Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-01
About an Old House.

Broadway yReminiscsnce-RecOI
 by New Haven Resident Now in The Far West.
 Mr. George F. H. Read, of Minneapolis, Minn., writes to us from there to correct an error published in regard to an old house. He says: T see in New Haven paper of Feb. 12, in the account of the removal of the old house No 69 Broadway, the state ment that it was at one time the house Of Daniel Read. This is a mistake. The house 69 Broadway was known as the Graham Place. Years ago General Amos Thomas kept grocery store in it. It WAS afterwards bought and occupied as a residence by my grandfather, G. F. H. Read. The front door used to be in two pieces in the old style, and for many years had a brass knccker and name plate marked G. F. H. Read which I now have in my possession aud which fits my case rather nearer than the one bearing the name 'Thompson' which MT. Toodles bought at auction ever did heFs, buying it as you will remember for the reason that If Toodles should die and she should have second husband and his name should be Thompson it would come in so handy "Dr. Levi Ives' grandfather's house stood between this house and that now owned by MT. Rogers The house of Daniel Read was the second door above Ellis block. The first door above the Ellis block was used by Daniel Read as a store."
 Daniel Read was man of note in bis day some 60 years ago. Although merchant he 1 gave considerable time to the cultivation of music. He had what was exceeding rare in that day, an organ in his house, probably the only private organ in our town. Beside playing on this instrument he composed music. One of his pieces, "Windham," was highly popular and was in all the collections of church music of that olden time. It was set to these words, which, being sung in the low minor key of the tune, were as impressive as the tolling of funeral bell.
 "Broad is the road that leads to death. And thousands walk together there; While wisdom shows 8 narrow path
 With here and there Q traveller"
 When our father sang this, as he often did at our home on a Sunday evening, on Derby turnpike, as West Chapel street used to be called, in & powerful bass voice, it seemed to be the very soul of music. In imagination we too, beheld the narrow road with here and there a traveller" with pack on his back climbing up steep hill.
 Daniel Read was 8 member of the North church and our child recollection in seeing him there was as that of rather large old
 
 and of benignant, modest expression of countenance. And this comports with his reputation, he having been said to have been of 8 remarkably retiring, unobtruslve dis position. His musical tastes were shown by his naming his son after Handel, viz George Frederick Handel Read.
 MT. Read in his letter to us gives an anus ing incident connected with the store of Daniel Read One day one of their regular customers, an old gentleman neatly attired in small clothes and of very dignified appear ance, came in and inquired about soma New England rum. He was told he could go down in the cellar and see if he could find any which would suit him. The stairs made turn half way down and the clerks had been sorting over eggs and had nearly a barrel full of bad eggs in the angle on the cellar floor. The place being somewhat dark the old gen. tleman failed to make the turn, but stepped into the barrel, crushing down in with his entire person. His disgust and indignation were indescribable. He thought it was, as it Is termed, ia set up job"
 That the old gentleman should have felt 1t was intended as 8 practical joke was quite natural. That Broadway quarter had an unusual number of marked eccentric charac- ters and practical jokes and witticisms seemed to have been in the air. Among one of the families of note was one whom we here shall call Jonas. One Saturday morning just as Mrs. Jonas had got her pies put in the oven Tor baking, she was sent TOT Dy 1r1ehu WnO had been suddenly attacked by illness. Turning to her only son present she said: 'tEness, stay here and watch the pies; be careful they don't burn and when they are baked crisp and brown take them out,'' all of which Eneas promised faithfully to do. But Eneas soon grew impatient, for there was damsel in the neighborhood whose maiden name was Ruth that had kindled flame in his bosom per- haps as strong as the hickory which his mother had burnt in her oven for the pies. Finally Eneas espied his brother George in the distance approaching the house. There upon he wrote these lines and astened the paper on the wall for his inspection on com ing in and then left going out by the win dow:
 "George Jonas, you greedy eyes,
 Stay st home and watch the pies"
 George saw Eneas leave and knew from the direction he took the magnet that had attract ed him. But he did as bsde and got even with his brother for he also fastened theee lines under the others
 ''Eneas Jonas, pious youth,
 Forsook his pies and fed to Ruth"
 All this happened before the Revolutionary war, for Eneas was surgeon in our army and was at the surrender at Yorktown, where, as 8 colored man expressed it, '.Gineral Washington shelled all de corn of Gineral CornWallis and made ob him Gineral Cob wallis." H. H.
 100 Grovn straaE