the fact of its being established on a free basis. Subscriptions continue to be reported, the latest report making the sum pledged $360. At future meetings the adoption of by-laws and election of officers will make it interesting for those who are educated up to that point where one can appreciate such meetings.

262. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Danielsonville and Vicinity Items.
Last Thursday, February 15th, Mr. Isaac T. Hutchins passed his 87th birthday. Mr. Hutchins has lived under all presidential administrations since the founding of the American Republic. He is the oldest member both by membership and age of the Westfield Congregational church, and his age equals within a few weeks one-third of the time since the landing of the pilgrims in the May-flower in which historic ship came his ancestor. He has been, and now is a frequent contributor to the village papers, in behalf of religious, educational, political and local interests, and on his 87th birthday contributed a poem rehearsing the events of his prolonged life, and the mercies with which he has been favored by a kind an partial fortune. He is seen “in summer’s heat and winter’s cold” daily in our streets a conspicuous personal presence among our busy population. Born and a constant resident here, he is a cyclopedia of local events for three-quarters of a century, and active and robust mentally and physically in argument and repartee he is oftenest more than a match for an adversary. He has but one son the Rev. Dr. Robert Hutchins the eloquent pastor of the first Congregational church, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This remarkable man happily illustrates the sentiment “mens sana in corpore isano” and is an example for the young in industry, and energy, and also to middle life, and age, an example in mental activity.

263. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Willington.
Rev. Mr. Gammon of the M.E. church Gurleyville is expected to occupy the pulpit of the Congregational church next Sabbath by exchange.
The Ladies Benevolent society of the Congregational church meets with Mr. and Mrs. G.O. Southwick on Thursday afternoon and evening.
George H. Knight has removed with his family to Central Fall, R.I.

264. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Notice. The Tax-payers in the First and Second school districts of the Town of Windham whose taxable property is located in both school districts, are hereby notified that an Assessment has been made upon said taxable property as follows;
[Name; amount in 1st Dist.; amount in 2d Dist.]
Samuel B. Nye; $1,500; $3,485
Frank F. Webb; $4,889.35; $1,500
Jerome B. Baldwin; - ; $2,000
Sophia Witter; $600; $200
E.A. Buck; $19, 942; $1,050
Lincoln & Boss; $2,150; $9,000
Estate of Allen Lincoln; $2,000; $20,100
Geo. C. Martin; $9,775; $9,000
Alpaugh & Hoope; $12,500; $2,500
Warren Atwood; $2,382; $2,000
A.W. Loomis; $1,600; $600
Estate of Ona Carpenter; $800; $2,700
J.R. Fry; $1,000; $4,255
A.D. Perkins; $400; $800
Fl. DeBruycker; $800; $14,000
A.B. Adams; $50; $4,785
Henry W. Avery; $1,625; -
John M. Hall; $2,835; $600
Estate of John C. Shea; - ; $8,000
E.B. Sumner; $5,650; $1,000
D.F. Terry; $2,240; $1,300
C.O. Terry; $300; $2,600
J.A. Lewis; $1,400; $4,560
H.E. Remington; $1,500; -
C.A. Capen; - ; $2,550
James Johnson; $1,900; -
T. Johnson; - ; $1,100
W.C. Fuller; $2,400; $1,110
Willimantic Linen Co.; $2,500; $1,513,500
Continental Life Ins. Co.; $8,500; $2,500
Geo. Lincoln; $1,000; $4,800
S.F. Loomer; $5,895; $38,800
Estate of Geo. C. Johnson; $10,000; $1,000
E.H. Hall; $100; -
W.J. Hastings; $100; $750
Mason Lincoln; $2,500; $7,475
Edward Harris; $700; $2,478
W.H. Cranston; $2,750; $4,000
J.A. Conant; $1,500; $1,380
Mary E. Ford; $1,700; -
A.J. Bowen; $1,200; $3,850
Harry Boss; $1,000; $5,550
B.F. Bennett; $1,800; -
Mary Gavigan; - ; $1,300
Ulysses Young; - ; 42,700
A.S. Whittemore; $1,600; $5,764
Estate of Geo. W. Hanover; $2,300; $11,600
Mrs. Alfred Young; $1,000; $9,005
S.G. Adams, (Lebanon list to be added to 1st dist.); $5,040; $3,000
Dennis Shea; $1,800; $4,100
John S. Smith; - ; $1,720
E. Stiles; - ; $3,900
Tiffany & Congdon; $3_0; $360
O.H.K. Risley; $1,890; $6,995
Albert Barrows, Assessor.

265. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Andover.
Mr. C.H. Baker who has been quite sick with pneumonia is now able to be about again.
The ladies of the Baptist church gave an old fashioned baked beans supper last Wednesday evening at the house of the Rev. W.C. Walker. There were about sixty present, although the evening was stormy. The occasion was much enjoyed by those present, and the supply of beans was abundant. A considerable sum of money was raised for the church.
Mr. David Topliff of Minnesota is visiting his brother John S. Topliff, Esq.
The afternoon express train from Hartford last Wednesday came near meeting with a severe accident about a mile west of our station. The train was running rapidly down the grade, when suddenly a jarring was felt under the smoking car. The conductor who happened to be in that car instantly pulled the bell cord and the train was stopped in a few seconds, when it was found that one of the wheels was broken. It was of course great good fortune that the car did not leave the track. Had it don so a bad smash-up would have been the result with the possible loss of some lives as the train was long and well filled with passengers.
The Columbia Cornet Band assisted by Messrs. Franklin and Smith vocalists gave an excellent concert at the Congregational church Monday evening. The attendance was not large but those who went were much pleased with the entertainment.
Miss Addie Hall is so much out of health at present that she is not able to attend to her duties in the telegraph office.

266. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Auction—Pursuant to the order of the Probate Court for the District of Windham, made on the 17th day of February 1883, directing me as guardian of Josephine G. Kenyon, a minor of the Town of Windham within said district, to sell, either at public or private sale, the following described Real Estate belonging to said minor; viz—A certain lot of land with the dwelling house thereon standing situated on the northerly side of Main street in Willimantic borough in said Town of Windham, bounded, northerly on land of Henry Kenyon; easterly on land of Elisha Chappell; southerly on said Main street; and westerly on land of Phebe Harrington; Notice is hereby given that I will sell all of the right, title and interest of said minor in and to said property at public auction on Saturday, February 24th, 1883, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Sale to take place on the premises. Huber Clark, Guardian. Windham, Feb. 17th, 1883.

267. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: At a Court of Probate holden at Bolton, within and for the district of Andover, on the 10th day of February, A.D. 1883. Present, F.E. Williams, Esq. Judge. On motion of Joseph E.H. Gates, administrator with the will annexed on the estate of Eliza Chapman, late of Columbia, within said district deceased. This Court doth decree that six months be allowed and limited for the creditors of said estate to exhibit their claims against the same to the administrator with will annexed, and directs that public notice be given of this order by advertising in a newspaper published in Willimantic, and by posting a copy thereof on the pubic sign-post in said town of Columbia, nearest the place where the deceased last dwelt. Certified from record, F.E. Williams, Judge.

268. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Joseph Flour, Horse Shoer, and General Blacksmith, fancy shoeing a specialty, Church street, Willimantic, Conn.

269. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Rev. S. McBurney will be absent from his pulpit on Sunday on a visit to his parents in Philadelphia. Rev. Mr. Gammons of Gurleyville will preach in his stead.

270. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Canterbury.
The numerous friends of Dr. George L. Ross will be glad to learn that he is recovering from his illness.
Mr. E.J. Green of this place, on his way to Norwich last Saturday fell from his sled somewhere between Greeneville and the Landing, dislocating a shoulder and breaking an arm. His injuries were attended to by a surgeon. He returned home by train. He is reported as improving.
Miss Mary S. Sanger has returned after a visit of four weeks to Haverhill and Salem, Mass.
The San Francisco Chronicle recording the death in Ventura, January 11th, of Mrs. Mary F., wife of J.R. Willoughby, at the age of thirty-five years said: Mrs. Willoughby was for many years a resident of San Francisco which city she left a few months since for a temporary residence in the more genial climate of Ventura which has recently become the principal point of her husband’s business. Her death was sudden and deeply regretted by her numerous friends in San Francisco and elsewhere, by whom she was much esteemed. She was a lady of superior personal attraction, large-hearted, and generous to a fault. Her life has been short and full of care. Married at the early age of fifteen, she has been the mother of nine children, five of whom, with her husband survive her. She lost her own in giving life to another which survived her but four days.

