Connecticut western news., 1872-04-05
a History of tho TOWN OF NORFOLII.

We again fad 1t interesting to trace their slow but sure progress in improvement in the incipient stage of the settlement Schools were early established. and encour- aged by every means then in their power Limited, indeed, were the means, their funds were low, and their books few. The following books composed the library of the pupil: the Bible the New England Primer; containing the assembly of Divines' Shorter Catechism Dilworth's Spelling Book, containing few pages of grammar; his Schooimaster's Assistant, containing the ground rules of arithmetic, and some rules quite too abstruse for the juvenile scholar. The writing scholar took his first lesson on the bark of the white birch, or was restric- ted to the use of few sheets of paper, whereon 10 learn that useful art. His in- dulgent and kind mother made his ink from the bark of the soft maple, or the berries of the sunach. His ingenious father made him an ink k-horn-properly so-called-of the tip of cows horn, and set 1t in a round wooden bottom thus accoutred he hied away with cheerful steps to his school house. in sume instances far distant. here 10 spend the day in the sultry and confined summer heat, or the piercing cold of win ter. The teachers were instructed from the same source and in the same way, ta. ken for few weeks from their domestic employments to ''teach the young Idea how to shoot and pour instruction into the mind" F.
 In I76s, the town passed vote to this effect: that if ten or even three families, would unite and set up an approved school, the expense might be paid from the treas ury. The adult population did not neg
 lect. generally, the improvement of their own minds. They were reading with avility a library of hooks, few indeed in number, collected about the time of MT. Robbins settlement, consisting of about l50 volumes, selected from the compara- lively few books obtainable at that time. It was preserved for 80 or 35 years and then sold and distributed among the pro- prietors. In this manner were the evenings of many families pleasantly spent. Thus reader occupied one corner of the fire side, surrounded by an interesting, and in . some instances an attentive group of chil- dren, while the busy hum of the spinning .,wheelwas heard in the other, Their days ! were industriously spent, when the weather and other circumstances would admit, in fpliing and clearing off the huge forest trees, the logs, being tumbled into massy piles, which, when set on fire, lighted the hori . zan and oyer-shatlowiug clouds in the twilight, and afforded Iare sport for the 5 children, whose business it was to add fuel to the fire by throwing on the rushwoo.l. In addition to all this labor and expense, :. passable roads were made, and the rugged surface cleared and smoothed sufficiently for opening passage through the town in different directions. In l76l, the country road, is it was then termed, was made, leading from the beech flats, and running a north-westerly course, down on the north side of the centre burying- ground, through the dug.way or valley into Canaan. The manner then pursued and approved of for making roads, was; to dig pass or trench through knolls, and on the declivities of ,iiiiSt cutuCtOuuy -WA0C AOt lS tO pdSS AOI- ward, but in general, not to pass each other but with difficulty The wet and marshy places which crossed their route, were filled with round timber laid across the road, in some places they were left ftnaked, in others the interstices were filled with earth, which formed level for a time above the water and mud. When coming to rock of considerable size, they very pradently > sheered off, and took circular turn, avoid ing it as an unconquerahle obstruction. The course of the highways, generally, was over high ground, in order to escape the swamps and dense forests, which in many places lay directly in. their way. When the surface was cleared and dry, many al- terations were made in their direction, which better accommodated the inhabitants in every part of the town. ". .aaaP'
 The troublous times, which had for sev- cral years been anticipated, now arrived. Theirsrecital, as to detail, is here omitted, and the reader referred to the official doc- uments published at large on the subject. It will be sufficient fin this place to say, our fathers now began very sensibly to feel, in common with their. fellow. citizens throughout the country, the effects of Brit ] ish aggression, innovation, and unwarrantcd demands. Those inipolitic measures, Oh the side of the British, were the cause of their almost unanimously firmly imbibing athat spirit of independence and freedom which actuated them in their subsequent and ardHous struggles for the defence of inalienable rights. The inhabitants of this {, town determined, in cooperation with their D fellow-citizens, to withstand the torrent of abuse unmercifuliy poured upon them, and to emancipate themselves from the now rude grasp of their mother-country, if
 blood as well as treasure must be the sacri.
 fee!
 From the few public newspapers, then in
 circulation, the news of the day was ob
 tained, and the public proceedings were :, made familiar to them and they told them
 to their children. In l774, having learned ag that the harbor of Boston was blockade6 . by the British. in the true spirit of Chris
 tan benevolence and of patriotism, they
 resolved, in legal meeting, to send relief te
 the inhabitants who were in distressing cir
 cumstances. It was timely; and thougt like the widows mite when compared witt theIr necessities, it was undoubtedly an ac
 ceptable offering. At the same meeting
 they levied tax of one half-penny on ths r pound, for the purpose of procuring pow der and other ammunition for the use o
 the town, that they might be ready for any
 emergency calling for it's use. For thu