Connecticut western news., 1872-06-07
HISTORY OF NORFOLK,
SUPPLEMENTAL.
By Gen. c. F. Sedgwick.


 Mir. Pease-I was born in Cornwall Hol low, near upon the territory of Norfolk, my fathers farm lying partly in that town and 1 was a member of the classical school kept and taught by Parson Robbins, from May, 1908, till September, 1909. These circumstances give to the articles on the history of that town recently published by you, great interest to me. Among my schoolmates were the late Dr. Gold, ot Cornwall, and John Elmore, Jr., Esq, of Canaan, as we'll as Dr. Lansing, of Albany, who yet survives. AS pass through Nor. folk on the railroad observe that the old parsonage is still standing, and though it is bereft of it's portico and other outward adornments, there is still enough of it's an, tique appearance and pleasant surroundings
 TO mind me of departed joys,
 Departed never to return.''
 1 have still very clear recollection of the prominent men then residing in the town. They were all of one religious faith, attend ing constantly upon the ministry of Mr. Robbins, and with very few exc p!ions all attached to the federal party, and probably there never was more united, happy and prosperous community, than were the in habitants of Norfolk during the pastorate of their first minister. When entered his school he was in advanced life, being near ly 70 years of age. He had given their education and moral training in their youth, instructed them in religious duties during all their lives, and they venerated him as a father, instructor and guide.
 From my earliest recollection, MT. Rob. bins had some celebrity as pulpit orator, If he was appointed to preach in a neigh. boring parish, there was sure to he a full attendance. It used to be said that if MT. Farrand, of Canaan, could write the ser mon, and Mr. Robbins deliver it, il would be a finished specimen of pulpit oratory. His sermons We're far from being profound d, being delivered from few written sketches which he carried with him into the pulpit, and they were only impressive as his man. aaer cf Gelicery made them so. There seem- cd to be deep and heartfelt earnestness in every word he uttered. He had full clear voice, not grum but mellow, and his read Ing the psalm preparatory to singing, was perfect music. His department in his fam fly and with the members of his school was most amiable and agreeable, and it seemed 10 be his purpose to make every one happy, and practiced a blameless course of life. He had no tolerance for evil deeds or evil doers, and his denunciations of such were sometimes scathing. A thunder shower would excite him, not to personal fear, but to very animated remarks upon the display of the Divine power as exhibited in the majesty of the storm. Once, when such d storm was accompanied by fall of hail stones l remember him saying, ''When was young at such a time as this, old peo- pie used to repeat these lines:
 Summers hail and Winters thunder |
 Young mems death and old mems wonder"
 Mir. Robbins, like other clergymen of those times, was warm friend of the Country in the war for the independence. He spent several months in tue army in Northern Vermont and Canada, in the ca- pacitY of chaplain, and bis published jour- nal shows that he was very active and use- ful in promoting the spiritual welfare of the soldiers. He wrote patriotic ode, ad- dapted to the tune now called America, I" which l have heard sung in my early life. The first stanza was an invocation to the Deity, and all remember of the ode is em- braced in the four last lines of that stanza, viz.:
 ' Author of Harmony,
 Hater of Tyranny,
 God thou Great Majesty,
 Thee we adore.''
 Mir. Robbins died in the fall of 1913, the year in which the new meeting house was built. When made my first visit to Mad am Robbins after that event, she informed mo that after he became very feeble, he was taken up to see the new building, and after having made his inspection he put his hands on one of the pillars and blessed the house. Your correspondent has spoken. of the great number of rocks on the green in early times. They were so thickly preva- lent as to render travelling across that To- cality with team and vehicle. all but inn- practicable. The first attempt to clear them off was in the summer of 1909. A man of the name of Salmon Bale, whose father was Hessian soldier taken prisoner in one of the battles near Saratoga in TIT, was employed to drill the rocks and charge them with gun powder, and in honor of the day, they were subjected as nearlyas as could be, to simultaneous explosion on the 4th of July. went home to Independence, but l remember that on my return frag- ments of the exploded rocks were scatter ed thickly over the whole surface of the Green. A man of the name of Hezekiah Turner was then erecting tannery on the plain west of the parsonage, and many of those loose stones were used by him in the foundation of his building.
 ITO be coptinued.]
 OBITUARY.
 James Gordon Bennett.
 James Gordon Bennett, founder of the New York Herald, died at his residence in New York, Saturday, at 5:3o D. m., at the