271. TWC Wed Feb. 21, 1883: Died,
Shea—In Willimantic, Feb. 9, Katie E. Shea, aged 6 months.
Chamberlain—In North Windham, Feb. 11, Eunice Chamberlain.
Tanner—In Willimantic, Feb. 15, Warren Tanner, aged 75 years.
Babcock—In Willimantic, Feb. 20, Wm. R. Babcock, aged 39 years.
Dennison—In Windham, Feb. 2, Olive Dennison aged 68 years.

272. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: About Town.
Leander Freeman has engaged an assistant in his jewelry store.
Ex-Gov. Bigelow was in town over Sunday, the guest of Col. W.E. Barrows.
W.P. Worden, the lamp lighter, is sick and unable to attend to the duties of that position.
A.S. Turner has sold from the Turner estate on the Rollinson place two building lots to Henry Powell.
Rev. Mr. Wells of the Episcopal church will preach the Lenten sermon in Christ church, Norwich, next Sunday.
H.H. Flint has taken charge of the gas company’s business. All bills due the company may be paid at his drug store.
A new comet has been discovered which promises to be a brilliant one. It is in the constellation Pegasus – wherever that may be.
The first district has just purchased of _.C. Andrews the music dealer a fine, new Chickering piano for use in the school.
E.S. Frink of Windham is employed as book-keeper in Carpenter & Fowler’s during the absence of A.B. Carpenter in the south.
The circulation of the Chronicle within a radius of ten miles is not exceeded by that of any other paper.
Mr. D.C. Barrows entertained a party of about forty young people at his home on Prospect street Thursday evening, and the evening was spent very enjoyably.
The livery stable and other effects of Cullen L. Potter, South Coventry, will be sold at public auction next Tuesday at 10 o’clock on the premises, by Dwight Webler, trustee.
W.H. Latham & Co. are doing a good job of lowering the east store in Bank building. When finished it will be a desirable and convenient store for any kind of business.
European house block had a narrow escape from the fiery element last Wednesday evening which got loose in the show window of Dorman’s store. Prompt action quenched the flames.

273. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: A meeting of the United workers was held at Franklin hall Sunday evening. It was addressed by Mr. Herrick of Manchester, N.H., and by Messrs. Tew and Burnham of this place. The chairman of the executive committee announced that thereafter meetings would be held every Sunday evening without regard to the weather.

274. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: The superior court (Judge Carpenter) came in at 10:20 Tuesday. The case of the town of Windham vs. town of Lebanon for the support of a pauper occupied the attention of the court during the day and a part of to-day.

275. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: The Willimantic Farmers Club will meet at the residence of Geo. H. Andrews, “Oak Pond” farm, on the Coventry road this (Wednesday) evening at 7 o’clock for the purpose of electing officers for the ensuing year. A full attendance is desirable.

276. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Albert Demore a brakeman on the New London Northern road, while engaged in unloading a car at the depot Tuesday forenoon slipped and fell with a half barrel of ale in his hands. His shoulder blade was disjointed and he was taken to Norwich at his own request, where Dr. Carleton repaired the damages.

277. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: The Willimantic Silk company is moving its machinery from this village to Preston, Ct., where a mill has been taken and a consolidation by purchase effected with the Preston company. Our substantial men should take pains to keep such industries at home for therein lies the future prosperity of this village.

278. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Conductor Saunders’ train of the Northern road Friday afternoon ran over and killed James O’Brien, on the long bridge south of Montville. O’Brien and his brother have been employed for some time past at Holyoke, Mass., but work got scarce there and they were tramping in search of a better place when the terrible accident terminated his life.

279. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: R.E. Isbell shows us a twig form an orange tree hanging full of blossoms which he received last Saturday from Everett E. Moulton who went from this place some time since and located at Green Cove Springs, Florida. Mr. Moulton owns a saw mill employing six men and his income is reported to be two hundred dollars a month. Not a few of his former acquaintances envy him in his good luck.

280. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: A sad event was the death of Ida L. wife of Henry F. Smith, which occurred at the home of her mother, Mrs. Wilbur, in this village last Friday morning. The fatal disease induced by travail was a complication which the physicians could not fathom, and she passed away after an illness of short duration. The event is a particularly sad one from the fact that the young couple had just got cozily settled at housekeeping in Hartford with every prospect of a happy future. Mrs. Smith was very popular and highly thought of by a large circle of friends here and Mr. Smith receives the condolence of many acquaintances in this village in his great bereavement. Mrs. Smith was 23 years of age and she leaves an infant son with her husband.

281. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Messrs. E.E. Burnham and William Swift recently appointed commissioners on the estate of the late George S. Moulton of Windham are disqualified to act in that capacity on account of relatives being interested in the Willimantic trust company, of which Mr. Moulton was formerly president. The former commissioners were disqualified for the same reason, and the judge of probate is having hard work to fill the vacancies with eligible persons.

282. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: G.W. Snow received very severe injuries about the head by being thrown from a wagon while passing along Summit street Monday afternoon. The singular part of it is that he has no recollection of how it occurred. He thinks it must have been half an hour that he lay by the side of the street before he recovered consciousness. When he came to his senses he found his horse about twenty rods distant standing in the middle of the street undamaged except by a few scratches. Mr. Snow’s injuries are so severe as to keep him indoors for a number of days.

283. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: The college students’ visit has since then been a pre-eminent topic of discussion and conversation in this village. They were a fine looking set of young men taken as a whole. The accident at Mill No. 2 by which six of them were precipitated into the water near the turbine wheel, and which resulted so luckily has been much talked about, great surprise being expressed that they all escape without injury. It is inevitable that in so large a party there should be some wild oats to sow, and the disposition cropped out on this occasion. Eight of them failed to catch the train by which they were to have returned and in the evening they were in for a grand jamboree. They attempted to flirt with some pretty mill girls but their advances were resented and the girls knocked off their hats and kicked them into the gutters and jostled the fellows into the street. It was a laughable spectacle and reflects discreditably on the gallantry of the collegians. Two of them remained over the next day to complete their debauch.

284. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Andover.
The Helping Hands Society gave a sociable at the house of Miss Nellie Daggett Friday evening the 20th, as usual, a large number of our young people were present. The helping hands of this society are in fact what their name indicates them to be.
Mrs. Orrin Williams recently deceased had an insurance on her life, in the Phoenix Life insurance company for $500 for the benefit of her daughter, Mrs. C.H. Baker.
Mr. Charles Church has taken a farm in Bolton and will soon move there.
Mr. Henry Phelps of Cleveland Ohio with his wife are spending a few days here, with his father the Hon. Gurley Phelps.
A remonstrance against the passage of the Sargent bill, numerously signed by our citizens has been presented to the legislature by our representative Mr. S. Henry Daggett.
Mr. Asa Prentice is ninety-one this month and is the oldest person in town. Mr. Prentice still enjoys good health, and gets about as well as most persons at seventy. The next oldest person in town is Abigail F. Bingham, who was ninety last December.

285. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Mansfield Centre.
Mr. Gilbert S. Williams contemplates the building of a large and commodious store the coming season. It will be centrally located at the corner of the main road and the north road leading to the Hollow. Verily some of Gen. Cummings’ visions respecting the great future of the avenue may yet come to pass.
The winter term of school at the Centre closed this week Tuesday, Deacon Robert P. Barrows teacher; making forty winters in succession the Deacon has taught this school. We doubt if another instance of the kind can be found in the country.

286. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: South Coventry.
Miss Jennie Kingsbury, daughter of Henry Kingsbury, had quite a pleasant surprise party on her birthday anniversary last Monday evening.
Rev. H.R. Housington, acting pastor of the Congregational church, is to remain here another year at least.

287. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Liberty Hill.
Mr. George H. Lathrop who has been quite sick, though still feeble, is improving slowly.
Half-pound parties are still booming. The gathering on Tuesday evening of last week at Charlie Sweet’s wound up with a dance. Music by the Maynard brothers. About one hundred guests were present and took part in the festivities of the occasion.
The great checker contest between Capt. Brown and “Prof.” Smith for the best inn ten thousand games and the championship, is progressing daily at Stedman Emporium at the center. So far the number of games each as won, oddly enough are even.
The punctuality and promptness in the performance of his duties as sexton of the Baptist church for the past two years by Mr. Eugene Lyman merits the approbation not only of the church and society but of all admirers of faithfulness and good order. May his fidelity to an important trust be suitably rewarded.
Samuel Miller the father of Henry Miller of Sprague and grandfather of Mr. Milner of Baltic, was at the time of his death which occurred a number of years since, the progenitor of 183 children, grandchildren and great great grandchildren. Mr. Henry Milner now in his 77th year and the youngest of a family of 11 sons and 3 daughters, is a tall and powerfully built man, who forty years ago when a member of the London police force, must have been a terror to evil-doers. He repeated in his own inimitable manner for the edification of your correspondent a poetical effusion entitled “O Farrell’s warrant to Mary Roach.” This was a warrant for the arrest of a notorious rake who was the lover and betrayer of “A lovely female of great fame. The amiable Miss Roach by name.” Its great length etc., forbids the quotation of the whole of this truly wonderful production.

288. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Willington.
The school in district No. 1 closed its winter term on Thursday 22d ult. The following pupils were neither absent or tardy during the term of ten weeks. Hattie C. Robbins, Charlie Topliff, Bennie G. Robbins, Arthur Potter. Those not absent: Minnie Grout, Elliot Sparrow, Stella Potter, was but one day and Etta Holt, two days. The average attendance of scholars was 21.3. Whole numbers of scholars 27. One moved away and two were out sick for three weeks, thus reducing the average attendance.
In the test spelling class Miss Etta T. holt, missed the least number of words.
The dwelling house known as the “Rider homestead” situated near the Moose Meadow post office, was burned to the ground early on Saturday morning last, with nearly all its contents. The fire was supposed to have originated from ashes. The property formerly belonged to Mrs. Armina Rider and was uninsured. Mr. Frank Barrows has occupied the house for several years.

289. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Columbia.
The Cornet Band in company with Franklin and Smith gave an entertainment at Andover last week.
W. P. Robertson of Hartford was in town over Sunday and Monday.
Mrs. Holbrook has visited Dr. Sweet three times for his inspection of her injured wrist. She is naturally anxious about it as her right hand has a crooked finger and she used the left for domestic purposes as other people use the right hand, but he assures her it is doing well.
The formation of “the angels snowballs” on the surface of the ground last Wednesday morning was very noticeable.
Mr. A.O. Wright who has been confined to the house for several weeks is slightly convalescent and his wife also is pronounced by Dr. Gallup as being in an improved condition.
Mr. Sanford the lumber dealer has recently purchased a timber lot of Justin Holbrook and is bargaining with W.B. Little and others.
While the workmen were felling trees on Geo. Taylors lot last week one of the trees fell on a yoke of oxen and broke the back of one of the animals.
The Columbia Free Library Association organized last Friday evening resulting in the following choice of officers:--Pres. C. N. Gallup, M.D.; Vice-Pres. E.P. Lyman; Sec. W.A. Collins; Treas. J.P. Little; Trustee John Hutchins; Library Committee, C.N. Gallup, M.D., W.H. Yeomans, J. Hutchins, C.E. Little, Miss A.J. Fuller; A.M. Fox; and Rev. F.D. Avery made a permanent member by the articles of the constitution.

290. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: To Rent.—The New Building just completed on Church street by Charles E. Congdon is now ready for rental. There are three stores in the first story suitable for any mercantile purpose. They are 60 feet deep by 20 feet wide, light and airy, with plate glass fronts. Also, a tenement of 7 rooms in second story. Barn room to rent, and horses boarded. For particulars apply on the premises to Chas. E. Congdon.

291. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: On opening a freight car Wednesday morning at the Plainfield railroad station which had just arrived from Providence, where it had been loaded an sealed the day before, it was found to contain two boys about eleven and fourteen years of age. The boys acknowledged hiding in the cars at Providence, hoping to get to New York. It is surmised that they were on the way west to help extinguish the Indians as one of the boys carried a ferocious looking case knife ground to a point in a belt at his waist. But wiser counsel prevailed and they were induced to return home.

292. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Wm. T. Renaud has been appointed postmaster at Cannon, Fairfield county and Scoville Nettleton at Minortown, Litchfield county. The office at Quadic, Windham county, has been discontinued.

293. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: North Windham.
Mr. A.E. Harmon, night operator at the R.R. office, has been relieved by Mr. G.R. Jackson of Jewett, Ohio.
The funeral of Mrs. Charles Chamberlain was largely attended from the church on Sat. Feb. 17th, Rev. Mr. Williams officiating. She was the eldest daughter of Martin Flint, Esq., and will be greatly missed among her circle of friends. Her death seems peculiarly sad, as she leaves a young son who will never know a mother’s love. It is being cared for by its paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Chamberlain.

294. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: The town of Windham has a grand list of $4,195,604.60 for the year 1882. The taxable property is divided up as follows: 1121 dwelling houses, $1,393,290; 12,801 ½ acres of land, $282,453; etc. 73 Mills, Stores, Distilleries, Manufactories, $1,878,080; 516 Horses, Asses, Mules, $31,002; 922 Neat Cattle, $19,789; Sheep, Swine and Poultry, over exemption, $1011; 209 Coaches, Carriages and Pleasure wagons $14,575; Farming utensils, Mechanics’ tools, over exemption, $1,150; Clocks, Watches Time-Pieces, Jewelry, $4,475; Piano-Fortes, and other Musical Instruments, no exempt, $8,290; Household Furniture and Libraries, $4,850; Bank, Insurance and Manufacturing Stock, 253,757.70; Railroad, City, and Corporation Bonds, $3,4870; Amount employed in Merchandising and Trade, $183,925; Investment in Mechanical and Manufacturing operations, $62,800; Money at interest in this State and in other States, $39,400; Money on hand exceeding one hundred dollars, $700; All Taxable Property not specifically mentioned, $11,655 50; Ten per cent. additional on list not given in, $10,938; Total value, $4,195,604.60.

295. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: Died.
Smith—In Willimantic, Feb. 23, Ida L. Smith, aged 23, years.
Little—In Willimantic, Feb. 24, Abbie Little.
Davis—In Windham, Feb. 24, William H. Davis, aged 24.
Latham—In Phoenixville, Feb. 25, Percy K. Latham, aged 82 years.

296. TWC Wed Feb. 28, 1883: (From the New York Sun.) Spindles Framed in Roses. The Mills that Col. Barrows runs at Willimantic.
The Willimantic Linen Company was started in 1854, to manufacture coarse linen goods, on a capital of $250,000. That was tried until 1857 and abandoned, for the reason that it did not pay. Then the making of three-cord spool cotton was taken up, and was moderately successful up to the time of the breaking out of the civil war. That event found them with a large stock of goods on hand. The manager then, Mr. Lawson C. Ives, was a man of foresight and energy. Instead of slackening production, as some of the directors thought would be most prudent, he increased it, and when the great rise came in the value of cotton goods, the company reaped an enormous profit upon their manufactured stock which, instead of distributing the dividends, they invested in buildings and machinery for the extension of their production. In 1865 they increased their capital to $1,000,000 and built Mill No. 2. Mr. Ives died and was succeeded by Mr. Austin Dunham. In 1874 Col. W.E. Barrows entered the employ of the company as assistant to the Treasurer at Hartford. In 1876 when Mr. Dunham died, Col. W. E. Barrows was made Vice-President and General Manager, and in May last was elected President, continuing in the office as general manager. From the time of his accession to the office of manager the work began that makes this company to-day the brilliant illustration that it is of how far it is in the power of a large corporation to advance the happiness, the moral and intellectual conditions of its employees. Col. Barrows was himself a workingman. During the war he was a Captain and brevet Major on the staff of General Alexander Webb. When the war ended, determined to learn thoroughly the trade of a machinist, he apprenticed himself at the Lowell Machine Shop, where he worked seven years. The first work he did was wheeling iron and cleaning casting at 42 cents a day. When his apprenticeship ended he was put in charge of the Ivanhoe Paper Mills of Paterson, N.J. subsequently was associated with a large firm of importers of machinery, and then he came to the Willimantic Linen Company.
The first thing he started was a reading room for the employees. An old blacksmith’s shop was handsomely fitted up, well supplied with books, newspapers and magazines, and the people in the mills were invited to spend their evenings there. At first they were shy and suspicious of some sinister purpose beneath such consideration for their welfare, but as time wore on, they realized that there was in their new general manager a solid purpose to benefit them, and they were then quite ready to meet his advances half-way. Learning that they were customarily paying to local coal dealers for their fuel at least $2 a ton more than the company obtained its great supply for, he at once ordered 700 tons of coal and issued notices—the local dealers having refused to make any better terms—that all employees could have coal from the company at cost. Then he discovered that they were paying too large a profit to storekeepers for flour, and put a stop to that by buying several car loads of flour which he sold at cost to his people. These were promptly recognized as practical things that proved his good intentions, and removed the last germs of suspicion from even the most incredulous. The good result of the coal and flour experiments encouraged him to start three store departments one for groceries, a second for meat, a third for dry goods, shoes, and millinery. In each the margin of profit on retailing was put at barely enough to cover actual expenses of conducting the business, at least ten per cent below those of the private stores in town. To this advantage were added requirements that all goods sold should be the best quality in their several kinds, that the most perfect cleanliness should be preserved, that full measure and full weight should always be given, and that the people should always be treated with extremest courtesy and consideration. In order that mistakes about pass-books might never be even supposed to occur, and that the employees might be practiced in economy by handling of actual values without being required to carry money always with them, an ingenious system of order cards was adopted, purchasable only for cash, and as good as cash at the stores, where amounts from one cent up to full value would be punched out as good were obtained on them. The stores, starting small, are now large and fine, carry big stock of goods, and prove constantly of very great value to the people, not only in regular business way, but from the opportunities they afford for the generous and considerate application of charity in cases of sickness and want, in such wise as to preserve the self-respect of its recipients.
Col. Barrows’s next step was in the of what has always been his pet theory, the increase of the value as well as the happiness of working people by increasing their education. “It is,” says he, “a matter of direct self-interest for employers if they would only see it. Why is it that the Willimantic thread will lift more ounces of dead weight and is smoother than any other? Any other manufacturer can buy the same cotton and the same sort of machinery to work it. Why, then, the superiority of our products? Simply because it is made by people who know more than any other people in the world engaged in the same work. They put more brains into their work than others do. They are intelligent enough to know the value of care, intelligent enough to be conscientious about employing it, intelligent enough to know how to apply it with skill to produce the best result. Does it pay us directly, then, to increase their knowledge? Decidedly.”
With that in view he started a library for them, that now contains over 1,600 volumes. On the tables in the library are the New York, Boston and other Papers a number of scientific journals, and all the leading magazines. Here an evening drawing school is conducted by Prof. Loomis, a graduate of the New Haven Art school, and on certain evenings weekly there is a singing school in charge of Mr. Parent one of the clerks of the company. The evening schools are taught by Mrs. Peck. When the evening schools are not in session, men who wish to smoke, use that room to smoke, play chess, backgammon, &c., and the library is full of readers every night. All the facilities of the reading room, library, art and singing classes, &c., are absolutely free to employees of the company, who are also encouraged to avail themselves of them by the system of annual rewards for progress in drawing, music and general education. Every year the company hires the Willimantic Opera House and provides an orchestra for the singing classes to give an entertainment for the gratification of the employees. One evidence of the purpose to make its people intelligent is in a company’s notice, conspicuously posted all through the mills by Col. Barrows’ order, to the effect that after July 4, 1883, no person shall be employed here who can not read and write. Another evidence that is constantly before the employees is in the regular advancement to positions of responsibility, and at increased wages of those who distinguish themselves by mental activity and progress. Outsiders are not brought in to take good places that become vacant, but the most capable men among the employees are advanced to them.
Particular attention has been given to the domiciliary arrangements for the families of employees. In the town proper, on the north side of the Willimantic river, the company owns about sixty houses which are rented to employees exclusively. They were put up before Col. Barrows’ time ad are plain, comfortable but not handsome buildings, which admitted of little in the way of improvement or decoration. The Colonel has a fixed idea that by giving people pleasant and beautiful surroundings they instinctively become more careful, cleanly, tasteful, intelligent, and consequently more valuable to their employers. So about two years since he set to work erecting cottages for his people over on a pleasant half-wooded tract on the south side of river known as “The Oaks.” His own house, an odd and very pretty edifice of stone and brick, in the Elizabethan cottage style, and that of Mr. Reid, chief of the dyeing department—a charming residence of old English type—are both over there. The cottages of the working people are of three styles and sizes, but differ in their colors. All are pretty, commodious and surrounded in summer time by charming gardens and lawns. The company keeps a gardener to care for the many plants in Mill No. 4 and about the grounds, and he is instructed to supply the people with all the cuttings he can make, and they care for, from his plants, also to teach them how to cultivate these. Then a reward is offered every year by Colonel Barrows for the door-yard that is handsomest on the 1st of September. All the cottages are furnished with gas, and an ample supply of pure water from the hill above them. Among the Oaks is a pleasant picnic ground and a dancing pavilion, where every Saturday afternoon and evening in summer time Col. Barrows supplies a band for a concert by day and a dance at night. The rent of none of the cottages is higher than $10 and the lowest is $7.50 a month.
In the spring of 1879 Col. Barrows determined to build a new and larger mill than any of the three already used by the company. When he first took charge of the affairs of the company, some of the directors, alarmed at what they feared were revolutionary ideas for bettering the working people, were disposed to meddle with him, but all he did had turned out so well, had proven so beneficial not only to the people but to their own interests, that by this time they were quite content to let him do all that he pleased and quite in his own way. So, when he concluded to build a new mill, he simply went ahead and did it without consulting anybody, without bothering himself with architects or engineers, and no director ever saw it until its machinery was in operation. On the first of April the ground where it was to stand was a rough pasture. In November a building 820 feet long by 174 feet wide and two stories high, of brick, iron and glass, covered the ground and the machinery in it was at work. In the erection of the new mill, his cherished purposes of educating the people, cultivating their artistic taste, and making the conditions of their labor as possible, were kept constantly in view. The walls were built so the base of every one of the huge windows should be a flower bed, and these were filled with thousands of plants bearing the most beautiful foliage and bloom. Then the porches or great enclosures, at the several entrances, in addition to being provided with numbered closet spaces for the employees to hang their hats and wraps, and being decorated with handsome steel engravings and lithographs nicely framed under glass were still further adorned with large central beds of earth, in which many fine tropical plants are grown, each with its name clearly marked upon a piece of wood planted beside it. These attractive porches have their practical uses, besides their ornamental and educational service. In one of them at a quarter past 9 o’clock every work day all the younger employees of 14 years or less have a recess of half or three-quarters of an hour from work, during which they are supplied with mugs of honest milk and handfuls of crackers.
One of the noteworthy evidences of Col. Barrows’ care for his people and the skill with which he knows how to apply it, is in the power supply of his mill. Instead of a ponderous machine with great belts and drums and a wilderness of pulleys overhead, shutting off light and air, and worse than all else, keeping the floor constantly shaking and jarring, he employs a fast running engine in the basement, one that makes 350 revolutions a minute—equivalent to driving a locomotive with 5 ½ feet driving wheels 70 miles an hour—and carried all his shafting under the spinning room floor in a cement bed.
All through the mills sixty hours are accounted a week’s work. The employees, however, are paid not by time, but by work accomplished, and they earn better wages, it is said, than in any other cotton mill in this country—which means in the world. Girls earn from $6 to $8.50 a week. Taking the wages of women and children of fourteen years together they average all through $6.32 a week. Men in the dye house get from $10 to $15 a week, and men’s wages all through the mill average $14.50 a week. The students learned all these facts for themselves, together with many more, for they were diligent enquirers, especially in the packing and spooling rooms, where the prettiest girls seemed to be gathered. There every girl had a student beside her, seeking information, and it was hard to get the young men away as the afternoon wore on to evening.